Alcoholism and Its Ill Effects - Assignment Example

Health promotion Introduction: Unsafe alcohol consumption among adolescents is evidently a major crisis in our present day society. (Dean 2005). This essay looks at alcoholism in general and alcoholism among adolescents in particular and its negative impact on health. National statistics related to alcoholism among adolescents and its potential influencing factors are explored in this paper. It also analyses existing strategies for prevention of alcoholism and the nurses’ role in promoting safe alcohol consumption. Possible approaches to promote safe consumption of alcohol leading to good health are suggested and the methods for the evaluation of these strategies are also explained. Last Saturday, a nineteen year old girl was admitted in the Accident and Emergency department of our hospital. Chloe is a typical young urban professional living with a couple of her friends who are also her colleagues, in a posh flat in the town. She is a recently qualified hair stylist. The teenager was semi conscious when she was brought to the A&E department by ambulance late in the night. Her friends who accompanied her were anxious since she had consumed excessive quantities of alcohol. Alcoholism is an illness and addiction which results in constant use of alcohol in spite of harmful consequences. According to a study conducted in the year 2008, only seventy percent of the population is aware of the government’s recommendation for the maximum amount of alcohol a person should drink a day. (Lader 2009), These statistics highlights that thirty percent of young people, require awareness raising on safe alcohol consumption Alcoholism and its ill effects: Research has ratified that underage drinking led to lot of problems, besides health and nutrition aspects. Of even greater concern are alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents among teenagers. Hingson (1993) estimated that 50% of all fatal car crashes among drivers under the age of 21 involve alcohol… Additionally, Derman, Cooper, and Agocha (1998) found that alcohol use was associated with greater sexual risk taking. Fergusson and Lynskey (1996) found that adolescents who used alcohol reported an earlier onset of sexual activity. (Arata, Stafford & Tims 2009). Epidemiological and demographic statistics: Research conducted among people over the age of 15 in the United Kingdom shows that from the sixties to the early years of this millennium, there has been a considerable increase in the quantity of alcohol consumption per person. (Alcohol: tax, price and public health n.d.). According to the Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Report (2006) health related ill effects of alcohol consumption are also quite evident in studies conducted in the United Kingdom using methodology prescribed by North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO) (The impact of alcohol on the NHS n.d.). Statistics of these studies clearly show that in recent years, there has been a steady rise in hospital admissions where the primary or secondary diagnoses related specifically to alcohol consumption. (The impact of alcohol on the NHS n.d.). Hospital admissions related to alcoholic liver diseases in the United Kingdom have grown three times in the past decade. (The impact of alcohol on the NHS n.d.). Research also shows that single people were more likely to drink above the recommended daily quantities than married or co-habiting people. (Statistics on alcohol: England 2008 2008). International studies place adolescents in the United Kingdom among the extreme drinkers the world over. (National prevention network (NPN), and national treatment network (NTN) regarding a dialogue on underage drinking 2008). Alcohol abuse by adolescents is widespread in the United Kingdom, has complex cultural, economic and biological origins and is associated with adverse health consequences. (McArdle 2008). Possible influencing factors: It is seen that drinking among adolescents is on the increase in UK. The prime reasons for the development of alcohol drinking habits from mere use to abuse, leading to addiction entails many psychosocial and genetic factors. The findings of the studies mentioned above clearly point to the necessity of bringing more awareness among people, especially the youth, regarding safe alcohol consumption. (McArdle 2008). Research has documented evidence that excess consumption of alcohol among young people could lead to a host of detriments and harmful impacts. “The majority (80%) of youth begin to drink by the end of high school, and some experience significant alcohol-related problems including the development of alcohol use disorders.” (National institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism n.d.). Health promotion interventions for safe alcohol consumption: United Kingdom’s first national movement against alcoholism among youngsters is the ‘Know Your Limits’ campaign. This operation was launched by the end of year 2006. Know Your limits was the first National campaign driven by the government to heighten national awareness on alcoholism. ‘Know Your Limits’ was mainly targeted at binge drinkers in the age group between 18 and 24. The campaign delivered intense messages across popular media like television and films. Messages promoting safe alcohol consumption were also aired on radio. The campaign covered the internet and print media as well. Further public relation activities of the campaign supported this media coverage. (Safe. Sensible. Social. The next step in the national alcohol strategy 2007). In the month of September in 2004, The Royal Liverpool Hospital employed alcohol specialist nurses in the accident and emergency department as part of their ‘Lifestyles Team project’ This was following a finding that about 12% of the hospital’s admissions were unswervingly relatable to alcohol consumption. One of the main responsibilities of these nurses was to increase awareness of the issues linked with unsafe alcohol consumption. The ‘Lifestyles Team project’ recorded noteworthy reductions in alcohol intake by perilous and risky drinkers. The success of this project was recognized by the government of the United Kingdom. ‘Lifestyles Team project’ was cited as a good example of local health promotion interventions by many government publications. (Project 2008). Another creative health promotion intervention regarding safe alcohol consumption among the youth is the ‘Manchester Doctor Sober’ project. This endeavour was carried out from the end of 2006. The project worked with the youth across Greater Manchester to cover the various social and emotional issues around unsafe alcohol consumption. Youngsters in the region were invited and screened to take part in the production of an educational DVD. They were given exposure to script writing, filming and all other respects of film making. The outcome of ‘Manchester Doctor Sober’ project was titled ‘The Amazing Dr. Sober’. It was accompanied by a resource pack on issues related to misuse of alcohol. (Projects. Community & public health 2008). The government of late has been looking for better ways to address the problems related to irresponsible alcohol consumption. In collaboration with the Home Office, the Department of Heath and other departments, the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit was assigned to form an ‘Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England’. Ever since inception the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy in 2004, the government has contributed by way of initiating major steps in bringing down sale of alcohol to persons under the official drinking age. Another important matter of concern arguably is alcohol advertising. Though less significant than family environment, peer pressure and other factors, advertising of alcoholic products has some impact on the outlook of adolescents on drinking. In the year 2005 the legislative regulations for broadcast advertising of alcohol concerning appeal to young people were tightened in the United Kingdom. Attention was mainly focused on commercials reflecting or connected with the youth culture. (Safe. Sensible. Social. The next step in the national alcohol strategy 2007). The Advertising Standards Authority updated its rules on alcohol advertising. In the year 2007 alone the authority had settled more than two hundred and seventy complaints regarding irresponsible alcohol advertising. Advertisements that are likely to appeal strongly to teenagers are not authorized for broadcasting. The Advertising Standards Authority also has restriction on advertisements featuring models that appear to be younger than twenty five years. (Alcohol advertising: the ASA and the regulation of alcohol ads n.d.). The alcohol industry plays a major part in the economy of the country. The responsibility of the alcoholic drinks industry needs to rise above from merely acting in accordance with the statutory regulations. The foremost social responsibility organization for the alcohol industry in the United Kingdom is The Portman Group. This organization was established in the year 1989 by leading alcohol producers from the UK. The group promotes sensible alcohol consumption and helps avert misuse of alcohol. Portman Group also encourages responsible marketing practices of alcoholic beverages. The company supports the alcoholic drinks industry with relevant research and consumers with educational materials. The Portman Group supports the government and media with safe alcohol consumption campaigns as well. (Alcohol harm reduction strategy for England 2004). To draw interest to the hazards of alcohol abuse, The Drinkaware Trust frequently conducts innovative campaigns aimed at delivering their messages on the internet and on print. The trust also reaches out to countrywide communities through other modes. The Drinkaware Christmas 2008 campaign was a very innovative health promotion intervention. The campaign distributed Christmas ‘tip cards’ comprising tips on safe alcohol consumption and unit guidelines. More than 2000 pubs across the United Kingdom were covered in The Drinkaware Christmas 2008 campaign. They even teamed up with the London Irish rugby union team to promote a responsible drinking weekend as part of the Guinness Premiership Rugby. The trust put up hoardings that offered advice on responsible drinking. (Campaigns n.d.). To promote awareness of binge drinking among young adult drinkers between the age group of eighteen to thirty years as a public health issue, the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland was commissioned to develop and implement a media campaign. A sixty second long advertisement with the slogan ‘everybody can enjoy a drink - nobody enjoys a drunk’ were aired on television and movie halls from March to June in 2003 and February to March in 2005. Evaluation of this campaign conducted in 2003 had shown that it had been quite effective and more than 67% of the people said it was relevant to them. (Every body can enjoy a drink- nobody enjoys a drunk 2005). The British Broadcasting Corporation reported in the end of 2008 that warning of the dangers of alcohol by health campaigns is being ignored by many young people. According to Don Shanker, the chief executive of the charity Alcohol Concern, new campaigns were necessary to emphasize the more immediate possible consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. Alcohol Concern is the national voluntary agency on alcohol misuse working to reduce alcohol-related harm and to enhance the choice and quality of services presented to people with alcohol-related problems. Mr. Don Shenker said "The type of messages around drinking for young people need to be much more focused on the short-term aspects - things like being a victim of a crime, ending up in hospital due to intoxication, the way that alcohol affects your looks for example." (Young ‘ignore alcohol campaigns’: ‘get message’ 2008). Though at present there are no definite governmental programs for schools in the United Kingdom related to alcohol education, there are a few initiatives that have considerable education content related to alcohol. The misuse of alcohol corrupts pupils’ academic abilities. From the year 2000 onwards the National Curriculum has specifically included alcohol education within the Science Orders. The selected lessons for promoting alcohol education are integrated from Key Stage 2. The kind of skills school children are imparted through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education are sufficient to help them make decisions about the proper use of alcohol. Along with PSHE, other branches of learning in the national curriculum provide additional prospects to bring up and discuss issues associated with unsafe alcohol consumption. Religious education also provides many opportunities for enlightenment of alcohol-related issues. (Government initiatives n.d.). In 2008, the government published the Youth Alcohol Action Plan to provide apparent information to the youth and their parents about the threats of consumption of alcohol in the early age. This comprehensive plan is intended to assist children in making proper decisions about alcohol consumption. The government also made it clear that unsupervised alcohol consumption by young people under the legal drinking age in public places was undesirable and the government intended to work with the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to put an end to it. The Youth Alcohol Action Plan guarantees robust actions including launching a new collaboration with parents by making clear information available to direct their children to safe and sensible alcohol consumption. The government is also looking forward to encourage and support the children themselves by means of school education and promotion campaigns. (Youth alcohol action plan published 2008). Evaluation of health promotion interventions: Primary evaluation of the ‘Know Your Limits’ campaign had shown that between various civic campaigns in recent years, it accomplished one of the highest degrees of recognition among its intended audiences. This campaign was United Kingdom’s first national movement against alcoholism among youngsters. (Safe. Sensible. Social. The next step in the national alcohol strategy 2007). The evaluation process of Liverpool Alcohol Services Lifestyle Team, the second health promotion intervention mentioned in this essay is still going on. More than a few evaluations support the efficiency of this initiative in improving detection rates and bringing down the consumption of alcohol. (Project 2008). The ‘Manchester Doctor Sober’ project, which worked with adolescents across Greater Manchester covering various social factors and emotional issues around unsafe alcohol consumption, was not intended to make a sudden decline in the alcohol consumption of participants. The aim of the project was much more preventative, for the generations of young people yet to come. (Project 2008). According to the results of the national Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol Campaign (TUSAC), the sale of alcoholic beverages to people under legal drinking age has come down from 50% in 2004 to 20% in 2006. The most recent rate of underage alcohol sales is less than 15%. (Press release search: underage alcohol sale down 2007). Following the tapering of the Advertising Codes in the year 2005, around 26% fall is registered on money spent for television advertising of alcoholic products. In 2007 Kate Stross, Director of Content, from The Office of Communications said "...research shows that the revised rules on alcohol advertising have ensured that fewer young people feel that TV ads are aimed at them." (ASA news 2007). In an independent review of the effectiveness of the alcoholic beverages industry’s Social Responsibility Standards, KPMG said in 2008 that the Portman code was acknowledged to have had some effect on the advertising and marketing of alcoholic drinks. (Home office 2008). The nurses’ role in promoting safe alcohol consumption: As we have seen throughout this paper, health promotion interventions currently undertaken by health professionals with individuals and populations are fairly effective. The government is also quite efficient in its efforts to impart sensible drinking habits among people. Though this is the scenario, there is ample scope for further interventions from the nurses’ perspective. Nurses could play a vital role in imparting knowledge and education about the evils of heavy imbibing of alcohol. This could be reinforces with case studies of patients who needed to undergo extensive treatment for substance abuse. In the combat against the damage caused by unsafe alcohol consumption, nurses have many a vital role to perform. One of the basic functions of a nurse is health promotion. As a responsible nurse, one can assess the drinking patterns of alcohol consuming patients. This can be done at an appropriate time during the patient’s stay in the department. But the most preferable occasion for an effective assessment is during the patient’s admission. The procedure of examining the magnitude of alcohol consumption and its various impacts on the patient’s health will cause people to make positive transformations in their drinking habits. An efficient nurse can offer significant group efforts in providing accessible and effectual treatment of alcoholic patients. They can take responsibility for organizing and executing arrangements for screening and providing information to determine pathways to specialized treatment. Nurses can also undertake brief interventions with the patients giving them structured counsel on moderate alcohol consumption. Advice may include matters like recommended daily units, advantages of reducing drinking and tips on assisting patients trim down consumption. Another area of health promotion which nurses can effectively take on is telephone support calls. Nurses can also play a part in activities like distributing health education literature related to safe alcohol consumption to the patients. Could you also say something about the role of primary care nurses that are attached to schools? When the role of primary care nurses in the wide spectrum of school care is taken into consideration, it could be said that to a very large extent, they play a very significant role, almost replacing a medical practitioner in providing medical care in schools. Besides nursing the ill, they also need to provide mental health care education and training to students in order that the students perform well in competitive studies and need also provide guidance to school students on issues like drinking, substance abuse, premarital sex, teenage pregnancy and other psychological and physiological aspects of student lives. Thus their roles are very critical and need to be complement by school administration teach faculty and parent community, in order to encourage them to work better. 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