Alcohol Use : Cultural Considerations And Treatment

Alcohol has been a mainstay of celebratory events throughout history and many people enjoy alcohol in a healthy way. Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol is even associated with health benefits such as reduced heart disease related mortality, and decreased risk of ischemic stroke and diabetes (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2005). Moderate consumption of alcohol, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, consists of up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. Despite the potential benefits of moderate alcohol intake, excessive alcohol consumption contributes to significant problems at the individual, community and societal levels.

International statistics reveal that Alcohol is attributed to 4% of total mortality and between 4- 5% of DALY’s (1, 2). Rhem et al notes that more than 25% of the global consumption is estimated to be unrecorded, due to lack of surveillance. This variance can create a higher global burden of disease attributable to Alcohol (2). According to the World Health Organisation (2014), overconsumption of Alcohol has been linked to the development of more than 200 diseases, making it the third highest risk leading to death and disability (1). Rhem et al conducted an analysis of the burden of disease attributable to Alcohol. In particular their analysis revealed that the pattern of drinking, volume and quality of alcohol consumed were causally linked to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis and injury (2). The study also elucidates the notion that even with evidence based management strategies and widespread acceptance of the harms associated with the drug, Alcohol misuse is a significant issue in society. The net harms outweigh any notable benefits of Alcohol over consumption.

Daily consumption of alcohol has changed over the years. In the past over use of alcohol was not known as a disorder, but, over time, society have entitled the misuse of alcohol as alcohol abuse, alcoholic, alcohol dependence and alcoholism. Additionally, society has categorized the misuse of alcohol as a human illness. Researches continue to define the causes and learn of preventative measure to stop alcoholism. But, how has alcoholism become an illness in the United States? Understanding how alcoholism developed into an illness in the United States, first step is to learn about the socially construction of illness.

Alcohol is one of the most consumed drugs worldwide. Alcohol consumption dates back to the Neolithic period circa 10,000 BCE (Patrick 12-13 ) and is the oldest psychoactive drug. Alcohol consumption is tied to religious ceremony, social gatherings, and cultural events; drinking alcohol is even simply equated to fun. The popularity of alcohol can also be tied to a physiological reaction in the human body, “drinking alcohol induced opioid release in... areas of the brain implicated in reward valuation.”(Mitchell et al. 116). Perhaps these social and cultural endorsements, coupled with specific physiological responses, make addiction and abuse a common progression of consumption. The negative impact of alcohol is observable in both the

Alcohol consumption is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Worldwide, the mortality attributable to alcohol is at 3.8%. (Thebault, Falcoff, Favre & Rigal, 2015). According to the World Health Organization's statistics, alcohol kills 2.5 million

Within the context of our society, drinking of alcohol is a perfectly normal activity. For most people drinking a moderate amount of alcohol can be beneficial, indeed studies suggest that moderate drinking may protect against coronary heart disease by improving insulin resistance (Gold, 1991). However, for a minority of people drinking alcohol is an activity that is fraught with danger and, for a very few, is akin to taking a poison that will almost inevitably ruin their lives. Henceforth, it is important for research purposes to define who an alcoholic is and what the effects of alcohol on that person are. An alcoholic is a person who drinks

In centuries, alcohol has been an important part of our society and culture. A lot of people often use alcohol to – help them to forget, feel brave, welcome / have a good time with a person, to belong and feel grown up, enlighten yourself, and/or perhaps they’re addicted to it and nothing to do without alcohol.

Within the United States there are many restrictions and laws regarding drug usage and which drugs are legal. Many individuals are for the usage of drugs and others are not. A specific drug that has been used since man walked the earth is alcohol. Although alcohol is legal and is the most widely used drug in the world, like any other drug it has its negative effects. Despite the vast majority of negative effects it has, it is still considered legal to individuals over the age of 21. Throughout this paper I will focus on the true issues of alcohol consumption and provide many examples that illustrate why alcohol is not a safe drug even if it is legal and provide theories that will better explain alcohol consumption.

Introduction: In societies worldwide, people drink alcoholic beverages to relax or to celebrate special events. Many consideration restrain drinking to be a usual, pleasurable part of life, and it has been associated with particular health benefits. Wellness and social hazard related with alcohol also exist, such as alcoholism, drunk driving, crime, and the increased occurrence of many diseases. I am here today to tell you more information about alcohol and its positive and negative influences.

Alcohol has been a part of human society for thousands of years. In many cultures, alcohol is used in important social occasions and religious ceremonies. It is used to celebrate, to seal friendships and business deals, and to lessen the pain of

Alcohol is the most commonly used and highly abused drug in the world. In the United States alone, 17.6 million people suffer from alcohol dependence, or better known as alcoholism. Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease marked by a growing compulsion to drink and impaired control over drinking that eventually interfere with health and social behavior. It is an addiction that effects more people than just the alcoholic. Over 100,000 Americans die as a result of alcohol abuse. Results prove that alcohol played a role in half of the homicides, suicides and traffic deaths in the United States. It is estimated that alcohol causes 30% of automobile fatalities in the United States (Yi et al., 1999). Alcohol dependence is a disease that

Alcoholism is a wide-ranging and complex disease that heavily plagues society. Drinking is defined as the consumption of a liquid, and/or the act of drinking alcoholic beverages especially to excess. Every year alcohol is responsible for 1/2 of all murders, accidental deaths, and suicides; 1/3 of all drowning, boating, and aviation deaths; 1/2 of all crimes; and almost 1/2 of all fatal automobile accidents (Overview 1). Alcohol is a potent nonprescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which can be manufactured by the body, alcohol is a substance that is not made within the body. It is a food, because it supplies a concentrated number of calories, but is not

Alcohol is one of the most popular and socially acceptable consumed drug around the world. It is consumed for several different reasons for example to relax or socialize. It affects the health of people in many ways which is usually depended on how much alcohol is consumed over a period of time. The term ‘health’ has different meanings to different people, depending on what situations they are in. However, according to the World Health Organisation (1948), the definition of health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease, which encapsulates the idea of the term health status. Taking this definition of health into consideration, this essay will be looking at how alcohol affects a person physically, mentally and socially and how that affects their overall health status.

Statistically, the overall consumption of alcohol in the United States has increased abruptly. It's approximated that 51% of adult aged between 18 years and above is regular drinkers and 25% are said to be heavy drinkers. This makes abuse of alcohol as one of the most causes of death in the United States (Sondik, 2010).

Alcohol is a commonly consumed licit substance. Arguably, it is the most consumed substance and therefore, has as immense impact on today’s society. Because it is a licit substance and is available virtually everywhere it is not uncommon for people of all ages to partake in it. However, many people do not contemplate the long-term effects prior to engaging in consumption (Kelly, 2015).