Introduction:
Alcoholism is defined as the addiction of an individual to alcohol and alcoholic products. It affects the individual’s health, personal relationships, and social life. In medical terms, it is considered as highly chronic, psychiatric disease which damages almost every organ in the body. Individual who remains preoccupied with alcohol is called as an alcoholic. It is the major problem in New Zealand.
The excessive use of alcohol puts various effects on the nation. These effects are on the health of an individual, affecting his whanau, persons of all ages and consequently the whole nation
Alcoholism in New Zealand:
According to data collected by Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Agency, New Zealand, it is proved that kiwis are facing a huge problem of alcoholism which is affecting them at physical, mental, economic and social level. There are various statistics available for New Zealand:
• In 2009, a study was conducted according to standards set by WHO, which revealed that harmful alcohol use costs New Zealand $4.9 billion in 2005/06 (Berl 2009).
• Average, 600 - 800 people in New Zealand have been assessed to die each year from alcohol-related reasons (Berl 2009; Connor et al, 2013).
• In New Zealand, a 52% male died due to alcohol and 25% of females deaths are caused due to injuries by accidents due to alcohol. (Connor et al, 2013).
• In New Zealand, problems caused due to alcohol constitute 3.9% of the whole problems nationwide. (Ministry of
The percentage of deaths caused by the consumption of alcohol in underage Australian teens is continuing to rise. A report that was conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that 13% of all deaths in Australia due to alcohol related causes. Underage drinking is becoming a serious issue in Australia, with 60 teens being rushed to the hospital, and one Australian teenager dying due to alcohol related causes each week.
Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the
According the Australian Government (druginfo.com), one in eight teen related deaths has alcohol as an attributing factor. And in 52% of these cases the teens have been aged from 14 – 17. An even more shocking statistic is the number of indigenous teens who are involved in these accidents and deaths.
Alcohol abuse has become one of the principal causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States causing more than 200,000 deaths every year (Hendey, Dery, Barnes, Snowden, &
Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been
My Virtual Medical Centre (myVMC, 2016) identifies that binge drinking has significantly increased since 2004, as now approximately 18% of Australian adults engage in binge drinking once a week, while back in 2004, approximately
For many Australians, alcohol consumption is a pleasurable part of everyday life (Parliament of Victoria 2004). However in recent years there have been several reports highlighting that the proportion of adolescents consuming alcohol and the amount of alcohol they are drinking is at record levels (AIHW 2008; White and Hayman 2006; Shanahan and Hewitt 1999). The long and short term sequelae associated with risky or high risk alcohol consumption include negative physical, emotional and social consequences (NHMRC 2001). Immediate harms include accidents, injuries, decreased scholastic and sporting performance, aggression, violence, assault, disrupted family relationships, high risk sexual activity,
Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. Alcoholism is a complex disease with physical, social and psychological consequences, but it can be treated through detoxification and anti-anxiety drugs. What will be explained in this essay is basically the history of alcohol, signs of one possibly being an alcoholic, possibilities to why one becomes an alcoholic, and treatments for it.
According to Olsson et al. (2017), problematic alcohol use is both dangerous and addictive as it affects the brain functions by producing a euphoric effect, such as a sense of happiness and excitement. VicHealth (2017) outline that alcohol is heavily promoted and socially accepted in Australian culture nowadays. As a result, people are misusing alcohol in the course of socialising and celebrating events by binge drinking. This binge drinking culture is becoming a social and economic issue in Australia (Jones, Gordon, & Andrews, 2016; Miller et al., 2016; Dietze,Wright, & Lim, 2016). The National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA, 2017) conclude that the recommended level of alcohol is 30 ml for pure alcohol and 425 ml
Central idea: Alcoholism has been popular in modern society and it has so many health risks.
There are no records of cannabis caused deaths in Scotland, and yet cannabis is an illegal and controlled substance. When it comes to alcohol 1 in 4 people (26%) drink at hazardous or harmful levels (defined as drinking more than 14 units per week). There were 1,150 alcohol-related deaths in 2015 (where alcohol was the underlying cause of death), 764 of those deaths were men, 386 were women. Over the years since 1979, there have been roughly twice as many male deaths as female deaths. Alcohol harm costs Scotland £3.6 billion a year in health, social care, crime, productive capacity, and wider costs. The type of illnesses that can develop after 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week include:
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
What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a chronic disease where a person becomes dependent on liquor. One in every twelve adults suffer from Alcoholism. Alcohol is one of the most abused substance in the United States. There are over 80,000 death in the United States due to excessive drinking. Alcoholism has many names two of the most common are Alcohol Use Disorder, and Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. A person who is dependent on alcohol is usually called an alcoholic.
The four major problems with alcoholics are depression, memory loss, organ damage, and reduced self-awareness. The most dangerous of all is depression, which can cause increased drinking tendencies, mental breakdowns, and suicidal thoughts. If drinking continues for a long period of time alcoholics can encounter liver cancer, stomach cancer, and other organ damage. Overall, alcoholism is a battle that far too many people are losing. Results from the National Household Survey (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1998) suggest that as many as 40 million Americans drink more than the moderate drinking levels recommended by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (it varies for different sizes and sex) (NIAAA) (1995). "It is estimated that six million Americans persistently misuse alcohol, yet another eight million more are addicted, and one hundred humans throughout our nation will die each year from this"(Newsweek). Alcohol is one of the biggest causes of premature death in the United States. On average, people dying from alcohol related causes lose twenty-six years from their normal life expectancy.
As RTDs were not a key improvement in the research outlined by the Law Commission, the values of the National Party come into play. The values of the party are centralised around personal responsibility and individual freedom and choice. However, there is mounting evidence of alcohol harm and the availability of sufficient evidence conducted at the request of the government. Thus, the decision around alcohol reform often favour that of restriction from government and public (Casswell, Harding, You, & Huckle, 2011; NZ Law Commission, & Palmer, 2010; The Salvation Army, 2010).