Alcohol Use and its Consequences

All over the world, alcohol drinking has always been an inseparable part of a social life. Due to the social influence, the main reasons for people to use alcoholic drinks are: to get a stress relief, become more communicative or escape from problems. Also, in many situations, peer pressure becomes the reason for alcohol consumption (Rose and Cherpitel 63). Moreover, massive alcoholic beverage consumption has been brought on by the mass media sources in today’s social life. The advertising of all kinds of alcoholic drinks in the movies, songs, and commercials causes the high rate of alcohol use among people of all ages. Even though mass media shows only positive sides of alcoholic beverage consumption, there are many negative effects on human’s mental and physical health.

People have different reactions to drinking alcohol, and thus, it has various effects on their actions and health in general. Alcoholic beverage consumption can provide immediate and long-term severe risks to the health of any person. Immediate risks include accidental injuries of all damage levels: car accidents, burns, drowning and freezing to death, and many others. Moreover, alcohol poisoning, caused by the high alcohol level in blood, affects the central nervous system and without immediate medical aid leads to coma and death. Also, the excessive use of alcoholic drinks is one of the main reasons for unintentional pregnancies and getting all types of the sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Moreover, there is a high risk of sexual assault actions, for example rape and child abuse, that can occur under the influence of alcohol (Hanson et al 210). All kinds of alcoholic drinks cause the most damage to the health of women, children, and people who already have serious diseases. At the same time, the most devastating impact of alcohol use can be seen with pregnant women, who have been drinking for some period of time. Miscarriages, stillbirths, and giving a birth to a child with mental and physical abnormalities that will last through the whole life are among the most horrid effects alcohol may cause.

With the immediate risks to the health of a person, alcohol abuse also causes various long-term health risks. Excessive alcohol drinking may cause constant severe consequences like brain damages and neurological problems, liver diseases like cirrhosis, gastrointestinal diseases like gastritis and pancreatitis, and various cardiovascular problems. Moreover, different types of cancer can be caused by alcoholism: throat, colon, liver and even breast types of cancer can happen with the unreasonable alcoholic beverage consumption.

Problems with health, caused by the alcohol use, usually go along with the various social issues. Social problems, for example unemployment, can be both the reason and the result of abusing the alcoholic drinks. Obviously, with the drinking problems it is very hard to find a decent job. Since alcohol affects brain cells, a person who has problems with using alcohol becomes less qualified and adequate (Dasgupta 40). Also, problems with the family members always go along with the excessive alcohol beverage consumption. Misunderstanding with parents, marriage partner, children and other relatives can worsen the situation and be the reason for the violence in the family.

Today, alcohol abuse became a full-rate disease that affects all sides of people’s life. Taking into account all the points mentioned above, one can see that the abuse of alcohol has a severe impact on every aspect of life. Serious problems with physical and mental health, diseases, and social issues with family members, co-workers and total strangers will always be in life of a person who chooses alcohol addiction instead of facing own problems and live a healthy lifestyle. All in all, it is you personal decision whether to drink alcohol or not, no one can decide that for you.