Issues That May Rise Up Due to Excessive Alcohol Consumption - Essay Example

Risky Behaviors and Victimization Introduction “WE ALWAYS got together to have some beers,” recalls Bent, a young man from Denmark. “In fact, we couldn’t entertain one another unless we were drunk. The situation worsened, and we changed to stronger spirits. Finally, nothing else mattered but getting drunk.”(g71-6/22 p. 3-8). ALCOHOL can be good or very bad. It can make you glad or very sad. It depends on where it goes and how much gets there. A little wine can be good for your stomach and make your heart glad. (1 Timothy 5:23; Psalm 104:15) When used moderately, alcohol can indeed be a source of pleasure. The Bible acknowledges that wine can make the heart merry or can enhance the taste of a meal. In addition to this, a cocktail, wine, or beer can relax you and temporarily relieve anxiety, raise your spirits, and make you a more sociable companion. It may even offer some protection from heart attack. If misused, alcohol creates serious problems ranging from run-ins with parents, teachers, and police to premature death. For instance, drinking at the parties can create environments that foster dangerous, develop risk-taking behaviors such as binge drinking, sexual assault, and unprotected and unplanned sex, to list just a few. According to A Practical Guide to Preventing and Dispersing Underage Drinking Parties “Binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row, is known to be associated with increased risk for a number of problems including driving under the influence fighting, truancy and involvement in criminal activities such as theft, burglary, and assault”. It is important, then, to make a responsible decision about drinking. But even small amounts of alcohol slow the reflexes, so it is unwise to drive a car after even moderate drinking. And it is loaded with calories, so it is not very compatible if you have a weight problem. The Bible does not condemn the moderate use of alcoholic beverages, but it does condemn drunkenness. (Proverbs 23:20, 21; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 1 Timothy 5:23; Titus 2:2, 3) Alcoholism, though, is more than drunkenness; it is a chronic preoccupation with alcoholic drinks and a loss of control over their consumption. Alcoholics can be adults. Sadly, they can also be youths. II. Physical Effects of Alcohol Along with the enjoyment of food goes the enjoyment of drink. When used in moderation, this can properly include alcoholic beverages. In many countries the consumption of such alcoholic beverages is on the rise. Let’s follow your cocktail as it travels through the body. It does not tarry long in an empty stomach, and in the intestines the alcohol quickly passes into the bloodstream. The blood carries it to the liver, where it is broken down and excreted, thus removing it from the bloodstream. In this way the liver can handle in an hour the alcohol in one cocktail, one glass of wine, or one can of beer. The behavior effects of the liquor begin to manifest themselves profoundly. Drink more than that in an hour, and the alcohol remains in the blood and is carried to the brain. There, a little can make you more sociable, too much may make you obnoxious. Wherein the person will begin to argue in loud tones. His arguments are regarded by all as ridiculous, and feels increasingly misunderstood. If five hundredths of one percent of your total blood volume is alcohol, you will be tipsy; ten to fifteen hundredths will make you officially intoxicated. Toxic is in that word “intoxicated” and means poisons are in the body. Now, what does this excess of alcohol do as it travels through our system? First stop is in the stomach. There it can erode the mucous coating that protects the lining of the stomach from stomach acid. It can also make the stomach produce more acid. Alcohol takes water out of the body cells. Excessive amounts of alcohol dehydrate the liver cells and eventually destroy them, resulting in cirrhosis. The damaged liver can no longer supply sufficient sugar to the bloodstream, opening the way for hypoglycemia. It becomes less and less efficient in removing alcohol from the blood. Then the alcohol goes throughout the body, dehydrating and killing cells everywhere. The arteries are constricted, less blood flows to the heart, and its muscles are weakened. When the alcohol reaches the brain, it dehydrates the brain cells and interferes with the generation of electric messages. When the alcohol leaves your system, the brain cells regain their water. Drinking excessive amounts over a long period of time, however, can impair intelligence and memory. Brain size diminishes as cells are destroyed, and IQ drops permanently. III. Victimization due to Alcohol Misuse PERSONS old and young are its victims. Those suffering from excessive drinking increases throughout the world. Besides leading to tens of thousands of highway accidents each year, it causes liver and brain damage, and often death. Even unborn offspring may suffer from its ill effects. Two problems that can have this effect are alcoholism and violence. A. Alcoholism Alcohol is a depressant, slowing down the bodys normal functions. So being drunk according to a website “means that someone has consumed enough alcohol to cause the functions of the body to slow down. This can result in a variety of physical experiences which includes not being able to walk or see straight, reduced speed of thought, risky behavior.” The importance of alcohol in delinquency, criminal acts, and fatal car accidents continues to be a subject of central importance. Studies of traffic fatalities have disclosed the presence of significant amounts of alcohol in the blood of 50 percent of both victims and drivers. Furthermore, there is evidence to indicate that the drinking drivers responsible for fatal accidents are not social drinkers but either alcoholics or pre-alcoholics. The majority of these drivers have a record of one or more offenses for drunkenness and/or drunken driving. These findings, if true and generally applicable, mean that the present custom of penalizing drunken driving offenders by fine or suspension of license is of little value in the prevention of future fatalities; punitive measures of this sort have never improved the drinking pattern of chronic alcoholics. According to Santos, 1980 “One fourth of the drivers responsible for fatal auto accidents had had their operators licenses suspended at the time of the crash. It has been suggested that this type of offender, once identified, be sent to court clinic for treatment and rehabilitation rather than be subjected to ineffective punishment.” Heavy drinking may cause men to develop female characteristics. Men produce both male and female hormones, but the liver eliminates the female ones. A damaged liver, however, lets them remain. Heavy drinking makes pregnant women more likely to miscarry or deliver a stillborn. If the baby is born alive, there is special risk of birth defects. For pregnant women and alcoholics, any drinking is too much. For men and women generally, moderate drinking allows only small quantities of alcohol to reach the brain. Several drinks in a short period of time are too much for anyone. One drink for the alcoholic is one too many. B. Violence In The Family THE old car has just been washed and waxed. To passersby it looks shiny, almost new. But underneath the surface, corrosive rust is eating away the body of the vehicle. It is similar with some families. Although to outward appearances everything looks fine, smiling faces hide fear and pain. Behind closed doors corrosive elements are eating away at family peace. The Bible long ago indicated that misuse of alcohol can disrupt family peace The corrosive effects of alcoholism are felt by the entire family. The spouse may become absorbed in efforts to stop the alcoholic’s drinking or to cope with his unpredictable behavior. She tries concealing the liquor, throwing it away, hiding his money, and appealing to his love for family, for life, even for God—but the alcoholic still drinks. As her efforts to control his drinking meet with repeated failure, she feels frustrated and inadequate. She may begin to suffer from fear, anger, guilt, nervousness, anxiety, and lack of self-respect. Children do not escape the effects of a parent’s alcoholism. Childhood victimization is very common in the affected household. Some are assaulted physically. Others are molested sexually. They may even blame themselves for a parent’s alcoholism. Frequently their ability to trust others is shattered by the alcoholic’s inconsistent behavior. Because they cannot comfortably talk about what is happening at home, the children may learn to suppress their feelings, often with harmful physical consequences. Such children may carry this lack of self-confidence or self-respect right into adulthood. Did you notice what prompted these youngsters to become heavy drinkers? They called it the enjoyment of being “high,” or “stoned.” In this condition persons may forget, at least temporarily, the frustrations of life. Feelings of bravado replace inhibitions and thoughts of inferiority. Finally, obstetric complications that damage the nervous system at birth, combined with subsequent parental neglect such as might occur in an alcoholic family, may predispose one to violence, crime, and other behavioral problems by age 18 (19,20). IV. Conclusion The conclusion of the matter: A little wine for the sake of your stomach, but not too much for the sake of your liver, your heart, and your brain—and for the sake of those around you. When someone encourages you to become drunk, do you have the strength to say No? True, your refusal may cause acquaintances to “put you down” with ridicule. But it is the wise course. Another vital step is harmonizing our life with the Scriptural principle: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.” (Prov. 13:20) Fellowship with individuals who have a wholesome outlook on life and a balanced view of drinking will greatly aid you to avoid becoming a victim of alcohol abuse. On the other hand, regular association with heavy drinkers very likely will lead you to imitate their bad habit. Think seriously about the harmful effects of alcohol abuse, and why people fall prey to it. Have the courage to say No to those who encourage excessive drinking. Seek the friendship of persons who have a healthy view of drinking. Works Cited: Martin, S.E.(1993).Alcohol and Interpersonal Violence : NIAAA Research Monograph No. 24. pp. 121-148 Sandoval, G. (1971). What about Alcoholic Beverages?: Watching the World. G71-6/22 p. 3-8 White, H.R. (1997)Longitudinal perspective on alcohol use and aggression during adolescence. In: Galanter, M., ed. Recent Developments in Alcoholism. Web Site: http://www.athealth.com/consumer/disorders/angeralcohol.html Read More