Prevalence of Alcoholism Among the Young People - Coursework Example

Alcoholism Introduction Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in both developing and third world s. This tothe extent of adolescent drinking turning to be a public concern besides linked to several psychological problems, which may result to negative consequences in adulthood. Mostly, this especially in the period extending from the end of high school to full adult status (late teens to the mid-twenties) is characterized by extensive identity exploration. The incidence of risky behaviours is relatively high during this developmental period. When university students are compared in general with other young adults with the same age, the results show that the students in university have a higher likelihood of drinking at very high levels, which is harmful and hazardous. Moreover, several studies have reported the high prevalence of excessive drinking among tertiary populations. Binge drinking is also a major concern for several societies in the developed world (Little et al.1303). The extent of alcohol consumption-related harms experienced by young adults has become a significant concern, with both alcohol use and related harms tending to reach a lifetime peak in the early twenties. Prevalence of alcoholism among the young people The alcohol survey on national epidemiology indicates that the preva­lence of alcohol dependence is highest in adolescents who are aged between 18 and 20 years and young adults who are aged between 21 and 24 years (Windle, Michael & Zucker 33). However, these rates do decline thereafter. People who began drinking alcohol before the age 15 are more likely to become alcohol dependent (addicted) than that started drinking alcohol after the age of 21 years. Furthermore, the probability of developing alcohol dependence later in life is reduced by more than 14 percent with increasing age of first use. In 2001, the cash income in the alcohol industry for the under­age drinkers alone was more than $20 billion, which represents more than 17 percent of the total consumer income for all alcohol drinks (Windle, Michael & Zucker 33). Underage individuals who purchased alcohol accounted for around 16 percent of all the alcohol sold in the United States. In 2008, the National Institute concerned with Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan conducted a research to unveil the percentage of high school students who take alcohol (Windle, Michael & Zucker 33). The study showed that 15.9 % of eighth graders, 28.8% of tenth graders and 43.1 % of twelfth graders had taken alcohol in the previous 30 days (Windle, Michael & Zucker 33). Factors that influence alcohol abuse in adolescents and young adults Adolescents were interviewed to find out the reasons why most of them drink alcohol. One of the most common reasons included social enhancement motive whereby young adults drink to enjoy being drunk, hence mingle easily. This reduces the aspect of being inhibited, to experience the pleasure or become more outgoing thus acquaint themselves with more people. It also enables them socialize more, to party, to create a better atmosphere or just to become drunk. Another common reason was the coping motive whereby young adults drink to feel better, relax and think about other stuff or forget their worries, problems and to become calm or reduce tension. The third most common reason was the dominance motives whereby they drink to become cool, which is increasing their aggressiveness that will enable them earn others’ respect, to be able to put other persons down/to influence others (Comasco et al 1594). Children whose parents or relatives are alcoholics are more likely to abuse alcohol than whose parents or relatives who exercise sobriety (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36). The probability of male children from such backgrounds abusing alcohol is more than the probability of female children from the same backgrounds abusing alcohol. The primary source of alcohol for children and adolescents is their homes and surroundings (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36). Associating with people who abuse alcohol at a young age is one of the most important causes of early drinking and alcohol dependence during adolescence. There are differences in the levels of alcohol use by adolescents due to the differences in alcohol availability and exposure. This shows how drinking settings affect the young adults. The alcohol availability and exposure is a major reason why the children and adolescents think that they can have alcohol. The fact that people around are already drinking also acts as a factor as it demonstrates why the behaviour is accepted (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36). Family history is another factor that influences alcohol abuse in the young adults (Windle, Michael & Zucker 37). Children from families with alcohol abuse histories are more likely to abuse alcohol than the children without such histories are (Windle, Michael & Zucker 37). Genetic factors are responsible for approximately 50 percent of the risk conveyed. These risky genes are trans­mittable from a mother to her child in several ways. All these factors are relevant during developmen­t period from an adoles­cent to a young adult. Some of the risk is via direct genetic effect on the offspring. This happens when the genes that carry the relevant traits are passed from mother to child. These genes are risky because they lead the young adults to form relationships with peers who have a high probability of starting drinking at an early age and peers who are likely to become heavy drinkers in future (Windle, Michael & Zucker 37). A study was conducted on inpatient and emergency events from 2002-2007. The results showed that young adults making the transition across the legal minimum drinking age had a significant increase in serious alcohol-related injuries (Callaghan et al. 2289). Inpatient and emergency department events for alcohol usage disorders, alcohol related suicides and assaults are highest at this period. The study showed an 11% raise especially in inpatient and emergency department admissions for alcohol-use disorders among youths who had just crossed the legal minimum drinking age threshold (Callaghan et al. 2289). Upon reaching 21 years age limit, the young adults are always excited thus leading to binge drinking to maximize the newly found freedom (Callaghan et al. 2289). The critical period for developing antisocial behaviour is known to occur in early childhood and adolescence (Little et al. 1304). This is the same period associated with the emergence of high-risk drinking as many try to cover up antisocial behaviour. Additionally, the effects of alcohol use on alcohol use-related harms differ depending on levels of antisocial behaviour. Alcohol use and antisocial behaviour are related such that adolescents with high levels of antisocial behaviour show consistently high capacities of alcohol-related harms (Little et al. 1304). This is irrespective of their extent of alcohol use while those with low levels show a rise in harm as usage increased (Little et al. 1304). Effects of alcoholism on the adolescents and young adults Alcohol use among the adolescents and young adults continues to be an important health issue (Monti et al. 60). Drinking is considered by the youth as a rite of passage from adolescence to adulthood. This is ironic considering that the greatest health risks facing individuals between the age of 18 and 22 including predicaments linked with excessive and habitual use of alcohol use in the community colleges in most states. Although the US has laws that prohibit sale and use of alcohol by individuals who are less than 21 years, the adolescents and young adults experience alcohol-related problems at alarming rates especially in their homes (Monti et al. 60). The college communities feel the effects of hazardous drinking in the young adults. This is because the drinking leads to academic failures. The drinking also strains the relationships between these young adults and their friends and families. Parents are disappointed with their children because they use a lot of money to educate them and in the end, the young adults drop out of school (Monti et al. 60). These physical, psychological and behavioural consequences associated with hazardous drinking are of concern to the college administrators, university communities and the parents (Monti et al. 60). The young adults who abuse alcohol have difficulties in keeping their jobs. They will miss work deadlines, show up to work late or miss it all together (Monti et al. 61). This will lead to these young adults being fired, hence depression on their part. The depression will lead to more drinking to the extent of these individuals end up engaging in crimes in order fund their own alcohol sprees or to make ends meet (Monti et al. 61). Vandalism and violence are the leading causes of the young adults being arrested. Moreover, the young adults who abuse alcohol have high rates of sexual aggression and acquaintance rape, which leads to imprisonment. Not surprisingly, these physical, psychological and behavioural consequences associated with hazardous drinking are of concern to the government and the media (Monti et al. 61). A study was conducted on university students to show the harmful effects of alcohol. The results showed that two thirds of the sample had experienced some of the harms (Rickwood et al. 37). The most common harms were vomiting (experienced by almost half), embarrassments (by a third), memory loss (by 0.25 percent), missing a university class (by 0.25 percent) and problems in managing finances due to spending all their money on alcohol (by 0.2 percent) (Rickwood et al. 37). Harms experienced significantly more by males than females were driving a car after too many drinks, threatening physical abuse, verbal abuse of other people, doing dangerous things just for fun, inflicting physical abuse, getting arrested or other problems with the law and damage of campus property (Rickwood et al. 37). The only negative effect that was experienced significantly more by females was being taken advantage of sexually. When drinking, the chances of engaging in risky sexual practices are very high thus; a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (Rickwood et al. 37). Drinking by adolescents and young adults has a negative effect on their overall health. This is because chances of addiction in adulthood are very high. Continuous drinking may affect the liver thus prompting the individual to experiencing liver cirrhosis (Glass et al. 38). In addition, the continuous use of alcohol may cause anaemia by reducing the number of red blood cells. Habitual drinking may also cause cancer (Glass et al. 38). The cancer sites due to alcohol include the liver, throat, breast, mouth, and the voice box. Binge drinking may cause the blood to clot, which may result to a heart attack or stroke and it may also cause the heart muscles to weaken and eventually fail (Glass et al. 38). Neuro-cognitive deficits in alcoholics are documented in numerous publications. The impairments include problem solving, memory loss, executive function and spatial visual processing. The impairments are direct effect of toxicity in alcohol (Glass et al. 38). Alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol use are both risk factors for traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly in association with automobile accidents. It is estimated that 35% to 50% of TBI’s are alcohol related and that 33% to 72% of those treated in emergency rooms have positive blood alcohol levels (Allen et al. 186). It was also observed that those who are intoxicated at the time they sustain the TBI experience, have a greater degree of brain damage. The number of negative outcomes including more severe neuropathology and poorer performance on neuropsychological tests evidences this (Allen et al. 186). The mechanisms underlying this increased impairment are unclear. Some have suggested that it simply represents pre-injury impairment associated with alcoholism (e.g. neurotoxin effects of alcohol, poor nutritional status, liver disease, co morbid psychiatric conditions, etc.), as up to one-third of individuals who are intoxicated at the time of TBI also have a diagnosis of alcohol dependence (Allen et al. 186). Alternatively, physiological mechanisms associated with alcohol intoxication, such as decreased respiration and decreased blood clotting, may accentuate severity of brain damage resulting from TBI (Allen et al. 186). Controlling alcoholism among adolescents and the young adults The rising incidences of binge drinking by young adults across the globe have led to a plethora of government intervention programs aimed at stemming the problem (Hogan, Stephen, Perks & Bennett 94). The government efforts to reduce the levels of binge drinking have relied on popular but generally ineffective policies involving either regulatory interventions or mass media campaigns in warning about dangers of drinking (Hogan, Stephen, Perks & Bennett 94). The regulatory interventions include increasing the taxes imposed on alcohol, imposing curfews and lockouts from drinking establishment and adjustment of the license hours. Governments have also used prohibitions of control over the supply of alcohol and tighter restrictions on marketing and promotions to curb consumption. In some cases, they have clamped down on parents supplying alcohol to minors (Hogan, Stephen, Perks & Bennett 94). One of the most important policies that has brought a lot of drama in the last decade is the legislation, which increased the age required to drink legally from 18 years to 21 years. Driving while drunk in most cases leads to vehicle crashes and eventually death (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36). According to scientific evidence, the loss of lives that occur in young adults between the ages of 18 years and 20 years, due to driving under the influence, has declined dramatically after the implementation of the legisla­tion (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36). However, the effect’s size varies among States. In addition, the legislation’s influence extends to even young adults who are older than 21 years. Lower drinking rates have also persisted in the subsequent age group of 21years to 25 years of age, which indicates the long lasting impact of these changes. Windle, Michael & Zucker cited that, “The people who were not affected by the 21years old legal limit have higher rates of alcohol abuse than people who grew up before both legislations were implemented (Windle, Michael & Zucker 36).” Conclusion The extent of alcohol consumption-related harms experienced by young adults has become a significant concern, with both alcohol use and related harms tending to reach a lifetime peak in the early twenties. Adolescents and young adults’ excessive consumption of alcohol remains bounded by space, time, and social situation. The young adults balance their desire for having fun, letting go and taking risks within the restrictions imposed by their jobs, school and family. Moreover, they try to avoid damaging their cultural and social credibility when drinking. The research discourses, existing policies and media on binge drinking and alcohol abuse among young adults emphasize disordered, incompetent, impaired and violent subjects. Despite significant spending by different governments, there is very little evidence showing that these controls have had a major influence on the drinking habits in young adults. Works Cited Top of Form Allen, Daniel N., et al. "The Effects Of Alcoholism Comorbidity On Neurocognitive Function Following Traumatic Brain Injury." Applied Neuropsychology 16.3 (2009): 186-192. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 July 2014. Callaghan, Russell C., et al. "Effects Of The Minimum Legal Drinking Age On Alcohol-Related Health Service Use In Hospital Settings In Ontario: A Regression--Discontinuity Approach." American Journal Of Public Health 103.12 (2013): 2284-2291. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 July 2014. Comasco, Erika, et al. "Why Do Adolescents Drink? Motivational Patterns Related To Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-Related Problems." Substance Use & Misuse 45.10 (2010): 1589-1604. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 July 2014. Glass, Jennifer M., et al. 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