Alcohol Abuse: Causes, Effects, and Current Prevention Methods
Alcohol problems are a major problem in most Westernized nations of the world, and contribute to thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Alcoholism has numerous suspected causes, including family history, genetics, gender, psychological issues, age, and race. Alcoholics and problem drinkers risk health problems, social problems, and economic/employment problems that are far-reaching in every society. Yet, most cultures and governments have a level of acceptability when it comes to alcohol use and abuse. This is especially true in college settings, where many people find drinking a rite of passage. Additional factors in a college setting also contribute to college drinking, including both peer pressure and advertising. Numerous treatments are available for individuals with alcohol abuse problems. Prevention is important, especially at the youth and college level. Treatment programs work with a variety of programming, as do support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. Both of these methods can be supplemented with the few medical options available, including drugs to reduce depression-related drinking and to reduce the drinking itself. Finally, laws and alcohol sales regulations play an important role in the
III. A. b. Individual Financial Problems Further, unsafe sexual behavior is a factor in numerous alcohol studies (Stillwell, Boys, & Marsden, 2004). Many individuals participate in unplanned and often unprotected sexual activity while intoxicated. This activity has health implications including pregnancy, contraction of AIDS, and contraction of other sexually transmitted diseases. New Hampshire's recent attempts to reduce alcohol abuse and alcohol-related fatalities have met with success (Barry et al., 2004). The program in Concord, New Hampshire, found that increased enforcement of already instated laws reduced underage alcohol sales by 64% and reduced binge drinking in high school students. The enforcement consisted of compliance checks with local establishments, where underage volunteers attempted to obtain alcohol with or without identification (Barry et al., 2004). Barry et al. (2004) recommends regular compliance checks, fines and suspensions that increase with each offense, and additional training of those licensed to sell alcohol, so that they can protect themselves by knowing penalties for serving or selling to underage individuals. Despite the successes of many programs, this can only ever address a small percentage of the problem since retail sales directly to youth make up a small portion of underage drinking opportunities (Mosher, Hingson, Bunker, & Bonnie, 2004). Most teens and underage college drinkers get alcohol from friends, parties, and parents (Mosher, Hingson, Bunker, & Bonnie, 2004). In contrast, men develop habits in college drinking that are often the significant beginnings of a lifelong dependence on alcohol (MacDonald, Fleming, & Barry, 1991). Beyond just physical dependency, male college drinkers also display qualities of problematic alcohol abuse more than women college drinkers (MacDonald, Fleming, & Barry, 1991). Male college drinkers were more likely to consume one fifth of liquor a day, to have gone on multiple binges, to have been arrested for driving intoxicated, and to have participated in physical fights while drinking (MacDonald, Fleming, & Barry, 1991). Saffer (1996) cites that the link between alcohol abuse and advertising remains controversial. The debate focuses on the amount of advertising available to underage individuals, as well as ads that also seem to target that age group (Saffer, 1996). Alcohol advertising is present in many media sources that underage individuals frequently have access to, including popular television shows, radio, and trendy magazines (Saffer, 1996). Part of the problem is that advertising addressing young adults who are legal age to drink may also appeal to those who are just slightly younger and cannot legally drink. Spouses might consider divorcing a heavy drinker to protect children from an abusive or problematic home-life. In the same way, spouses might leave to protect themselves from the abuse of an alcoholic. Others might leave because of financial problems like inability to hold a job, or emotional and psychological problems developed by the drinker. Binge drinking can cause short-term effects, including hangovers, urinary infections, headaches, and dehydration (Hill, 2005). Binge drinking also has the potential to overload the liver, causing irreparable liver damage or causing alcohol poisoning (Bichler, 1999). There is a greater chance among binge drinkers to die of alcohol poisoning. Bichler (1999) cites that young drinkers in particular are unaware that you can overdose on alcohol. Detoxification is first step in any treatment program (Shute and Tangley (1997). Very often this is done in a 28-day (or longer) residential stay. This allows the alcoholic to be surrounded by only helpful people in an environment free of temptation (Shute and Tangley (1997). It also allows the body to physically recover and effectively flush the system of alcohol and withdrawal symptoms. Beyond detoxification, treatment programs of
Some common words found in the essay are:
Kher Kilcoyne, Ensminger Robertson, Fleming Barry, Drinking Obvious, Shute Tangley, Boys Marsden, Medical Treatments, Brennan Hammen, Association AMA, Bunker Bonnie, alcohol abuse, ahlstrom 2004, college drinking, jennison 2004, abuse alcohol, alcohol consumption, binge drinking, peer pressure, college students, family history, molstad mcmillan kher, kher kilcoyne 1998, mcmillan kher kilcoyne, shute tangley 1997, macdonald fleming barry,
Approximate Word count = 11017
Approximate Pages = 44 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
