FREE ESSAY ON ALCOHOLISM

ALCOHOLISM

Alcohol is the intoxicating part of beer, wine and liquors-the part that causes
drunkenness. It is formed during fermentation, the process that creates the
alcohlolicbeverage. When sugars from the fruits or grains are combined with yeast and
water, alcohol results. Alcohol is a drug and, like all drugs, it has an effect on a
person's body and mind. Because drinking alcoholic beverages makes some people feel more
alive and more outgoing, alcohol is sometimes seen as a stimulant. But in fact it is a
depressant, and slows down the central nervous system, of which the brain is a part.
Small amounts of alcohol can affect a person's coordination and judgment. Drinking a
large amount of alcohol at one time can even cause death.
Alcohol is estimated to be contributing factor in 20-30% of all accidents. In fatal car
accidents involving young men after 10pm it is a contributory factor in 60% of these
cases. About 30% of all drowning are estimated to be alcohol related. This proportion may
rise to 50% between the ages 20-30. Alcohol is also a poisonous. It must be broken down
and removed from the body. However, it leaves behind toxins, or poisons, that can cause
health problems and contribute to serious diseases. Beer contains the least amount of
alcohol, about 3-6%. Wine is 8-14 percent alcohol. Distilled spirits have a much higher
alcoholic content. The alcoholic content of gin, scotch, vodka, whiskey, rum, and bourbon
is about 40%. When alcohol enters the body this is what happens. Within 20 minutes of
entering the stomach, as much as 20% of the alcohol in a drink is absorbed into the
bloodstream. The rest remains in the stomach where it stimulates the secretion of gastric
juices. Large amounts of alcohol entering an empty stomach can irritate the gastric
lining and cause the stomach to become inflamed. From the stomach, the alcohol passes
into the small intestine. Here the rest of it is absorbed through the intestinal wall
into the bloodstream. From the bloodstream, about 5 percent of alcohol leave the body
unchanged through urine, sweat, or exhaled breath. Next the alcohol travels via the
bloodstream to the heart. Small amounts of alcohol produce a slight increase in heart
rate and blood pressure. Larger amounts reduce pumping power of the heart and can cause
an irregular heartbeat. The heart then pumps the alcohol through the blood vessels to
other parts of the body, including the brain. 
Drinking puts on pounds, right? Wrong! It is widely thought that drinking alcohol leads
to increases in weight, but this common belief is not supported by scientific evidence.
For example, a recent review of 38 studies found that over two-thirds of them showed
either weight loss or no relationship in alcohol and weight. The reason alcohol does not
generally lead to weight gain is currently the subject of scientific debate and
investigation. However, one thing is clear: the majority of medical research studies over
the past ten years have found that moderate consumption of alcohol does not lead to
weight gain. 
Recent Harvard study found the risk of death from all causes to be 21% to 28% lower among
men who drank alcohol moderately compared to abstainers. (World Health Organization) 
Almost one half of seniors drink alcohol at least once a month, about 20% drink at least
once a week. Nearly one third of ninth graders drink alcohol at least once a month 12%
drink at least once a week. Regular use of alcohol has not changed significantly since
1989. (Casey ! 1) Crime is inextricably related to alcohol and other drugs. (AOD)
Annually 480,000 arrests for liquor law violations and 704,000 arrests for drunkenness
for alcohol. Alcohol is a key factor in up to 68% of manslaughter's, 62% of assaults, 54%
of murders or attempted murders, 48% of robberies, 44% of burglaries. In 1992 there were
6,839 deaths due to alcohol. A couple years back 64% of all reported child abuse and
neglect cases in New York City were associated AOD abuse. (Lang 55)
While the moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with better health and longer
life than is abstinence, the heavy consumption of alcohol, especially over a period of
many years, can lead to serious health problems and even death. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is
an irreversible condition associated with excessive consumption of alcohol by pregnant
women and is, therefore, completely preventable. Each and every case of FAS is a needless
tragedy. Victims suffer serious physical deformities and often mental deficiencies. And,
they suffer these problems for their entire lives. While most cases occur among
alcoholics who consume alcohol heavily throughout their pregnancies, no one knows for
certain what level of alcohol consumption is safe for a pregnant woman. 
Cirrhosis is probably the most widely recognized medical complication of chronic
alcoholism. It is a grave and irreversible condition characterized by progressive
replacement of healthy liver tissues with scars, which can lead to liver failure and
death.
There have been many procedures used to take precautions against irresponsible
alcoholics. Police have taken action and have the power to breathalyse. Although this has
helped catch drunk drivers the problem hasn't stopped. The Police have asked for
restrictions on breathtesting drivers to be removed. This would help them to use their
powers more effectively both as a deterrent and also to target drunk drivers who remain
undeterred. There is evidence that high profile breathtesting cuts casualty rates. An
argument frequently implied by the alcohol industry against lowering the limit is that
such a step would not effect casualties as road deaths tend to be caused primarily by
drivers with very high blood alcohol levels who ignore a lower limit just as they ignore
the present one. The fact is that the number of alcohol related deaths occur when any
level of alcohol is consumed. The same number of casualties occurs with a very low limit
of alcohol in comparison to very high. 
Alcoholism can lead to many serious problems for the alcoholic and the people surrounding
them. This is a disease that takes millions of lives every year and should be taken
seriously. Alcoholism is a disease that can be helped. Many programs have been formed to
help teach alcohol prevention. New laws and regulations provide a reinforcement to punish
offenders, which may in the end teach them to stay sober. Whether you're an alcoholic or
not the facts are in print and the consequences remain, but the choice is yours.