Essay On Alcohol Is The Leading Cause Of Death

Alcoholics are dependent to alcohol and lack the ability to refuse more drinks; therefore, it becomes an addiction. According to “Alcohol Use Disorder”, 12 ounces of beer consist five percent of alcohol while one and a half ounces of proof- hard liquor contains 40 percent of alcohol. This can be dangerous because the higher the percentage of alcohol, the faster the symptoms will occur. Alcoholism is a problem everywhere and to anyone. It is the cause of idiotic decisions, deaths, and injuries. Many people fall victim to this addiction, either directly or indirectly; therefore, they need to be more educated on what prolonged alcohol use could do to their minds and bodies.

Alcohol dependence is known to be the most severe form of alcohol abuse. A person becomes so dependent on alcohol consumption that he/she loses sight of all the other important things going on around him/her. Family matters and social responsibilities become secondary worries to his/her primary concern for existence, which is drinking (Stephens, 2007). Nearly fourteen million Americans are somewhat dependent on alcohol. Alcohol dependence is more prominent in men, and young adults ages 18-29 (Stephens, 2007). According to a study done by Saitz “85,000 deaths, along with substantial disability from medical and psychiatric consequences, injuries and “secondhand” effects (ex: motor vehicle crashes) are attributed to the use of alcohol” (Saitz, 2005).

People may think that alcohol may be hard only on the liver, but when someone abuses alcohol it can affect much more. For example, alcohol has a major effect on the brain. Alcohol has been known to be a major cause of many suicides, homicides, car accidents, and other death related topics (Chakraburtty). Many people are naïve into thinking that alcohol can and is harmless, but while they are having that drink to just have a good time, they are unaware of the toll it is taking on their body. Chronic alcohol use is very hard on your health and can lead to many long lasting health problems (Chakraburtty). Alcohol is very harmful to other organs as well as the body’s tissue. According to Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Brain, “moderate drinking leads to short- term impairment,” but it can also lead to long term impairment as well (Parsons).

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

Drinking heavily and binge drinking leads to short-term as well as long-term health consequences in males and females. Both women and men can suffer the short-term

Drinking can lead to a lot of things such as teen pregnancies, hospitalizations and worse cases it can lead to death. “100,000 persons die each year from alcohol-related causes: drinking and driving crashes, other accidents, falls, fires, alcohol-related homicides and suicides.” (NCAAD) The amount of horrifying deaths that happen in our everyday life we can contribute a large portion of the to being related in some form to alcohol. Teen alcohol consumption has gotten worse and worse over the years. “Teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year — that’s more than all illegal drugs combined.” (MADD) While there are many other

Over 2.5million people die every year to excessive alcohol use. Furthermore, alcohol is responsible for one in ten deaths of working age adults aged twenty to sixty four. Excessive drinking by the CDC is more than one glass a day for a woman and more than two glasses a day for a man. Also, drinking any while under the age or pregnant is classified as excessive drinking(“Alcohol Use and Your Health”). On top of the benefits becoming negative effects quickly, excessive drinking also comes with many more side effects. Excessive drinking damages the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and the immune system. Brain cells are lost along with loss of thinking and coordination. Heart beat, heart muscles, and blood pressure can be effected. A variety of liver problems and inflammations. The Pancreas produces unwanted toxins eventually leading to pancreatitis. Lastly the immune system is weakened, making the body a much easier target for disease and slowing the body’s ability to ward off infections – even up to 24 hours after getting drunk(“Alcohol's Effects on the

There are some long-term effects on the body due to the abuse of alcohol. You can end up with brain damage, and dementia. Common disease resulting from excessive alcohol consumption are pancreatitis, gastritis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and heart disease. Alcoholics are also at risk for developing cancer in the mouth, throat, esophagus and even the liver. You can also develop psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety which may lead to suicide. Woman who are pregnant shouldn’t drink alcohol because it will cause damage to the fetus.

Alcohol is a depressant that affects every part of your body because once it’s consumed, twenty percent is absorbed in the stomach and eighty percent is absorbed in the small intestine. Excessive use of alcohol could cause other health problems such as, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, liver disease, nervous disorders, obesity and psychological disturbances. Alcohol related liver disease is a major cause of death in the United States.

While many people view consuming alcohol as charming, it is indeed detrimental to a person’s health and well-being. “[As of] 2013, 86.6 percent of people ages eighteen and older have drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime…56.4 percent reported that they drank in the past month” (NIAAA). Drinking is the cause of many accident inflicted hospital visits, increases the risk for a plethora of illness, and is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States (NIAAA).

Alcohol is a substance that has numerous diverse affects on the body-both positive and negative. Alcohol not only kills brain cells, but when taken in profusion it has almost no constructive affects. Sure it can make one overlook his/her problems, but the consequences of drinking in excess far outweigh the benefits. It is not a crime to get drunk, however alcohol will almost always cause one to conduct them self in a way he or she would not normally behave. For instance, a sober man will not usually drive ninety-five mph down I-95, however, after consuming a good amount of alcohol, his eyesight, judgement, reflexes and abilities are hindered to the point that he feels

As part of that process, the pancreas gives off these digestive enzymes that combine with waste from the gallbladder to help break down your food. Drinking too much alcohol can cause the pancreas to produce toxic substances that are very bad for your body and can interfere with proper functioning such as the breaking down your food. The resulting swelling of the pancreas is called pancreatitis, a very serious problem that can case the pancreas to be destroyed. One of the most common causes of chronic pancreatitis is linked to alcohol abuse.The liver’s job is to break down all the bad stuff you put in your body, including alcohol. Excessive drinking can cause alcoholic can lead to the development of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Chronic liver inflammation can lead to severe scarring.. This buildup of scar tissue can totally destroy the liver. When the liver fails to perform, the really bad toxic stuff will remain in your body. Liver disease is extremely life threatening. Women are at a higher risk for getting alcoholic liver disease than men, because women’s bodies tend to absorb more alcohol and take longer to burn it off. When the pancreas and liver won't function properly, the risk of low blood sugar rises. A damaged pancreas can cause the body to be unable to use the sugar you put in your body due to a lack of insulin, which can lead to

Alcohol is one of many dangerous substances that effects our bodies. The effects of this drug can be very harmful. Alcohol is a potent non-prescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike other deadly drugs it is easy to access. This makes it easy to over-consume and create a tragic accident, even death. It can damage a person not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Many people each year become more and more addicted to alcohol and soon experience all of it?s dangerous effects. Even if alcohol use is discontinued, some of these damages can not be cured, because the scars have been left on those that drink and those that surround them. The only hope

Alcohol has no beneficial attributes on a person’s health. Alcohol can have several harmful effects on human organs. Some organs in the human body that are damaged by alcohol consumption are the brain, kidneys, and liver. The human liver is the one organ that suffers the most damage. As stated in an article published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “Because the liver is the chief organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol, it is especially vulnerable to alcohol – related injury” (NIAAA, 2005). Regular use of alcohol can lead to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The severity of ALD can vary based on several different factors. Some of these factors include gender, age, the amount consumed, and how often alcohol is used. “ALD includes three conditions: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis” (Alcohol Alert, 2005).

People drink in many ways, for many different reasons. We drink socially, to gain acceptance into a group. We drink alone to ease stress, to cope with our problems, or we “drink because we like the taste or how it makes us feel”#. Often drinking is a learned behavior, starting out as a social drinker; you quickly become psychologically and physically dependent. When someone reaches this stage they are often classified as an alcoholic. To an alcoholic, drinking becomes a compulsion; they cannot stop themselves from having another drink, like a social drinker can. In many cases alcoholics don’t even have to drink continuously in order to be an alcoholic. One the problems of alcohol addiction is that it’s something that doesn’t just effect the individual but it effects, friends and family as well. Spouse abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can all be influenced by alcohol abuse.