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dangers of alcohol
dangers of alcohol
alcoholism effects on family essay
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3 characteristics of alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is a progressive disease that includes problems controlling your drinking, and being preoccupied with alcohol. Loss of control: Engaging in other risk behaviours will under the influence of alcohol. Loss of motivation: Losing interest in other activities you loved or enjoyed. Compulsive preoccupation: Compulsive worrying about other things and craving alcohol. Characteristics that encourage youth to engage in alcohol abuse. Peer pressure: Teenagers want to be a part of a popular group or ‘gang’ and therefore give in to anything, and always listen to what others have to say. The teen party scene is a circumstance where alcohol is indulged in more than any other times. Curiosity: Teenagers are often curious about things they haven’t tried yet and alcohol is one of them. Teens often wonder why others drink so much and then try it themselves, and unfortunately, if they like it, it becomes a big problem. Low self esteem: Most teens who have low self esteem indulge in alcohol and other illegal substances, which then leads to depression...
Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the history of humanity, a disease which has caused many people to be overcome with burdens, problems, and debts. Alcoholism is a term that is widely recognized throughout the United States and the World. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often fatal; it is a disorder and not due to other diseases or emotional problems.
According to "Peer Pressure Statistics & Facts," the statistic for the number of young adults who consumed alcohol due to peer pressure was more than 75%. Drinking is a social activity, therefore adolescents will most likely never drink on their own (Gibbons et al., 2003; Pomery et al., 2009). One's years as an adolescent are highly stressful, and there's a lot of pressure on them to fit in with their peers. Teens begin to highly value their relationships with their peers during this time period and the importance of the opinions and attention of others are highly increased (Burnett et al., 2011; Nelson et al., 2005; Steinberg, 2008). An article on "Psychology Today" adds that "…brain imaging studies have shown that several areas of the brain make adolescents more sensitive to the rewards of peer relationships than adults" (Albert, Chein, & Steinberg, 2013). They crave social acceptance so they will turn to their peer norms to see how much they should be drinking, how they should behave when they are drinking, and so on. Another quote says that "Indeed, several studies showed that peer norms are predictive of adolescents' willingness to drink (Blanton et al., 1997; Gibbons et al., 2004; Ouellette et al., 1999). With that said, it is clear that there is a strong connection between the influence of others and the teen's willingness to drink. An article on "Drug Rehab Services" talks about how around 40% of Canadian tenth grade student had a consumed alcohol in the past year, show by a survey in 2001. Of those teens, many of them drank at an even younger age which was shown to be some form of peer pressure including from friends, or movie, and music industry influences. It is much easier said than done
Curiosity to appear more grown up may be the reason why most adolescents take their first drink of an alcoholic beverage. The ability to seen more grown up can intensify drinking at a younger age. Consequently, as alcohol is seen as the “Forbidden Fruit,” it encourages the want to drink for people under the age of twenty-one.
There are an estimated 3.3 million teen-age alcoholics in the United States. Adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin drinking at age 21. Youth who drink alcohol are five times more likely to smoke cigarettes, four times more likely to smoke marijuana and three times more likely to use an illicit drug. Teens that use alcohol tend to become sexually active at earlier ages. Teens who use alcohol are more likely to be victims of violent crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery or rape.
So why the hike in usage over such a short span of time? A few tentative conclusions have surfaced in response to the rapidly growing numbers. Research has shown that the absence of a parental figure within the household has proven to be an effective catalyst in spurring youth to participate in what would otherwise be considered reckless behavior. An additional explanation for the use of alcohol by an underage demographic can be the self-justification, created by youth, based on parental observation. If an adolescent actively participates in the consumption of alcohol, in an attempt to emulate the actions of their parents, then psychologically, that action would warrant that much more credibility.
Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. A central characteristic of alcohol dependence is the often overpowering desire to consume alcohol. Patients experience difficulties in controlling the consumption of alcohol and continue drinking alcohol despite harmful consequences. Problem drinking has multiple causes, with genetic, physiological, psychological and social factors all playing a role. Not every individual is equally affected by each cause. For some alcohol abusers, psychological traits such as impulsiveness, low self-esteem, and a need for approval prompt inappropriate drinking. Alcoholism is a multifactorial trait because there are a lot of environmental and genetic factors that influence this trait.
Research shows that over 60% of high school seniors drink at least once a week, although the law does not make drinking legal until age 21. In reality, kids are drinking at increasingly younger ages. The question is why do teens use alcohol when they know it's forbidden? Students give various reasons; with most saying they drink for enjoyment, to be accepted by friends, to forget problems, and to reduce stress in their lives.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, alcoholism is defined as "the compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages." It is a problem that can tear apart marriages and families, cause someone to lose his job, and many more negative results. In order to recover from this dependency a person must lose his desire for and dependence upon alcohol, continue to remain sober, and resolve all conflicts caused by the alcohol abuse. There are several alternatives an alcoholic has to rehabilitate himself. The best solution is a combination of individual therapy and a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
“For every family that is impacted by drugs, there are another 10 to 15 families impacted by alcohol abuse. It's a pretty big deal. We have a tendency to only look at part of the puzzle.” (Kevin Lewis). As a society we tend to categorize the severity of addiction in a way that drugs are the most dangerous and alcohol being just a problem. Because alcohol addiction can be a slow progressive disease many people don’t see it in the same light as drug addiction. An addiction to drugs is seen as being a more deadly and dangerous issue then that of alcohol because a drug addiction can happen more quickly and can kill more quickly. Alcohol is something that is easy to obtain, something that is found at almost every restaurant. People with an alcohol addiction can not hide from alcohol as easy as a drug addict. Approximately 7 million Americans suffer from alcohol abuse and another 7 million suffer from alcoholism. (Haisong 6) The dangers of alcohol affect everyone from children with alcoholic parents, to teenagers who abuse alcohol, then to citizens who are terrorized by drunk drivers.
... the alcoholic of responsibility for their problem. Labeling an alcohol problem as a disease is perhaps as stigmatising as the problem itself and could have the effect of dissuading many problem drinkers from seeking help. It focuses mainly on those whose drinking has become excessive and is thus restrictive. The Classical Disease Model may appear convenient for alcoholics who want to deny they have a problem, yet it is likely to do more harm to the individual and the community than good, therefore it is clear to see why, in the 21st Century, the Classical Disease Model is viewed as entirely inadequate.
Alcohol Abuse in America Teenage drinking has a storied past in the United States. Alcohol was first introduced to America by the European traders and colonists. Most people instantly fell in love with this new drink. The one-hundred and fifty years between the Colonial period and the Revolutionary War was when alcohol really became popular. Alcohol was considered as a "Good Creature of God".
There are a number of reasons why teenagers feel the urge to drink. Social environment, peer influence, stresses, and even factors such as media influence contribute to underage drinking. Peer pressure is as well known use among teens. Americans have a burning desire to be accepted and liked by their peers. Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. Many adolescents feel that they need to drink alcohol to gain this acceptance by the others around them. Stress is also another reason why teens may feel apt to drink alcohol. Stress causes teenagers to look for a quick escape from the problems, which they face, in their day-to-day lives. This quick escape can be found in the shape of a bottle. In the eyes of an underage drinker, alcohol is the cure to all problems, a way to forget all of stress and pressures that are facing them. They feel that it will numb their pain and continuing to use alcohol will result in maybe another problem, substance abuse.
We live in a society that drinks heavily, and this influences teens. Most Americans use alcohol to celebrate wedding anniversaries, to welcome the New Year, and to enjoy many other special events. Alcohol is a legal drug for people over the age of twenty-one. By the time most teens reach senior high school, nearly all will have faced a choice about whether or not to take a drink. Although this drug is illegal for teenage use a large percentage of teens use alcohol. Many teens die in automobile accidents, which could have prevented if they had chosen to say no. Each year it is blame in the deaths of more than four thousand teens (Claypool, p. 42). No crime kills more teenagers in America. Kids who are drinking regularly in high school seem to be fully aware of the penalties and laws against underage drinking, possession but don't care. They agree that driving while intoxicated is a key role in fatal car accidents, yet they still do it. Many teens also believe cold showers and coffee can sober up a person that is drunk Teens may drink for many different reasons. A big reason for teens to start to drink is because of problems in their family life. Teens could have a bad relationship with their parents or their parents could get in a fight or even get a divorce and this could cause a drinking problem among their child. Many experts agree that the main reason teens are becoming alcoholics is low self-esteem. Sometimes these children have been neglected or abused which makes them feel unwanted or they have been pressured and feel worthless if they fail. They have to deal with problems that he is too immature to handle, or worries about problems, which are problems at all. Many kids drink to make them feel older and mature. It makes you ...
Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not only affects the alcoholic, but also their family, friends, co-workers, and eventually total strangers. The symptoms are many, as are the causes and the effects.
The use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs during adolescence and early adulthood remains a serious health problem in the United States. Among the drug classes, alcohol is the most frequently used substance by adolescents and that is followed by marijuana and tobacco. The consequences of alcohol and drug abuse are critical on both a personal and social level. For the developing young adult drug and alcohol abuse threatens motivation, hinders the cognitive processes, increases the risk of accidental injury or death, and contributes to debilitating mood disorders. In addition, it contributes to educational failure, juvenile crime, increase in mental health services, and high cost in health care. Oftentimes, there are underlying mental health issues that are undiagnosed or existing conditions that are medicated which can invariably lead to an increase in adolescent alcohol and substance use disorder.