The Toxic Effects of Alcohol on the Body - Term Paper Example

The toxic effects of alcohol on the body Introduction Alcoholism is a major concern all over the world, with nearly two-thirds of the American adults in the U.S. consuming alcohol, particularly in social situations and during family gatherings. Consumption of alcohol often results to greater and adverse impacts not only on the health, but also on the safety as well as wellbeing of individuals and communities in general. The prevalence of drinking to intoxication, the numerous direct and indirect negative effects of alcoholism, as well as a vast majority of the alcohol-related injuries and lost lives are mostly reported among the young adults population (Guerri and María 15). Intoxication has been a major concern across the world over the years as drunkenness offenses have dominated the criminal justice system in many countries, which necessitated the treatment of intoxication as a critical public health concern rather than a criminal justice problem. Despite the heightened health concerns associated with alcoholism and in particular the concern that consumption of alcohol eventually leads to intoxication of the body, many people still indulge in alcohol oblivious of the consequences of their actions. Given that intoxication literally means poisoning, excessive drinking of alcohol essentially leads to poisoning of the body; alcohol has been found to have extremely toxic effects on the body, especially in chronic alcohol abuse cases. Adverse effects of alcohol intoxication To intoxicate is “to poison,” thus, the word “intoxication” succinctly summarizes the adverse effects of alcohol on the body; the biological process involved in alcoholic intoxication is a quickly one that entails movement, judgement, as well as speech impairment (Norek). The mechanism of intoxication entails concentration of alcohol on the membranes of nerve cells affecting all vital bodily functions, from motor functions, to speech, to judgement ability; in that respect, alcohol damages peripheral nerve cells. Precisely, years of alcohol intoxication are more likely to result to alcohol-induced neuropathy, a more permanent disorder that is characterized by numbness in the lowest extreme body ends as well as weakness in limbs due to damaged nerve cell endings. The long term effects of intoxication are even much fatalistic since they trigger early deaths after a serious damage to multiple body organs; for instance, the liver, the kidneys, pancreas, heart, as well as gallbladder are highly susceptible to the damaging effects of intoxication. Intoxication is also responsible for swelling of the stomach lining (inside layer) as well as irritation of the whole digestive and waste removal tract, and these outcomes eventually predispose individuals to the risk of the inflammatory bowel disease, cancer of the colon, as well as numerous other digestion oriented disorders and ulcers. Even a single event of alcohol indulgence could potentially be disastrous to the occasional drinker since it thoroughly impairs the proper functioning of the anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin, which functions to maintain proper hydration and electrolytes, thereby accentuating dehydration of the body accordingly. Intoxicated individuals urinate too often ridding their bodies all the essential fluids that are responsible for hydration of the body faster than the body could ever catch up thereby leading to extreme dehydration of body cells. Besides that, other hormones that are vital for the proper functioning of the kidney are also impaired by alcohol intoxication, eventually contributing to the failure of this extremely vital organ in the body. Alcohol poisoning at extreme levels may lead to convulsions because it normally triggers a significant electrolyte imbalance in the body; in mild cases, the imbalance of fluids in the body can trigger mental impairment, low blood sugar, as well as the impairment of crucial antioxidant enzyme activity. Essentially, long term effects of alcohol intoxication include alcoholism, malnutrition, alcoholic-liver disease, chronic pancreatitis, as well as cancer apart from the damage caused to the central as well as the peripheral nervous system. Not any organ or system in the body can be spared from the damaging effect of alcohol intoxication, which implies that intoxication will generally have adverse impacts not only on the physical but the mental health as well. A wide range of neuropsychiatric or neurological impairment, heart and liver diseases, as well as malignant neoplasms very crucial health risks of excessive alcohol consumption; hypertension, coronary heart disease, respiratory cancer, stroke, as well as cancer of the liver, breasts, ovaries, and the digestive system are among the most common illnesses associated with intoxication. Numerous psychiatric cases including critical depression, mania, panic disorder, anxiety as well as personality disorders, in addition to schizophrenia are some of the psychiatric disorders that chronic drinkers are highly predisposed to. Alcohol-related Cancer According to the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, alcohol is a leading carcinogen and all of the alcoholic beverages all over the world are carcinogenic to humans; similarly, according to the 2000 National Toxicological program of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, alcohol is indeed carcinogenic. Nearly 36% of all cancers and 3.5% of global cancer deaths are strongly attributable to excessive consumption of alcohol; a 2011 European study established that one out of ten men and one out of 33 women are usually diagnosed with either previous or current alcohol-related cancer . Precisely, the most common cancers that are directly traceable to excessive consumption of alcohol include cancer of the mouth, breast, pharynx and larynx, as well as cancer of the oesophagus, and cancer of the colorectum. Alcohol-related cancer has been blamed on acetaldehyde, one of the metabolic products of alcohol that is usually eliminated by the liver (Quertemont and Didone 258); liver disease coupled by critical enzyme deficiencies often result to the chronic accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body. Key enzymes involved in the metabolism of alcohol include alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase (Scott and Taylor 18); genetic defects in alcohol dehydrogenase in particular predisposes heavy drinkers of alcohol to high levels of acetaldehyde thereby making them highly susceptible to cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract and cancer of the liver accordingly. Significant evidence has been established over the years in support of the proposition that acetaldehyde is in fact responsible for the carcinogenic effect of ethanol since it results to multiple mutagenic effects on DNA (Roxby). Organ-system impairments Serious levels of alcohol consumption can result to serious organ system failures in the body; for instance, excessive alcohol ingestion can potentially result to the impairment of multiple cellular functions in the lungs consequently predisposing an individual to critical complications from lung diseases. The gravity of lung disease in chronic drinkers is highly comparable to the danger of liver disease in this population; the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome is heightened in alcoholics. The damage caused to the central and the peripheral nervous system due to excessive alcohol consumption could potentially result to the loss of sexual desire as well as impotence in men; intoxication often induces testicular atrophy, which accentuates male feminization in chronic alcoholics and a reduction of testosterone levels. Alcoholic-liver disease has been recognized as one of the leading public health concerns all over the world, particularly in the U.S. where nearly two million people suffer from alcohol-related liver disorders. Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, as well as cirrhosis are among the most common alcohol-related liver complications, which could potentially be catastrophic; treatment entails discontinuation of alcohol consumption or liver transplant from alcohol abstinent donors (Brody 5). A global perspective of intoxication Alcohol intoxication is inevitably a global concern, according to a recent study on alcohol-related harm conducted by the WHO; their study highlights several significant findings concerning intoxication. The most crucial insight from this study is that whereas intoxication-related impairment is biological, it may also be affected by social expectations as well as cultural norms and most drinkers often suffer intoxication; interestingly, infrequent drinkers are at a heightened risk of intoxication even than regular drinkers. Intoxication accentuates the harm of alcohol on the body and reducing intoxication would result to a significant reduction in the harm of alcohol on the body; similarly, the social and physical context may further aggravate the potential for harm from intoxication. In England, the maximum alcohol intake recommended for both men and women is set at 21 and 14 units per week respectively; a 2009 report indicated that men consume nearly 15.6 while women consume nearly 9.9 units of alcohol per week. Similarly, between 2010 and 2011, alcohol intoxication was found to be the primary diagnosis of nearly 190,900 admissions recorded in England with moderate to heavy alcohol consumption being strongly connected to the heightened risk of oesophageal cancer. Young adults were found to be more likely to exceed the daily limits of alcohol consumption with nearly 56% of young men between the ages of 16-24 years consuming nearly more than twice the sanctioned levels of alcohol. Nearly 1.5% of the premature deaths reported in England are attributable to the excessive consumption of alcohol to intoxication levels. Similarly, a vast proportion of deaths and diseases in the U.S. are due to excessive alcohol consumption; nearly 8500 deaths in the U.S. are attributable to excessive drinking including car crashes (Wagenaar, Maldonado, & Wagenaar 1464) Legal aspects Numerous legal issues underpin the consumption of alcohol in different countries and violation of legal requirements often attracts tough penalties from relevant authorities; for instance, most countries have regulations defining the minimum drinking age. In the US, it is illegal for individuals under 21 years of age to purchase and even consume alcohol and the penalty for this offense vary among states; other legal issues underpinning consumption of alcohol touch on drunk driving, driving under influence of alcohol, as well as driving while intoxicated (Brautbar). Other laws on drunkenness prohibit flying an aircraft or operating machinery or amusement parks while drunk; in other places, it is even illegal to serve alcohol to an already drunken person while other countries require that alcohol be retailed by individuals competent to serve responsibly who have gone through an alcohol server training course. To operate a vehicle, most countries have limit blood alcohol content (BAC), which is measured as a percentage of a unit volume of blood; the blood alcohol content requirement for operating cars varies from country to country. In the U.K., the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand, the legal blood alcohol content for operating vehicles is 0.08% while the Federal Aviation Administration requires crew members to perform their duties with a BAC not exceeding 0.04% within eight hours of alcohol consumption. Public intoxication has also been prohibited in most countries including thee US, the UK and in Australia, where individuals can be arrested for being drunk and disorderly (Haque & Cumming); drunken persons are often arrested and locked up for disruption of public order until they can sober up after which they are charged in court. Current issues Alcohol intoxication is a rising concern all over the world today given the prevalence of excessive alcohol consumption as a worldwide recreational activity; any level of alcohol intoxication could potentially result to poisoning since ethanol has been attributed to fatal effects on the body. Alcohol intoxication has been found to cause serious harm to the body including flushed skin, euphoria, social inhibition, balance impairment, uncoordinated muscle movements, as well as impaired judgement; cute alcohol poisoning indicates adversely high concentration of alcohol in the blood. Several signs and symptoms of acute alcohol poisoning include severe confusion, unpredictable behaviour, stupor, seizures, respiratory depression, as well as vomiting; the heightened risk of respiratory depression as well as the likelihood of inhaling vomit in case of emesis makes alcohol poisoning a serious medical emergency. Currently, excessive alcohol consumption is classified as one of the leading causes of preventable death not only in the U.S. but all over the world, and the number one risk factor for prevalence of traffic accidents, suicides, drowning, among other serious injuries. Statistically, most of the medical injuries treated in trauma centres and emergency departments across the world are attributable to alcohol intoxication; hospital records have increasingly revealed that individuals admitted to hospital for any reason are more likely to be alcohol dependent. Alcohol has extremely damaging effects on the rest of the body systems thereby accentuating a wide range of health effects in the body; generally, alcohol poisoning has also been associated with the increased risk of certain types of cancer such as cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, throat, breast, as well as breast cancer. In critical cases of alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related liver disease may degenerate to liver cirrhosis and eventual death; other alcohol related complications include high blood pressure, muscle weakness, memory disorders, heart rhythm disturbances, anaemia, acute and chronic problems. More men than women are more likely to be intoxicated by alcohol leading to fatalistic health outcomes; findings by the 2006 U.S. National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study highlight that nearly 8% of the American adult population are alcohol dependent and alcohol ranks as the third most prevalent cause of death in the U.S. after smoking and obesity. Nearly 85,000 alcohol-related deaths occur every year, partly due to injury and partly due to alcohol-related diseases; about 30% of homicide cases as well as 22% of the suicides are linked to alcohol intoxication. Apart from that, nearly 20% of the most fatal motor vehicle accidents as well as one-third to half of all the vehicular accidents are due to alcohol intoxication; on average, the U.S. incurs nearly %185 billion costs annually due to alcohol-related violence, traffic accidents, lost man hours, as well as medical expenses. Emerging concerns of new products There have been numerous concerns over new alcoholic products all over the world; for instance, Alcohol Healthwatch has expressed concerns particularly over the new 25 ml sachets of Cheeky, which contain 20% alcohol, among other new alcohol products that allegedly undermine the global efforts to promote responsible drinking (Newstalk ZB). This new alcoholic product inhibits the monitoring of alcoholism since it promotes irresponsible drinking by normalizing intoxication as a sort of an every time thing; given that the sachets are easily concealable, it may be hard to monitor alcohol consumption leading to aggravated intoxication. Additionally, concerns have also been raised over a couple of new alcoholic energy drinks; the Food and Drug Administration has condemned a number of manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic drinks, which are considered to pose a serious public health threat given that the caffeine in the drink masks the effects of alcohol (Goodnough). Caffeine in alcoholic drinks has been decried as an illegal additive that makes alcoholic drinks unsafe for consumption not only by the Food and Drug Administration, but also by other federal, state, and local agencies in the U.S. in particular. Most agencies have expressed concerns that caffeine in the alcohol may mask all the crucial cues that individuals may rely on to measure their intoxication levels consequently leading to excessive indulgence in alcohol; evidently, individuals consuming caffeinated alcoholic drinks may end up consuming excess alcohol unwittingly thereby accentuating the hazardous effects of intoxication. Furthermore, the caffeinated alcoholic drinks are easily accessible in many states across the counter in convenience stores, as well as other delivery outlets, which further aggravates the risk of intoxication. Impact on ecosystems The industrial refinery process in the production of alcohol has adverse effects on the environment and natural ecosystems since it entails the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, which often results to large emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment (Davies). Massive air pollution by the prevalence of gaseous emissions in the atmosphere from the alcohol producing industries has adverse effects on the ecosystem; for instance, dust and volatile organic compounds are emitted during the production process thereby polluting the atmosphere. Apart from air pollution, the industrial process involved in alcohol production places increased demands on the existing water supplies thereby leading to serious water shortages; water demands by alcohol plants vary depending on a number of factors including plant design and process. Besides the pressure on existing water resources, the refuse or water discharged from alcohol plants might result to adverse environmental effects if not regulated properly to ensure it is environmentally friendly. Moreover, the land resource is a critical factor of production in the industrial process of alcohol production; farming to yield the necessary raw materials for the production of alcohol has numerous adverse effects on both the environment and the wider society in general. Conclusion Overall, excessive consumption of alcohol does result to adverse toxic effects on the body ranging from mild to total impairment of all vital bodily functions, from motor, to speech, to judgement ability. Precisely, years of alcohol intoxication are more likely to result to alcohol-induced neuropathy, a more permanent disorder that is characterized by numbness in the lowest extreme body ends as well as weakness in limbs due to damaged nerve cell endings; thus, alcohol damages peripheral nerve cells. The long term effects of intoxication may trigger early deaths after a serious damage to multiple body organs including the liver, the kidneys, pancreas, heart, as well as gallbladder, which are highly susceptible to the damaging effects of intoxication. Works Cited Brautbar, Nachman. “Principles and pitfalls in alcohol toxicity: Intoxication defence.” Environmentaldiseases.com. 2013. Web. 20th April, 2014. http://www.environmentaldiseases.com/article-alcohol-toxicity.html Roxby, Philippa. “What damage does alcohol do to our bodies?” Bbc.co.uk. 2011. Web. 20th April, 2014. Norek, Danna. “Heed the toxic effects of alcohol. Naturalnews.com. 2011. Web. 20th April, 2014. Haque, Quazi & Cumming, Ian. “Intoxication and legal defences.” 2014. Web. 20th April, 2014. Newstalk ZB. “Big drink that fits in your pocket - alarm over new alcohol product.” Newstalkzb.co.nz. 2013. Web. 20th April, 2014. Goodnough, Abby. “F.D.A. Issues Warning Over Alcoholic Energy Drinks.” Nytimes.com. 2010. 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