Impact of Alcohol Use on American Society

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Recommended: Effects of alcohol on society and family

Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a result of use as well. There are various levels of use including, moderate and binge drinking, which all show different effects as a result of the amount used. The demographics of users play a significant role in the effects that are caused. The lives of users are quite different from those of non-users, including the crimes that are committed by users. There are also other effects that are not derived directly from alcohol use, including negative effects on motivation and mood swings. When you use alcohol you increase your chances of seeing negative consequences from the use, significantly more than non-users have of seeing these consequences. We also learn myths that are created by the media and extreme drug abstainers. Perhaps the most important thing we must learn when researching alcohol and its effects are the real life experiences that we go through as a result of this drug. It is important that we learn all the dimensions of the reality of this drug before we pass judgment on it.

Many myths are created involving the use of alcohol, some of which based on truth, but the most wide heard myths are ones that are created to make alcohol look like a socially accepted and healthy drug with no side effects. The first of these myths is one that claims alcohol to be a stimulant. These complete opposite is true, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. The way this applies to users is that alcohol slows the heart rate and breathing and also lowers the blood pressure. One of the most commonly accepted myths is that alcohol is a sure way to relax and reduce stress. However, as we drink the adrenaline levels in our...

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...s one that is very important to our personal point of view on alcohol. These experiences are what shape a user’s everyday conception of alcohol. Lastly, I believe we should analyze alcohol critically as a drug and we should simply measure the negative effects against the pleasure we get from its use.

References

2000 Statistics on Alcohol and Other Drug Use on American Campuses,

Retrieved on 3/4/04 from,

http://www.siu.edu/departments/coreinst/public_html/2000.html

Dealing With Alcohol,

Retrieved on 2/26/04 from,

http://www.muhealth.org/~studenthealth/iframe/HealthPromotion/Alcohol.htm

Fact Sheet from an American Medical Association Report on Alcohol’s Adverse Effects on the Brains of Children, Adolescents and College Students,

Retrieved on 2/26/04 from,

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9416.html

Faupel, C; Horowitz, A; Weaver, G; (2004) The Sociology of American Drug Use. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

National Center for Health Statistics,

Retrieved on 3/4/04 from,

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm

Reflections in a Glass, U.S. Department of Health, Education, & Welfare

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, & Mental Health Administration, 1977

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