2006-10-29 12:52:35 · 5 answers · asked by Drunvalo 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Alcohol .. otherwise known as ETOH ..
Nowadays, a person really has to make a deliberate choice NOT to drink. It is available everywhere, from family-oriented bars to alcohol-laced chocolates on the counters of 7-11.
Alcoholism as a medical condition was widely recognized by 1849, but as late as the 1830's, those who imbibed a bit too much..or maybe a LOT too much...were considered fodder for workhouses or jails. In 1971, having written a 'bill of rights' for those with alcoholism, Senator Harold Hughes helped extend anti-discrimination protections to alcoholics; in 1990, the Americans With Disabilities act granted broader protections.
By 1996, the social costs of alcohol use was $166 BILLION; drug abuse came in at $109 million. It is America's drug of choice with an estimated 140 million citizens. That's about 65% of the population! Cigarettes came in a distant second with about 70 million users.
Alcohol is an irritant. It increases the flow of hydrochloric acid, a digestive juice in the stomach. You know that warm fuzzy feeling? That actually is your body responding to an acidic irritant. A single glass of wine can aid digestion; several will STOP digestion.
Despite the dandy reputations enjoyed by St. Bernard dogs, a shot of brandy given to a stranded skier will COOL the body, not warm it.
The pituitary gland is the master control gland, and adversely affected by alcohol. It will, in turn, affect the kidneys. The liver is acutely sensitive to alcohol .. just a couple ounces will lead to accumulation of fat in the liver cells .. the liver will begin to lose its ability to function.
Alcohol is a mood intensifier. Think it will improve a bad day? Not likely. It is also a Central Nervous System depressant. The acute lethal dose is about a fifth to a fifth and a half ...or 5-8 mg per kg of body weight.
And medical complications ..whoa ... first, the protruding belly, and that's the best of the lot. Add a bulbous enlarged nose, hoarse voice, increased perspiration, shrunken testicles on guys, swollen ankles and you are well on your way to 'wet brain.' That's not good.
If all that isn't bad enough, emerging science indicates a heredity link to addiction. There is no way to tell when you cross the line from social drinker to alcoholic. It just happens, and from then on your life will never be the same.
2006-10-29 13:35:35 · answer #1 · answered by ax2usn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well this isn't really me but some people in general that had someone close to them be a Alcoholic and that is something they struggled with for some time. Like for me my brother used to be a drug addict and thats a lot of the reason why I hate drugs.
2006-10-29 20:57:15 · answer #2 · answered by Courtney C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's very dangerous for alcoholics of which there are many in my family. Also, drunk drivers kill a lot of innocent people. I don't think there's anything wrong with a drink now and then if you don't overdo it and do act responsibly, as long as you are not an alcoholic.
2006-10-29 20:58:27 · answer #3 · answered by The Gadfly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it isn't so much against alcohol as how it is used or misused. my grandfathers (both sides), my father , both my brothers are/were all alcholics. most the time not fun ones, not sloppy ones but nasty, mean ones.
2006-10-29 20:57:36 · answer #4 · answered by falling leaves 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All the stupid *ss things I do while drinking
2006-10-29 21:07:53 · answer #5 · answered by Shannon W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋