Effects Of Alcohol

The devastating Effect Of Alcohol And Realize The Alternative

"Drunken driver kills family of five" reads the headline….the driver goes to jail, the family of the victims who were killed filed a lawsuit against the bar that sold the drinks to the driver and win, yet alcohol is still available, and in fact is prevalent in many societies and different cultures across the globe.

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Drinking alcohol leads to trouble no matter where you live in the world.  People claim they drink to have fun, yet this "fun" leads to violence, accidents, immorality, and often times illegal acts and out right criminality that result in time spent in prison.

Many have called alcohol a legalized drug.  While in some countries there is an age limit before a person can legally consume alcohol, this is largely ignored and many illegal underage drinkers are in fact the ones who wind up "binge" drinking, the practice of consuming copious amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time.  There is an alarming increase in deaths caused by alcohol poisoning, usually related to binge drinking.

Alcohol use alters a person's mood by decreasing inhibitions.  Such decreased inhibitions include a person's ability to exercise proper judgment with even the most insignificant decisions.  There is an increase in accidents, such as traffic or employment-related.  This is due to carelessness and impulse behaviors.  Moreover, drinking has become socially acceptable and many adolescents associate the use of alcohol with the 'right of passage' into adulthood. 

Advertising pressures also have a tremendous influence on the general public.  It is not possible to watch television without seeing a beer commercial.  It doesn't matter what channel you watch, there will be an advertisement for some brand of beer at some point.

The ads show people having fun, succeeding, and drinking responsibly.  The message is clear; if you want to succeed you must have beer to complete the moment of your success.  These ads have a greater impact on the younger viewer and can be viewed as a kind of subliminal messaging.

By showing these commercials to kids watching their favorite programs they are being taught at a young age the importance of alcohol.  Compare the size of the beer cooler with the dairy products section the next time you are in the grocery store and you will see they are the same size.  Beer advertisements are as big of a deal and usually bigger than milk and we wonder why there are problems with alcohol in society?

Effective education about the effects of drinking, whether socially or habitually, will help both teens and adults to stop the cycle alcohol abuse.  When people consider the consequences of their actions prior to taking the action there is a much greater chance of prevention.

Traditionally, alcohol avoidance programs focused on convincing people to stop drinking by discussing the dangers of alcohol abuse.  However, by determining people's motivation and desire to drink will helps the educational philosophy and direction to move towards prevention.

For instance, on college campuses, students drink because, in most instances, there is no parental control, making it more attractive.  Additionally, the motivation to drink generally consists of the peer pressure, the expectancy of social acceptance and sexual arousal.  On the flip side, people are less likely to drink when they are involved in community activities, mediation, and exercise.

The other thing that must happen to stop the abuse of alcohol is to stop its prevalence in the media.  There is simply too much advertising and other media blitzing surrounding alcohol.  As a parent or concerned friend don't be afraid to talk about alcohol abuse.

There is no doubt alcohol numbs the senses, lowers reaction times and inhibitions, and causes people to say and do things they would not do when they are not under the influence of alcohol. If you suspect someone you care about is not in control of themselves when around alcohol there are many different types of support for you as well as the person you believe to be abusing alcohol. 

Even if your children or friends are not even using any alcohol, make sure if you seen an advertisement on the television that at some point you address the issue.  Discuss your philosophy and make sure your friends and family know how you feel.  The best prevention available is communication about consequences before the action occurs.

The bottom line, alcohol does lead to evil and causes much hardship and criminal acts. It causes people to indulge in indecent wrongful acts, it causes people to be violent and transgress, it ruins relationships, it wast lots of time, money and energy that could be otherwise used in more natural, realistic, productive and beneficial ways. When you compare all of that evil with some useless mental and mood alteration and superficial sense of confidence, courage and fun you will reach the logical conclusion that avoiding alcohol is a much better option.

When tempted just think of the better alternative of staying supper and knowing what you are doing. remember the fact that you will gain nothing by consuming alcohol while you stand to loose a LOT. Remember the fact that you do not need fake and unrealistic feelings and that you better gain the confidence to enjoy your life without a substance that produce fake sense of confidence and fake sense of fun and often results with nothings but disappointments and regrets.

Individually and collectively, we need be responsible enough in exposing the reality of drugs, smoking and alcohol and remind ourselves and others of the much better alternative life free of metal and physical pollution.