Alcohol consumption is linked to many harmful consequences for the individual drinker, the drinker’s immediate environment and society as a whole. There are many social consequences such as traffic accidents, workplace-related problems, family and domestic problems, and interpersonal violence.
Work
People with alcohol dependence and drinking problems are on sick leave more frequently than other employees. In Great Britain, up to 25% of workplace accidents and around 60% of fatal accidents at work may be linked to alcohol. drinking alcohol at work and hangovers may reduce productivity. Performance at work may be affected both by the volume and pattern of drinking. Co-workers perceive that heavy drinkers have lower performance,
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Also arguments over someone's drinking can cause family and relationship problems that may lead to break up. To address this families may consider going to councilling to stop the alcohol abuse and also work out any issues that have been the outcome of the constant alcohol abuse from a family member.
Link between alcohol and poverty?
Apart from money spent on drinks, heavy drinkers may suffer other economic problems such as lower wages (because of missed work and decreased efficiency on the job) and lost employment opportunities, increased medical and legal expenses, and decreased eligibility for loans. To address this issue the government should invest in centers to inform people of the horrible outcomes of alcohol abuse and also help the people who have been affected to get back on their feet.
Alcohol abuse could be costing the UK up to £6 billion a year in NHS bills, premature death, losses to business and drink-related crimes and accidents, it was claimed today.
A study by the Royal College of Physicians said drink-related health problems could account for up to 12% of total NHS spending on hospitals, about £3 billion.
But campaigners said that with the estimated £3 billion lost through absenteeism, unemployment, premature deaths and alcohol-related crimes and accidents the total cost of excessive drinking is £6 billion.
Alcohol leads to a financial burden in a family’s household. For starters, alcohol is expensive, and most people don’t buy it off at first, and the bills will end up piling up one after the other. Alcoholics run up exorbitant tabs in bars, restaurants, and at the ball game. Then they might lose a job due to erratic behavior, absenteeism, or inability to
Often, the alcohol will bring out a violent temper and often, alcoholics abuse, physically and mentally, their friends and family. Drinking makes the drinker feel he is more confident. The drinker thinks he is in control, even if a little high, and he might get behind the wheel of his car and go for a drive. Drunk driving is deadly. Hundreds of thousands of people get killed every year due to drunk driving.(Castro 60) Other physical effects of drinking are vomiting, passing out and sometimes, if enough alcohol is consumed over a long enough period of time, or if mixed with other drugs, death.
As of January 2015 alcohol related deaths were represented as accountable for approximately 6% of deaths worldwide. That is 3.3 million deaths from alcohol related car accidents to alcohol poisoning. The consumption of alcohol can be tied with being a factor in a variety of diseases, disabilities, tragedies, and crimes. An estimate of over 76 million people suffer from alcohol dependence and abuse. Consumption of alcohol can become a serious threat to personal and public health when an individual engages in activities such as binge drinking or drinking while driving. In other words, harmful drinking is anytime an individual becomes unable to have full perception and control of his/her surroundings because of alcohol. Harmful drinking can also be defined as a pattern of alcohol consumption causing health problems that are directly connected to alcohol.
People have to start getting charged for self inflicted illness as it is costing the NHS far too much money and they are treating it like it’s ‘all-inclusive’. Almost 9 in 10 people believe alcohol abusers should pay for their own treatment, as they are taking
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
In many severe cases alcohol, has caused Anaemia, Cancer and Cardiovascular disease. These are, in most ways, lethal and incurable. When describing any of the illnesses above relating to alcohol, doctors use the term: Chronic Heavy Drinking. Every year, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol related diseases and poisoning. This, the Australian Government decided must change. In 2005 the government finally addressed the issues of alcohol abuse in Australia. Many non-for-profit organisations like ‘Drink Wise’ and ‘Drink Tank’ were formed to combat alcohol abuse. Although these did have some affect, the drinking age remained 18.
Many people, including alcoholics, are not fully aware of the devastation caused by alcohol abuse. Not only does alcohol have an impact on physical health, it causes a host of problems from a mental and emotional standpoint. This addiction is not only harmful to the body, it tears families apart, leads to job loss, and often causes isolation for the person who drinks.
(Alcohol and Public Health,2017) study found the following: Binge drinking is a serious but preventable public health problem.
Alcohol use is associated with tremendous costs to the drinker, those around him or her, and society as a whole. These costs result from increased health risks (both physical and mental) associated with alcohol consumption as well as from the social harms caused by alcohol.
Recent studies show that approximately fifty-three percent of adults in the United States have one or more close relatives that have drinking problems. Alcohol Abuse has cost the United States more than 220 billion dollars in 2005 alone. Problem drinkers are most often found in young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 years old, and the fewest in adults who are 65 years of age or older. Alcohol Abuse is one of the major risk factors for violence, and research shows that fifty percent of all homicides and forty percent of all assaults in the United States are alcohol related. In the United States, more than forty percent of the people who start drinking when they are fourteen years old or younger are more likely to become alcoholics than those who don’t. One in ten Americans, currently have alcohol problems.
The total cost of alcohol abuse, is around $184.9 billion. Physical changes after two drinks are: Changes in judgment, loosened restraint, slow reaction time, dulled senses. For four drinks it is: Exaggerated feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety. For eight drinks it is: Significant impact on motor functions, significant impairment of judgement, blacking out, and nausea. For twelve drinks it’s: Confusion, blacking or passing out, overdose, impairment of brain’s ability to manage even basic bodily functions. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more that one drink per day for adult women and no more that two drinks per day for adult men. Most people retain some alcohol in their blood up to two to three hours after a single drink. The people who should avoid alcoholic beverages completely are: Children and adolescents, recovering alcoholics, people who plan to drive, women who may become pregnant, or are pregnant, and anyone taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol. Difference in levels of drink are: Abstinence is 0, Light is less than 1, Moderate is less than 2, and Heavy is 2 or
Alcoholism is a major social issue around the world today. The ProQuest Staff of SIRS Researcher defines alcoholism as excessive use of alcohol that eventually results in dependence, or addiction where the body craves a drug. There are roughly 140 million alcoholics currently in the world, which results in higher rates of crime, abuse, illness, car crashes, and lower productivity in work (ProQuest Staff). According to Dr. Mark Willenbring, most
Alcoholism and alcohol addiction has become a national crisis. In the United States approximately 62,000 men died un-necessarily as a result of alcohol abuse in 2014. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is the fourth leading cause of preventable deaths with approximately 1.1 million men over the age of 18 currently receiving treatment for an AUD. Globally, the burden of alcohol abuse reflected 3.3 million deaths from consumption in 2012 alone. (NIH 2016).
Because these people used alcohol they automatically put themselves at a higher risk, than non-drinkers, for alcohol-related injuries, problems with the law and many different negative health effects, including liver dysfunction, (MU Health, 2004). Users of alcohol also put others around them at a higher risk for negative consequences including disruption of events and studying, (Statistics on Alcohol, 2000).
The excessive intake of alcohol also referred to as alcoholism can cause diseases as well as negative connotation and lack of responsible social life particularly among the youth who should be the most productive age group in the American population.