Alcohol abuse can be a tricky term to use, considering that ‘abuse’ can have different meanings to different people. However, it is often understood as referring to the excessive use of alcohol, and causing problems or negative consequences. While it may not automatically mean addiction to alcohol, alcohol abuse remains as one of the topmost public health concerns facing our society today and is in fact, the most common substance that often causes chemical dependencey.

Is it alcohol abuse or alcoholism?

Can you have an alcohol problem is still not be labeled as an alcoholic? Some experts say yes, alcohol abuse can occur without a person actually becoming an alcoholic. In alcohol abuse, the intake of alcohol can occur often and in big quantities but may not often result to alcohol dependency.

Alcoholism, on the other hand, is characterized by physical and psychological dependence, the lack of control over the frequency and amount of drinking, along with the strong craving to drink. Alcoholism is also marked with tolerance, a state where the amount of alcohol needed by the body to get the feeling of ‘high’ continually increases. Alcoholism is also chronic and may exhibit certain withdrawal symptoms.

Can alcohol abuse be inherited?

There are certain research studies that show the tendency of alcoholism or alcohol abuse to occur in families. It seems that a gene exists that predisposes an individual toward addiction to substances such as alcohol. However, this is not always the case. While certain genes may be to blame for alcohol abuse, lifestyle and the environment are also strong contributing factors.

Is there a specific group of people who are more likely to develop alcohol abuse?

Alcohol abuse does not depend on sex, race or nationality. However, certain generalities exist. More men, for example, have alcohol problems than women. There is also a higher incidence of alcohol abuse among people between 18 to 29 years old compared to people 60 years old and older.

Young people who start drinking alcohol earlier, say, at 13 or 14 years old, are more likely to develop alcohol problems when they get older, compared to people who start drinking when they are already adults.

Is there such thing as safe drinking?

Alcohol isn’t all bad, provided it is taken in moderate amounts. By moderate, we mean 1 to 2 drinks a day for men and less for women and people who are older. This type of alcohol drinking is possible if you do not have the proclivity toward addiction.

People taking medication or have certain diseases, for example, are advised to stay away from alcoholic drinks. For informational purposes one serving of alcoholic drink should consist of:

1.5 oz. of 80-proof drinks (few people measure with tis accuracy)
5.0 oz of wine
12 oz. of beer, wine coolers and mixed spirits

Is there a cure for alcoholism and alcohol abuse?

There is no magic pill, drug, cream or ointment that will cure alcohol abuse. However, it can be treated, although the efficacy of treatments is highly dependent upon an individual’s willingness to avoid or control alcohol intake and the frequency of exposure to circumstances that lead to alcohol use.

Adolescence is a crucial stage for physical and mental human development. An adolescent brain has increased desire of knowledge and exploration. At the same time it is highly vulnerable to high-risk behaviors, mental illness, and addiction. Adolescent drug and alcohol abuse, results in side affects that can impact them for entire life.

Adolescence and Alcohol Abuse
Easy access to alcohol is one of the most potential reasons that drive an adolescent towards alcohol abuse. As adolescents are not fully grown physically and mentally, alcohol abuse will have a long lasting and severe effect on them.

Alcohol is a depressant that slows the function of the central nervous system, which is crucial in maintaining perceptions, movements, emotions, vision and hearing of a person. Starting alcohol abuse at an younger age and continuing it through out the rest of the life will have a critical impact on the abuser that could be fatal.

Adolescence and Marijuana Abuse
Marijuana is one of the most widely abused illegal drugs in the United States. Comparatively, marijuana is more fatal to alcohol abuse for an youngster. According to University of Cincinnati, marijuana abuse significantly declines the brain activities to cognitive tasks in adolescents.

A recent study done by scientists at North Shore University has found that marijuana abuse aggravates genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia among youngsters.

Schizophrenia usually appears in late adolescence in males who abuse marijuana. On the contrary, females tend to develop schizophrenia later in their mid-20s and beyond. Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, and withdrawal into the self.

The Reasons for the Abuse
There are many reasons why some children and young teens start abusing alcohol and marijuana or any other drug. Most young people abuse some form of drug because they see their family members or friends or known people abuse and seems to enjoy it. The other important cause is youngsters hear songs about drugs and see them abused on TV and in movies and misunderstand that drug abuse is common and nothing wrong in it. Some teens misapprehend that marijuana and other drugs help them to escape from problems at home, school, or with friends.

Alcohol and marijuana abuse impose serious and long-term affects on adolescents. Parents and educational institutions have a bigger role to play and help youngsters to understand the impact of drug abuse, stop it and prevent it.

Dangers of the booze snooze

Drink driving not a very good combination kill or be killed.
Think before you drink? You may be saving your own life by
saying no to last orders or that of a friend who you feel may
have had too much to drink. You do not want to live the rest of
your life with that terrible feeling of guilt if only.

Top of the guest list at any party is Booze. Happy events and
occasions are celebrated with Booze, a sparkling glass of
champagne to toast the happy couple on their wedding day. A
farewell handshake and the finest bottle of malt whiskey
presented to granddad on retirement a schooner of sherry at
baby’s christening. Booze gives merriment to all who consume but
can also come with a lot of heartache in the form of alcohol
abuse.

Laughter turns to disaster

Unfortunately the dangers of this lethal concoction go
unnoticed. Read the label before attempting to drink sprits or
beer that you are unsure about. If alcohols recommended dosage
is adhered too, then it can prove to be the best party guest you
could ever have.

Limit your alcohol in take on a night out on the town; follow
the golden rules of our traffic light sequence in reverse order.
Green go, amber slow red stop. Sadly to say you always got the
ambler gambler, who unfortunately never lived to tell the tale.
This also applies to drinking, don’t chance it.

Alcohol abuse comes with a death penalty. Do not be the next
victim to be sentenced One of the biggest causes of death with
heavy drinkers is liver failure but not far behind is the booze
snooze with a death rate very high on fatalities. In an
unconscious state of mind you get to sleep off the effects with
no guarantees of ever waking up. Choking on your own vomit is
very common for the drinker who has over indulged

Suffering is still on the cards in the form of a hangover should
you be one of the lucky ones to survive.

Overtaking the once forever popular public house for number one
drinking spot for fun, is now the street corner with kids who
not long out of nappies drink to their hearts content. It is
times like this that hopefully a hangover gives these youngsters
the insight to say to themselves never again, but for the less
unfortunate who become addicted at an early age and come to rely
and depend on a bottle of cheap plonk is sad to say the least.

Laughter turns to disaster; let’s put the shoe on the other
foot. Disaster turns to laughter. Help is out there, talk to
your parents call the good Samaritans. Chat with alcoholics
annonmous don’t be afraid to face up to the problem, problems
are easily solved.

Before you snooze lose the Booze

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