what ill affects can alcohol have on families and society?

Question

hello all i need some help this is one of my course work questions and my internet research not going to good so could u guys plz comment on this question,would really help thnx in advance

Answer 1

Alcohol, consumed in small quantities, is neither harmful or addictive. In fact, some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits, especially for the heart. Consumption of small quantities of alcohol is a matter of Christian freedom. Drunkenness and addiction are sin. However, due to the Biblical concerns regarding alcohol and its effects, due to the easy temptation to over-consumption of alcohol, and due to the possibility of causing offense and/or stumbling of others – it is usually best for a Christian to abstain entirely from drinking alcohol.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism is a disease. It progresses to uncontrollable drinking of any kind of alcoholic beverage. Alcohol doesn't only effect the drinker but his family and society, too. It affects the person by harming his health, personality and safety. Alcohol results in job loss and less respect for one's family and self. Uncontrolled drinking can be associated with committing a crime, getting a divorce or even suicide. Often alcohol results in dysfunctional families.

Alcoholism affects people of all ages, social and economic backgrounds. About seven out of ten adults drink alcoholic beverages. One out of ten is an alcoholic. Anyone can fall into the trap of alcoholism. Three out of four alcoholics are well-accepted members of their communities. Women, not just men, are affected. Young people may even be more susceptible to alcoholism because their bodies are still growing.

Alcohol affects the body in many ways. When a person drinks alcohol it rapidly enter the bloodstream, no digestion is needed, and the alcohol circulates throughout the entire body in a few minutes. Absorption is slowed by food in the stomach. The main effects of alcohol is on the brain where control centers are "knocked out," resulting in intoxication. The body then burns up alcohol at the rate of almost half an ounce per hour. A half ounce of alcohol is the amount in a twelve ounce beer, a five ounce glass of wine, or a cocktail made with one and a half ounces of eighty proof whiskey. An average 150 pound person can consume one drink in one hour and have no accumulation of alcohol in the blood. The faster the alcohol is consumed, the quicker physical and mental control is lost.

Alcohol affects the liver in three ways: chemical imbalance, inflammation, and cirrhosis. Alcohol also affects the digestive tract in 6 ways which are: cancer or oral cavity, irritation of the esophagus, stomach damage, inflammation of pancreas, digestive problems, and nausea.

Young Brains on Alcohol
Clearly, experimentation with alcohol during youth is bad news. But now research shows it's even worse than you think. Recent studies suggest that drinking harms the developing brains of adolescents and teens possibly even more than it does adults. The repercussions may include learning and memory problems, among others. If confirmed, the results provide additional evidence that young people should avoid alcohol.

Acting like a fool, vomiting and a day-after headache are a few common side effects. More seriously, it may lead to an arrest or, in excess amounts, spur an accidental injury, even death.

Yet many young people consume alcohol. Approximately 9.7 million Americans aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to a recent survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Converging lines of research, however, now provide additional evidence that the young should steer clear of beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Although the work is still in an early stage, it appears that drinking can launch a damaging brain assault in teens and adolescents that may even surpass its effects in adults. The new research is leading to:

Insights into the sensitive brain development patterns of youth.
A clearer understanding of the biological and mental effects of alcohol.
Increased interest in alcohol prevention programs.
Findings on brain development provided some of the first clues that young brains may be more vulnerable to alcohol than adults.

Researchers thought that the brain's key development finished within the first few years of life. Then recently they discovered that important brain regions continue to undergo refinement at least into a person's early twenties. For example, one study compared the brain structure of kids aged 12 to 16 with young adults aged 23 to 30. Several brain areas showed signs that their circuits pare down and fine tune between adolescence and young adulthood. Included is the frontal cortex,which helps process highly complex information. Another study examined molecular changes in the memory brain area, known as the hippocampus, and found that it is still maturing in rats equivalent in age to human teenagers.

The findings imply that introducing alcohol during this developmental stage can potentially harm the growing system and associated brain functions, such as learning and memory. Several, more specific studies, back this idea.

In one report, the equivalent of about five drinks in people impairs the ability of adolescent rats, but not adults, to learn a memory task. Other research examined two molecular processes tied to memory, termed long-term potentiation and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activity. Adolescent rats that received the equivalent of about one to two drinks experience more interference with these processes than do adults.

Perhaps most troublesome is work suggesting long-lasting alterations. One study found that the equivalent of about 10 drinks produces more extensive brain damage in adolescent rats than in adults.

Findings are hard to confirm in humans because scientists can't provide underage children with alcohol and then dissect their brains. Some evidence, however, is in line with the animal work.

For example, a study of young people indicates that those who start drinking during adolescence have smaller hippocampal memory areas than non-drinkers. Another study finds that following the consumption of about two to three drinks, people in their early twenties perform worse on memory tests than people in their late twenties. More recently researchers examined subjects aged 18 to 25 who reported a history of drinking about a six-pack on weekend nights. Compared with non-drinkers, they perform somewhat worse on memory tasks. Furthermore, their performance correlates with poor brain activity. Preliminary findings show similar results with younger teens who drink heavily (see images). Their brain response is also diminished, although they manage to perform okay on the tasks. The researchers plan to investigate further how various drinking histories affect different age groups.

Some scientists also believe that the immature young brain may put kids at a disadvantage when they encounter situations involving alcohol. Possibly, their brains can't provide the foresight that they should avoid drinking because it's dangerous. Also, once experimentation begins, brain areas that make a person feel good and want to drink again may be in an underdeveloped state and more easily influenced.

Overall, the research adds fire to an often-repeated message: Just say no.

Alcohol can cause a lot of harm physically and psychologically as well as the harm it causes to families, communities and to society generally. For more information on any of these areas of harm click on the headings to follow the links.





Physically



Alcohol can have devastating effects on the body in the long term, and heavy drinking can lead to a number of serious life threatening conditions. There is a worrying increase in the number of younger people being admitted to hospital with liver problems caused by their alcohol consumption. There is also the short term physical damage that binge drinking can lead to such as physical injuries sustained whilst drunk, alcohol poisoning and physical withdrawal symptoms. People are also more likely to be hurt or hurt others when they have been drinking.





Psychologically



Alcohol is a chemical that affects the way the brain can do its job, in the short term it can cause depression, irritability and problems with memory and concentration. In the longer term it can have more serious consequences such as panic attacks, mood swings, insomnia, clinical depression and suicide. One person’s alcohol use can also affect the psychological and emotional well being of the people around them.





Domestic



Alcohol is a massive problem in the home and is implicated in over half the cases of domestic violence and child abuse in the UK. An individuals drink problem can also lead to disputes between family members and friends, sometimes leading to the break down of these friendships and relationships. Heavy drinking can also lead to problems with debt when money meant for food & bills is used to buy alcohol instead. Alcohol can affect a person’s ability to attend school or work costing people their education or their job as well as affecting their chances of future employment.





Society



Everyday in the UK between 8-14million workdays are lost due to illness caused by alcohol use. Accidents both at home, at work and on the roads are more likely to occur when the people involved have been drinking and the crime rates show an annual increase in the number of drink related crimes. One fifth of acute hospital admissions involve alcohol as do 65% of suicides, and 25, 000 deaths per year are attributable to this socially acceptable drug.

Alcohol has become a very important part of our everyday lives. Relaxing after a hard day of work usually involves a glass of wine or a beer. Social events, family gatherings and sporting events all seem to be associated with an alcoholic drink. But do we really understand the full implications of the effects alcohol can have on our families and our community.

There has been a lot of media surrounding the effects alcohol has on our P platers. The number of young people dying in car accidents while under the influence of alcohol is alarming and has drawn some attention from the government. The government has also shown an interest in the amount of alcohol consumed by the general public believing that Australians may be putting their health at risk.

There is however another alcohol-related risk affecting future generations that we as a community may need to take more seriously. This risk is affecting our unborn babies and is called Alcohol Foetal Syndrome (FAS) or Alcohol Foetal Effects (FAE). FAS is a lifelong condition caused when a mother consumes too much alcohol during pregnancy causing varying degrees of alcohol-related birth defects, cognitive impairments, and behavioral difficulties which can be identified physically in babies by distinctive facial features. FAE has similar effects on a baby without the obvious physical distinctions in appearance, making it more difficult to diagnose and perhaps harder to receive treatment.

Alcohol in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream is able to circulate to the unborn child by crossing the placenta. While most women will drink during their pregnancies (one or less standard drinks a day) and not give birth to babies who have been affected by alcohol, some babies have been affected by small amounts of alcohol. A study by the University of Washington stated that one drink a day can reduce an unborn child’s IQ by 7 percentage points. Babies are more vulnerable to alcohol during the early weeks of pregnancy, with the highest risk occurring between the second and eigth week. Just like adults, unborn babies metabolise alcohol in varying degrees. Studies have shown that in the case of fraternal twins, one twin may be affected by the alcohol consumed by the mother while the other twin may be born perfectly healthy.

FAS has physical features associated with it making it a syndrome that can be diagnosed. However the effects of alcohol (FAE) are not always visible even though it has similar effects on the baby‘s cognitive and behavioral functioning. These secondary effects of alcohol may not be present at birth but occur later. Some of these affects include metal health problems like ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), conduct disorder and depression. Adults affected by alcohol at birth may have trouble with the law and staying in school, become alcohol and drug dependent and have difficulty keeping a job or living independently. Lifelong permanent disorders of memory function, impulse control and judgment lead to a life of turmoil and heartbreak for these adults, their families and their communities.

In 2000 it was estimated that 60 million people worldwide are affected by this disorder, and these are the people who have been diagnosed. It is the leading cause of cognitive impairment in the western world today and yet completely preventable. Information about pregnant women consuming alcohol and its affects on the unborn child is conflicting. As a result we as a society are not completely aware of all the affects of alcohol on our unborn babies and therefore need to educate ourselves and proceed with extreme caution. Most experts believe no alcohol is the best and safest choice.

The more heavily you drink, the greater the potential for problems at home, at work, with friends, and even with strangers. These problems may include:

Arguments with or estrangement from your spouse and other family members;
Strained relationships with coworkers;
Absence from or lateness to work with increasing frequency;
Loss of employment due to decreased productivity; and
Committing or being the victim of violence.

The last 20 years have brought home to most Americans the profound impact of substance abuse on individuals, their families, and society. Most extended families have had some experience with this problem.

We are only recently becoming more aware of the terrible effects of substance abuse on pregnant women and their unborn children. Of all current substance abuse, alcohol is the most serious problem by far, whether judged by its frequency or by its capacity to injure the fetus. In its most obvious form, it leads to a constellation of findings in the infant that are referred to as the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Because of concerns about the magnitude of the problem, the U.S Congress mandated this study, under the auspices of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. From the outset, the committee was aware of treading on new ground in addressing alcohol abuse during pregnancy since the approach used in this study might serve as a paradigm for other studies of substance abuse in pregnancy. What are the unique characteristics of alcohol abuse in pregnancy that make it such a challenge for medicine and for society in general?

First, this is not a disease that affects only the child with FAS; it involves both the mother and her baby. FAS is a classic example of a family problem. A mother who abuses alcohol needs and deserves treatment for this problem, not only during pregnancy but afterward. If she continues to be alcohol-dependent she may very well die from the disease in a few years and, in the interim, have additional affected pregnancies. Alcohol abuse affects her ability to care properly for her children throughout childhood. The affected child needs continued medical care aimed at minimizing any of the developmental handicaps imposed by FAS. As with many birth defects, optimal care requires coordinated effort from many groups, including providers of health care, social services, and schools.

Secondly, as with many risk factors for a fetus, whether influenced by maternal behavior (e.g., infection with sexually transmitted diseases) or not (e.g., inborn errors of metabolism), if the mother does not receive treatment the effects can be amplified by recurrence, that is by births to that mother of additional affected children, or by the children—when they reach reproductive age—bearing affected infants of their own.

Given these effects of alcohol abuse during pregnancy, the committee addressed the issue of updating the diagnostic criteria that should be used for FAS. We were concerned that, without well-defined criteria, any developmental delay or behavioral abnormality in children whose mothers had any level of alcohol intake might lead to inappropriate labeling with the FAS diagnosis. The criteria recommended are as close as possible to those commonly used by workers in this field and, at the same time, follow the guidelines generally used for setting diagnostic criteria in other areas of medicine.

A consideration of diagnostic criteria brought out the fact that many infants with FAS are not being diagnosed at birth, either because they cannot be or because professionals do not have the tools and training to do so. Pattern recognition is part of the diagnostic criteria in a disease of dysmorphogenesis. In this case it involves recognition of the pattern of facial abnormalities and of the neurobehavioral and developmental characteristics associated with FAS. Who is to be trained for diagnosis in the newborn period, or at any time in childhood? This is an important issue when one considers surveillance approaches that might be applicable on a public health basis. The committee was impressed that this area needs some focused clinical research before widespread surveillance approaches can be recommended. Such research and field testing is considered an urgent priority.

Also relevant to both diagnosis and prevention is the issue of whether there are problems of development or behavior from any alcohol intake, no matter how low, during pregnancy. Since this is not yet known, the committee focused on the constellation of infant problems for which good evidence exists of a relationship with maternal abuse of alcohol.

There have been excellent reviews of animal studies relating to FAS. For this reason, the report does not include a detailed review of this topic. Animal models have been established, and studies at the levels of integrative physiology and cell biology have contributed substantially to our understanding of some aspects of the disease. The report attempts to place these basic studies in context in terms of their contribution to our understanding of pathogenesis and prevention. For example, basic research contributed to our understanding of FAS by firmly establishing alcohol as a teratogen. It was also important in highlighting those organ systems likely to be most affected during in utero development. In terms of developmental timing, basic research established the important concept that alcohol can injure the fetus, particularly the central nervous system, not only during embryogenesis, but also later in pregnancy. It was clear to the committee that there are many areas in which additional basic research could make substantial contributions to our understanding of the relationship of dosage, developmental timing, genetic susceptibility, gender differences, and differences in tolerance imposed by the endocrine changes of pregnancy. Such research could contribute by pointing toward additional therapeutic approaches that might be used during pregnancy.

The sections on prevention and treatment once again emphasize that two patients must be considered. Treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence in a pregnant woman is also prevention of FAS in her fetus. The committee wrestled with the difficulty that universal prevention methods appear to have an impact on women with low or moderate alcohol intake but no impact on women who abuse alcohol. Yet, it is this latter group that produces infants with FAS and related problems. Thus, targeting specific prevention and treatment approaches to this latter group is vital if we are to reduce the incidence of FAS. Unfortunately, currently there is little evidence of successful approaches. Too often, we have assumed that whatever works in men who abuse alcohol will work in women who abuse alcohol. This is another area in which clinical research, with strong evaluation components, needs to be implemented.

Treatment of the child begins whenever FAS (or a related disorder) is recognized. The later this recognition occurs in development, the less success treatment protocols will have. For this reason, training medical staff and other gatekeepers in pattern recognition and appropriate history taking in pregnancy is of paramount importance. As with many birth defects, there is a tendency to assume that the damage is done by the time the infant is born. However, this report brings out the lack of knowledge about how much subsequent developmental difficulty is due to actual organic injury at birth, how much is due to the chaotic environment in which most of these children are raised, and how much could be ameliorated by appropriate postnatal intervention and treatment. Such children should not be "discarded" by society and if, as a society, we are sincere in this belief, then the same multidisciplinary approach to their treatment and schooling should be applied as has been used for other birth defects, including joint planning and communication between medical and social services on the one hand and school systems on the other. Stability of the family environment in which the child is reared is necessary for all children, but is often not available to these children. Furthermore, even when these children are raised in stable foster or adoptive homes, appropriate treatment and schooling are often not available.

It is evident throughout the report that fetal alcohol syndrome tests our ability to provide integrated services that cut across medical disciplines to the mother and child. It also presents major challenges to integrating school and support services for these children. The treatment section of the report emphasizes that, where it is uncertain whether developmental and behavioral characteristics are associated with permanent organic injury, children should be given the benefit of the doubt and have access to treatment measures that may substantially improve their outcome. This has been true, over and over again, for other birth defects, and there is no evidence that suggests it will not prove true for FAS.

I would like to acknowledge the diligence of the committee members and thank them for their efforts. Each contributed in a unique way, bringing both area-specific expertise and a broader perspective to the problem. I enjoyed our challenging discussions. I would also like to thank the IOM staff: Kathleen Stratton for her guidance and coordination of committee activities and her patience at seeing this activity through, Constance Pechura for her perspective and help in putting our ideas into words, Dorothy Majewski for arranging our meet ings and transcribing our scribbled edits, and Cynthia Howe for doing whatever needed to be done and her attention to detail.

I hope that helps you to complete you work!

Answer 2

“Alcoholism includes alcoholics . . . While there may be only one alcoholic in a family, the whole family suffers from the alcoholism.”—Dr. Vernon E. Johnson.
Both the alcoholic and the codependent are unwittingly controlled by something or someone outside of themselves. Both are blinded by denial. Both are emotionally unavailable for their children. Both are caught up in a life of frustration, for just as the alcoholic cannot control his drinking, the codependent cannot control the alcoholic, and neither one of them can control the impact that alcoholism will have on their children.

Alcohol and driving
YOU SLIP behind the steering wheel, start the engine, and off you go. Driving may become second nature to you, especially if you’ve been doing it for years. But it is not as simple as it may seem.

It has been estimated that under normal circumstances you make about 20 major decisions for each mile you drive. Decisions about what you see and hear in connection with other cars, traffic signs, and pedestrians must be translated into actions involving the brake, the accelerator, the clutch, and the steering wheel. And you don’t have much time to decide—often just a split second.

So driving requires a delicate coordination between decisions and actions. Alcohol makes this driving task especially dangerous. Why? Because alcohol affects the driver in several ways that significantly impair his ability to drive safely.—

Answer 3

Well I have alcoholics on both sides of the family actually!
I know that it can break families apart!
It can make the person with alcohol problems distance theirself from the family or make them feel unwanted or like the outcast for no reason! It can make them explode or argue out of nowhere... its like you have no control of your behavoirs anymore... its always the 'alcohol talking'! ITs not cool and it will only get worse until they admit they have a problem and are willing to get help! No matter what you say or do and how much you try to help.... their thinking is just so off, they dont care!
Also, you may be scraping change and be broke just to buy that 40 oz!!! That is one way people become homeless and poor... they probably burned all their bridges with their famiy and friends and they now depend on alcohol!
That is how a lot of bums get where they are...

Good Luck!

Answer 4

the Ill affects inc, but are not limited to the following: 1)Children see their parents and other adults drink alch aand decide to try it. If supervised they can learn responsibility and restraint. Unfortunately, they experiment with 0 supervision and 55-60% end up with alch probs, if they do not become addicted. And addiction to either Alch/drugs ends up in Juveniles in trouble at sch, in society, and finally at home. What parent wants to be called to the local PD because their 14 yr old was caught stealing, trying to get money to get beer, wine, etc or that their darling child broke into a liquor store to steal it directly. When I worked Juvenile Probation/Parole 17 of my 30 clients were there due to alch related offenses. 2 for armed robbery of a liquor store. And who paid their legal bills? The adult residents of their state. In other words We ALL did. As a teen, my parent told me If I wanted to try alch let them know. At 16 I did. We discussed it and I was taught how to/and only to use alch with great caution and only at home. The few times I drank away from home, I stayed where I was or had someone Absolutely sober take me home..

Answer 5

Theres actually mental problems that can come from having alcaholic parents. They are called Children Of an Alcaholic Syndrome and Adult Child of an Alcaholic syndrome. The only differance is age. But you can cary the effects until you die, and even onto your child.

My dad is a reformed alcaholic who hasnt had a drink in thirty years ( i'm 16) and I was diagnosed with this last year.

All my friends call me a ****** when I turn down a drink, but I dont care because I know what it does.

The effects are more than you know.

Answer 6

Chronic use can bring poverty, abuse of spouse and shildren. loss of job, indebtedness, and auto accidents,from minor to fatality.

On society, Exconomics in the work place through lost production time, bad product, accidents and anti-social behavior towards other employees.

There are resulting arrests, court process and possible jail time all of which is on the public purse. There can be results from public disturbances, brawls and damage to public and private property as a result of erratic behavior while intoxicated.

Really, you can get what you want from news stories related to behavior while intoxicated.

Family problems, Work related, driving, behavior on public transport. Behavior in public places and the resulting interface with the legal system.

Answer 7

I will tell you what happened to my family. My husband drinks(His whole family does), my sons drink. Both have been in serious trouble with the law with it. My hubby just got his first DUI. We are in the middle of bankruptcy. Amist all this, my daughter was killed drinking and driving. It is like a domino effect. For me, it is miserable with the fighting and the money and trying to keep my family together.
I suggest AA or MADD too. They have been some help to me.
Side note: my daughter was wrong for drinking and drving but the bar served her underage and had no insurance. The bartender had no liscense to sell. This is what we are trying to stop. Underage drinking and also anyone drinking and driving. be responsible.

Answer 8

what ill effects can alcohol have on families and society.

Well a person who is a non-functional alcoholic could eventually become dependent of government assistance or a burden on his/her own family. Often families are dissolved by alcoholism not to mention that it is a hereditary disease. Although there are plenty of functional alcoholics it eventually takes control over their lives.

Answer 9

what people forget is that there are many people involved in the running of this country who have drink problems police judges lawyers even the aristocracy but it is denied by them and looked upon as the curse of the working class.alcohol afects everyone no matter how poor or pompous they may be..there are many sources ie. MADD or Alcoholics Anonymous

Answer 10

Alcohol promotes violence and poverty in families. Drunk drivers kill innocent people. Increases the divorce rate and children from broken homes. Mothers on welfare. Orphaned children. The long haul is devastating to society as a whole.

Answer 11

None. Alcohol is a liquid. Now people, they can have ill effects on families and society. It is a person's own responsibility how he functions with his family and society. I would not blame the alcohol. Everything in moderation.