Alcohol And Its Effects On Society

Underage drinking has long been, and continues to be, a serious public health concern. “Teen alcohol use kills more than 4700 people each year and high school students who use alcohol or other drugs are five times more likely to drop out of school” (MADD, 2014) than kids who do not. There have been years of underage drinking prevention programs to curtail the use of alcohol by those under 21 years of age and yet alcohol is the most widely used drug by adolescents in the United States (Wagoner et al. 2012).

According to Andrew Herman, “Each year, 14,000 die from drinking too much. 600,000 are victims of alcohol related physical assault and 17,000 are a result of drunken driving deaths, many being innocent bystanders” (470). These massive numbers bring about an important realization: alcohol is a huge issue in America today. Although the problem is evident in Americans of all ages, the biggest issue is present in young adults and teens. In fact, teens begin to feel the effects of alcohol twice as fast as adults and are more likely to participate in “binge-drinking” (Sullivan 473). The problem is evident, but the solution may be simple. Although opponents argue lowering the drinking age could make alcohol available to some teens not

Alcohol use has spanned history. In fact, there is speculation that alcohol use actually preceded the formation of societies (Doweiko, 2015, p. 30). Thus, alcohol has long been a part of mankind’s life. The function of alcohol has unarguably changed throughout the course of history, as it was first used for nutritional purposes and then later on for religious purposes (Doweiko, 2015, p. 32). Today, alcohol serves a social purpose. In the United States, the prevalence of use is quite high, with just over 50% of the population partaking monthly (Doweiko, 2015, p. 34). This statistic is somewhat alarming considering alcohol use comes with a number of potential adverse consequences. Case in point, even

Today, in the United States, alcohol is for many teenagers like opening Pandora’s Box, and “it ranks as the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse). Therefore, it is a very serious issue and is not that easy to act

“Alcohol is a drug that has been passed down from generation to generation.” The alcohol industry makes people believe that with out the drinks there would be no holidays, no parties, no family gatherings. They tell you that you are cool if you drink. They have ads with amazing places, beautiful woman, and fun parties to promote drinking. What they don't tell you are all the casualties that are caused from the alcohol. 88,000 people in the United States alone pass away from alcohol related causes every year and 31% of car crashes are due to being impaired from alcohol. The War on Alcohol by Anna Quindalen was written to provide information about the negative effects of alcohol for not only the person drinking but the people around them. She

Alcoholism is a growing problem in the United States. It can, and oftentimes does, result in illnesses and deaths. “Alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease and contributes to 4 [percent] of the global burden of disease” (Marshall, 2014). In relation to alcoholism, specifically adolescent alcoholism is a growing concern in the United States. The age at which young people are starting to experiment with alcohol is younger than ever. Dr. Don Macdonald explains that this may most likely be due to the fact that it is legal for the majority of the population. Therefore, adolescents are able to access and get a hold of alcohol more easily than they can other drugs – such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, etc.

Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used drug in America. This is not surprising given our society's view of the drug and alcohol’s history in North America since colonial times.

Underage drinking has been a huge problem in the United States of America. Underage drinking need to be regulated more closely so it can be stopped. Unfortunately, minors tend to see drinking as an adult thing which makes it fall into the category of being “cool”. More teenagers are giving into peer pressure and are getting involved in the consumption of alcohol. A study done in 2003 by the U.S Department of Health and Human Resources shows that most teenagers start drinking at the age of fourteen years old. This is a massive problem because teenagers have not completely developed yet. The consumption of alcohol can cause major damage to their brain. This is a topic that can bring a lot of families across the world to tears. To think

We can’t completely stop underage drinking but we can try our best to reduce it. By acknowledging the factors that plays a huge part in encouraging teenage alcohol abuse such as environment, personality, or simply genetics. For years we have watched teenagers become a victim to binge drinking alcohol abuse and face the tragic outcomes. Parents and guardians tend to get angry and upset not just at the teens but themselves as well. Instead of addressing the situation with anger and aggression we should all consider the factors that lead them to turn to alcohol or become dependent on it. Alcohol abuse amongst teens has been around for some time now and today the level of underage excessive alcohol consumption continues to progress within time. We, as friends and family, experience the suffering and risks that results from careless alcohol consumption all while feeling completely helpless toward the consumer themselves. By having teenagers acknowledge consequences we will be able to find a better solution and hopefully reduce the lives ruined or at risk by this set

In this day and age, when it comes to alcohol consumption and laws of alcohol use in countries around the world, many people debate about whether the legal drinking age should be raised, lowered, or stay the same. What about a society where alcohol would be illegal?? Well, when it comes to the sheer number of deaths that occur from drunk driving alone, you’d end up agreeing with it. To add to this, addiction is always a risk to be taken into consideration, because it leads to alcohol poisoning, eventually causing death. All in all, alcohol is something that is just as addictive as any other drug, and should it be treated as an illegal drug as well. The following are just some of the many reasons why this should be so.

Alcohol misuse is described as an increase in alcohol consumption that puts an individual at an increased risk for health problems. The United States estimates there has been a thirty percent increase in the number of adults who are drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol, increasing their risk for physical, mental, and social health issues (Welsh, Earley, Delahanty, Wright, Berens, Williams, Barnett & DiClemente, 2013). Twenty-five percent of these individuals are meeting the qualifications for alcohol dependence and tolerance, which is becoming a major issue throughout the United States (Welsh et al, 2013).

Alcohol is surprisingly the largest consumed drug when it comes to the United States, and with that comes a higher addiction rate than those drugs deemed illegal such as heroin or even marijuana still (Thio, Taylor, & Schwartz, 2013). Due to this epidemic that is rarely discussed in the same categorization of illegal substances, there is a bit of a justification seen that alcohol use is not as severe. Yet data shows that is not the case, because alcohol abuse leads in terms of arrests and related deaths (Schmalleger, 2013). In 2008, the “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” estimated that alcohol caused 11,773 traffic fatalities in one year alone (Schmalleger, 2013). Alcohol also leads to 1.4 million

The abuse of alcohol over long periods of time may also cause diseases such as cirrhosis, acute alcohol hepatitis, and the most severe liver disease. Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver becomes so scarred that the patient lacks sufficient healthy tissue to perform the organ?s functions. Once you?ve got it, you are stuck with it. (Gross, 6) The worst thing about these diseases is that you will not know you have them unless you are medically examined on a regular basis. Alcohol consumption is a large contributor to the development of several types of cancer- mostly dealing with the neck and brain. We know that cancer kills and therefore it is safe to say that in some cases, alcohol can be deadly. It is important to realize that alcoholism is a disease. A heavy drinker will experience the effects of withdrawal syndrome (which include hypertension, anxiety, disorientation, hallucinations, and seizures) if he decides to stop drinking. Being addicted to alcohol is similar to being addicted to any other drug in that once one starts using, it is tough to live without. It is also a ?gateway drug? just as marijuana and other sedatives. (Bennett, Woolf, 13-23)

Alcohol is historically one of the oldest known drugs to mankind. It is ingested orally and comes in many varieties. It is attractively packaged in alluring bottles and cans; which can seduce the unsuspecting individual and lead to a life of unrelenting misery, imbued with a potentially ruinous outcome. Taken in moderation; however, alcohol can also be used to prevent disease processes and promote health. This particular drug is both legal and is promoted widely throughout the planet. I chose this drug because I have personally been privy to all of its insidious effects.

The alcohol is a terrible disease that effects not only your own body and mental health but also it effects everybody who surrounds you. By being an alcoholic you are experiencing all different types of problems. It can be either a problem with a lack of money that will bring you to the friends who are going to get tired of it sooner or later, or alcohol will ruin your healthy relationship with your family and your lovely kids. People who are suffering from this disease are usually not successful in anything they are trying to do. Alcohol is simply ruining your life.