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Negative impacts of drinking alcohol
Negative impacts of drinking alcohol
Effects of drinking alcohol in society essay
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Recommended: Negative impacts of drinking alcohol
Allison Butigian 1/15/14
American Social Issues Period: 4
Alcohol
How does a person change from an innocent, pure child to a wild trouble-maker? One popular icon that has struggled with alcohol is Lindsay Lohan. We all remember her as the young kid from parent trap that has had a pretty successful acting career, but everything changed when she became addicted to alcohol and drugs. Her life seemed to turn for the worst when she was arrested twice for a DUI in 2007 and she confessed that alcohol abuse is what led her to more serious drugs. This is often the case with many individuals that become alcoholics. Within The United States’ society, alcohol is extremely underrated about the drug’s toxicity and danger. Although it is overlooked as a common substance, research has stated that alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in America.
Alcohol abuse is defined as the most destructive use of alcohol while Alcoholism is characterized by the repeated, obsessive and uncontrollable use of alcohol, despite the extremely negative consequences. (Harvey). In the United States along there are approximately 14 million alcohol abusers and slightly less than 7 million alcoholics (Harvey). For some people, based on genetics, they are more likely to develop alcoholism than others (Harvey). Although this is true in many circumstances an addiction correlates with life obstacles. Developing addictions of any kind tends to be a mix of nature and nurture. This means that an individual’s DNA can make them likely to develop alcoholism, but lifestyle of that individual can also push them to become dependent on the drug. Alcoholism, as well as any type of addiction is classified as a disease. It is a chronic and often progressive d...
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...precaution the government can take is raising the tax on alcohol. If it becomes more expensive it will be less appealing, especially towards younger audiences. This could prevent many unintended accidents that would not have happened if the individual did not consume as many drinks (Friedman).
Alcohol has the ability to consume someone’s entire life. It becomes a larger issue each year and when alcoholism takes over an individual they are no longer the same person. Alcohol has so many negative effects on a person’s health it is not worth it to abuse the drug. There are many precautions that could be taken by the community and the government that could slow the growth of alcohol abuse. By educating people at a young age hopefully they can grow into responsible drinkers. We need to create a society that understands how to drink responsibly and not put others at risk.
Primarily, the drinking age should be lowered to teach responsibility and safety in young adults. The idea seems paradoxical; however, the high drinking age that is present in the U.S. today has only pushed underage drinking underground (Balko 458). In fact, America has the highest minimum drinking age in the world (Balko 459). Even though the American drinking age remains high, America still remains with an astonishingly large number of alcohol-related accidents and deaths. Is this statement a coincidence? Throughout the years alcohol has become more and more of an issue in young adults, but the correct actions are not taking place. If alcohol were to legally be put in the hands of Americans eighteen and above, these individuals would likely be forced to learn a sense of safety and responsibility. As stated by Caryn Sul...
Frey and Schonbeck explain that it is estimated that over 76 million people worldwide are affected by alcohol abuse or dependence. The chance of having an alcoholic in one’s life is very high. Children that grow up in an environment with an alcoholic may increase that child’s chance of becoming an alcoholic themselves. In the United States, the most commonly abused drug among youth is alcohol. Even though the legal drinking age is 21, nearly 20% of all alcohol consumed in the United States is by people under the legal age (83). In fact, when youth start drinking at social events in their teenage years, they are greatly increasing their risk of developing alcohol problems (85). Alcoholism can affect people of all ages. Furthermore, some experts try to differentiate between alcoholics and social drinkers. Typically, they base this off of five categories. Social drinkers do not drink alone. They consume minimal amounts of alcohol during social functions. Situational drinkers may not ever drink unless they are stressed out. These drinkers are more likely to drink by themselves. Problem drinkers can be described as a drinker that alcohol has caused problems in their life. However, they usually respond to advice given by others. Binge drinkers are out of control in their alcohol consumption. They may drink until they pass out or worse. Alcoholic drinkers have found that their lives have become unmanageable and that they are completely powerless over alcohol (84). Alcoholics should be cautious of their surroundings to prevent
Genetics predispose an individual to having an increased chance of becoming codependent upon drugs or alcohol. Studies of twins and of families that are prone to addiction suggest that about 50% of the risk for drug addiction is genetically based (EBSCOhost). One well-characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol (NIH). The result of the liver breaking down the alcohol faster is a higher tolerance. Individuals with a higher tolerance to alcohol, need to drink more than the average person in order to seek the same biological effect. When heavy drinkers suddenly stop or significantly reduce their alcohol consumption, the neurotransmitters prev...
Lanthrop’s argument that substance abuse is caused by both your environment and genetics is very intriguing. Not only does Lanthrop use strong medical and statistical evidence in his statement, he uses personal experience. By using his personal experience in his argument, Lanthrop establishes credibility or ethos with his readers as well as emotional appeal or pathos. By establishing credibility and appealing to the emotional side of readers Lanthrop effectively argues that substance abuse is impacted by a person’s environment and their genetic code. However, out of the two main causes of substance abuse, genetics has the greatest impact on one’s substance abuse issue.
Nurnberger, John. "Alcoholism Is a Genetic Disorder." Alcohol Abuse. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Unraveling the Genetics or Alcohol...
“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.
Slutske, W. S., D’Onofrio, B. M., Turkheimer, E., Emery, R. E., Harden, K. P., Heath, A. C., et al. (2008). Searching for an environmental effect of parental alcoholism on offspring alcohol use disorder: A genetically informed study of children of alcoholics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 534-551.
The problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism,' habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of `disease' as follows: "Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder." Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it is somewhat understandable that `alcoholism' is classified as a disease. The Classical Disease Model appears to offer a hopeful option. Treatment and sobriety can allow people to lead fulfilling lives. Adjacent to the notion of alcoholism as personal failure or moral deterioration, the Classical Disease Model appears to be a more desirable concept as it provides a motive for the alcoholic to seek treatment and gain sympathy, minimizing personal guilt. As alcoholism is seen as a progressive and, to an extent, hereditary illness for which those afflicted are not accountable, victims avoid being ostracized from society (Jellinek, 1960). Labeling the problem as a `disease' allows the medical profession to take responsibility for the treatment of alcoholism, which puts the problem in a more favourable light than if it were in the hands of psychologists or social workers, thus detaching the stigma connected with the problem while it is put on a par with other diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, critics of the Classical Disease Model believe stigma helps reduce alcohol problems and aids the alcoholic. Any effort to reduce the stigma which is faced by the alcoholic will reduce pressures to moderate consumption and could have the additional ...
Many people who experience these effects avoid alcohol, which helps protect them from developing AUD”( “Genetics of Alcohol”). Environmental factors are another risk for AUD as mentioned by the NIAAA. Genetic research related to alcoholism is still developing and it is still not confirmed if genetics have a role in alcoholism. It is also suspected that genes have an impact on the effectiveness of treatment for this disorder since treatment is only found to be effective in certain individuals. The substance abuse and mental health services administration reported in 2010 for people of age 12 and older in the United States that an estimated 131 million drink alcohol, 58.6 million participate in binge drinking, and 16.9 million participate in heavy drinking (“Addiction Statistics”). There are many resources and treatments available for individuals to deal with their alcohol addiction such as support groups, medication, or counseling. Genetic research will continue to develop through the NIAAA in hope of recovery for individuals suffering from alcohol
...s such as identification with or imitation of the alcoholic parent. It may also happen because of the social and family conditions that are thought to be associated with the development of alcoholism. These include family conflict, job insecurity, divorce, and social stigma. Being diagnosed with alcoholism has a major effect on the person personally. It cause them to change there way of thinking collectively. It changes their view of life and the things going on around them. In the alcoholics personal obstacles they usually have history and a pattern of use. They probably have gone through relapse and other associated problems. If the alcoholic started drinking in there secondary education(college) they may obtain deficits in their education. They may even obtain a learning disability or something of that nature. Because of this persons deficit they may not have the proper education or skills to obtain a high paying job. If the alcoholic is already in the workforce they tend to be in high paying positions that cause them to be over worked and highly stressed. They also they may choose to ignore the problem, do nothing, and hope it will either rectify itself or at least not worsen.
Underaged drinking has effected many people especally those who are consuming large amounts of alcohol at an age younger than twenty-one. The government has the ability to raise not only awareness about the dangers but also can raise the drinking age nationally to a more safer age. At the age of twenty-five, not only has the brain developed correctly but it can also decrease chances of disasters and car crashes in the United States.
Alcohol Dependence also known as alcoholism, is a condition where an individual drinks too much, too often and in ways that harm their health, happiness and even relationships. Alcohol abuse refers to a pattern of behavior where a person drinks excessively despite the negative consequences and interference with life’s normal activities. It becomes a problem when the pattern happens on a regular basis. In the United States, nearly 14 million adults, or every one in 13 adults, abuse alcohol or have an alcoholism problem (Maldonado). The number of people who undergo treatment for alcoholism and other alcohol-related problems is not nearly as high as the number of those facing these issues. In 1997, for example, only 3.1 million
..., cancer, liver and pancreas disease etc. There are many factors why do people drink, such as: make friends, forget problems, to feel happy, to relax, to feel less anxious, to feel confident and the genes, in my opinion play the key role in this problem. Some people don’t realize that this is a big deal, the big problem until it’s late. Once someone tried alcohol and become dependent it is hard to realize that person needs help to stop it. Also drinking alcohol is closely linked with use of other drugs, legal and illegal. Smoking, drinking and drug taking often co-exist. I chose this article to review because I think it has good examples to show people what causes alcohol dependence and what conditions one can get if drinking alcohol often. People need to remember that we live ones and it is important to keep ourselves healthy and none of bad habits worth our life.
The cause of alcoholism is a combination of biological, psychological, and cultural factors that may contribute to the development of...
Alcohol and drug abuse is one of biggest problems in United States today. It is not only a personal problem that dramatically affects individuals' lives, but is a major social problem that affects society as whole. "Drug and alcohol abuse", these phrases we hear daily on the radio, television or in discussions of social problem. But what do they mean or what do we think and understand by it? Most of us don't really view drug or alcohol use as a problem, if that includes your grandmother taking two aspirins when she has a headache or your friends having few beers or drinks on Saturday night. What we really mean is that some drugs or alcohol are being used by some people or in some situations constitute problem with which our society must deal. It becomes a real problem when using or I should say abusing drugs cause accidents, antisocial behavior, broken relationships, family instability, crime and violence, poverty, unsafe streets and highways, worker absenteeism and nonproductivity, and the most tragic one death. The situation in which the drug or alcohol uses accurse often makes all the difference. The clearest example is the drinking of alcohol, when individual begins to drink during the job, at school, or in the morning, we have evidence that indicates a potential drinking problem. If a person takes narcotic drug because he just wrecked his knee while his physician prescribed playing football and the drug, most of us would be not concerned. If, on the other hand, he took the same drug on his own just because he likes the way it makes him feel, then we should begin to worry about him developing dependence. Even use of illegal drugs are sometimes acceptable, but it also depends on situation, for example in some countries smoking marijuana is legal just like drinking alcohol in United States. Some subcultures even in United States that accept the use of illegal drugs may distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable situation, some college age groups might accept marijuana smoking at a party on weekends, but not just before going to a calculus class. Most of people would accept a fact that a bartender or a waiter who is working at a night club is having a beer or a drink on his break or that a landscape worker is having a cold beer with his lunch on a hot summer day. I'm not saying that it is "OK" but we wouldn't complain a...