Alcohol, by itself, is not the actual social problem. Alcohol is legal for anyone over the age of twenty-one in most states. In some European countries, there are not even age restrictions. The media, especially around our national holidays, like our own Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day, glamorize it. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that has everything to do with drinking. New Year’s Eve all around the world is known for toasting at midnight with something besides soda water. The Catholic Church is known for using wine during religious services. Football games are well-know for their tailgate parties, all involving lots of alcohol. When you watch a good old classic movie, there is usually someone holding a glass of scotch or bourbon and we have all seen John Wayne walk into a saloon asking for a bottle of whisky. So where is the problem? If John Wayne can do it (and he is everyone’s American hero), then why shouldn’t we?
Alcohol becomes a social problem because of us. We, the people, have used it too much and the problems stem from our abuse of alcohol. It is easy to do and it can happen to anyone. Alcohol abuse is universal. It has no social class, no stereotypes; it is not racially motivated and is not limited to any age group. The fact that alcohol is addictive and can cause medical problems has not been kept a secret. We all know the damage it can do. How many rehabilitation centers have popped up in your states in the last few years? Most of us have known an alcoholic in their lifetime, some right in the family, ” Children of alcoholics are emotionally fractured by alcoholic parents. Approximately 20 percent of adults grew up with a family member with an alcohol problem. These adults themselves are at risk for developing substance abuse problems. Emotional issues such as guilt, depression, and relationship problems are often found in children of alcoholics.” (www.hsc.wvu.edu) You never know ahead of time who it will affect in a negative way. It has this funny way of sneaking up on you because you do not want to pay attention to the signs that you may become addicted to alcohol. How many times have you heard an alcoholic say, “I can quit whenever I want.” This is one reason that it can be a social problem.
Another reason it becomes a social problem is when underage people use alcohol. First, it is illegal. Teenagers are inexperienced when too much alcohol is consumed and it leads to all kinds of problems. Actually, too much consumption will cause anyone to have problems. Usually, someone of legal age supplies the alcohol, which is also illegal. You can see where I am going with this. Social problems of a completely different level.
It becomes a social problem when you get behind a wheel of a vehicle after too much consumption. It becomes a social problem when it leads to excessive noise and all-night parties. It becomes a social problem when it leads to violent behavior. It becomes a social problem when someone has had too much to drink and they go public by harassing people on the street. Too much is dangerous for you and everyone around you. So how can we stop the madness? As long as people cannot drink responsibly, there will be social problems. Either we abstain from the use of alcohol or we do it in a controlled environment where the person drinking stays where they are and stops before they become argumentative or irrational. That is not always easy to do. When too much alcohol is consumed, it depends on the person and how it affects them. Some people just go to sleep. Others have a good time, laugh, party, and then pass out. Some people drink every week or two, maybe after work or with dinner. Some people drink a beer or two daily. The others are the ones to watch out for.
Alcohol and Crime
When a violent crime against another person is committed, about half of the reported crimes are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but more closely related to the use of alcohol. Over 50% of men that have committed sexual assaults are under the influence of alcohol, as are the victims of the assault. And 75% of violent offenses in the Army are alcohol related. Scary numbers. (www.HumanTruth.info)
Why Do People Drink?
The main reason people start drinking is very simple….curiosity! People are curious why alcohol is so celebrated by some and feared by others. We want to know what it feels like to consume alcohol. We want to know why the commercials on television promote people having fun, dancing and socializing. We want to know how it feels to be “tipsy”.
Another reason is stress. We live in a world full of problems and when the weight of these problems fall on our shoulders, alcohol eases some of that pain. When a person is on medication, it just intensifies that feeling and becomes even a bigger problem.
Loneliness and isolation make people drink. Elderly people with limited mobility and with little family and few or no friends find themselves turning to alcohol for comfort. Peer pressure among teens and young adults causes them to turn to alcohol. Some people go to taverns regularly to be part of something because of loneliness. Social gatherings that we all go to, like weddings, funerals, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, office parties to name a few.
People drink for various reasons. It provides them with a sense of confidence and they can let go of some of the daily pressure. For a short time, you feel euphoric, relaxed, and happy. If people could leave it at that, we would not have alcoholism and it would not be a social problem. (Effects on Society, 2009)
The Fine Line Between Social Drinking and Alcoholism
When bad things happen as a result of drinking too much and a person continues to drink, you have crossed that line. For example, you are pulled over and go to jail for DUI and when you get out of jail, the first thing you want is a drink. Good sign that you have a problem. Or if you were involved in an accident due to alcohol, and you still drink, another good sign of alcoholism. Women walking on high heels trip over a curb and sprain their ankles due to alcohol and after it heals they are out and about again in the same shoes drinking the same drinks. Having to go to your favorite tavern after work every day to have a few makes addiction easier. If alcoholism is in your family, it will be easier for a social drink to become alcoholism due to genetics. Many people think that if you start drinking at any early age, it will lead to addiction, but alcoholism can happen at any age.
If people want to find out if they have crossed that line, there are some simple questions they should ask themselves. Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking and felt that you should cut down? Have people criticized you about your drinking and you were annoyed with them for saying something? Have you ever tried to self-medicate a hangover with “the hair of the dog” or needed a quick eye-opener in the morning? A big test would be to go to a party and not drink. If you cannot socialize with people without drinking, it could become a problem. Remember the saying “birds of a feather flock together. If your friends insist you drink, it may be time to pick some new friends. (Alcoholism As A Social Problem, 2009)2. Alcohol, Crime and Violence
When You Cross The Line
Too many innocent people have been hurt or killed by someone under the influence of alcohol. When a drunken driver kills an innocent person, it is sad for everyone involved. The driver did not set out to kill someone when the party started. The driver could be your 18-year-old son or daughter during spring break. Before the accident, they had a bright future, was a straight A student, never took drugs, never had problems with the law, but for some reason had to get behind the wheel of a car under the influence. Bad decision! The worst decision this individual had ever made killed an innocent person, maybe another teenager, or a mother, or a successful entrepreneur or a grandpa. This affects everyone, including the driver’s family. When the driver comes out of their fog and realizes he or she killed someone, can you imagine what goes through their minds, other than wanting to do it over again? It is heartbreaking for all involved. It does not even have to go to that level to become a social problem. Falls, fires, drownings, and suicides are also frequently associated with alcohol.” (Effects on Society, 2009) The fact that alcoholism is in any social class or structure, not settling with an income level or stereotype, is a scary thought. It could affect any one of us. The stay-at-home wife that has to have a drink to make it through the day but keeps up appearances so her husband does not know. The homeless man that receives money for food from someone walking by, but goes to a liquor store instead. Your next-door neighbors who are very friendly during the day always say hi and the wife comes over for coffee. Every second night, you are woken up in the middle of the night by the screaming, ranting and raving from the same neighbors that wave to you every day. This can cause friction between neighbors, therefore creating social problems.
Conclusion
The final question is actually easy to answer but difficult to solve. What can we do to stop this? Stop drinking would be the easy answer, but it would not be the realistic one. We could cut down on the problem if we knew how alcohol affected each of us when too much has been consumed. Also not very realistic. We could educate ourselves more about the medical problems involved, but I do not think that would be cause to quit completely. Alcohol has been legal again since 1933 (with the short time in between when we made the bootlegger’s rich), and will remain that way, so WE have to be the ones to stop this problem. WE are the ones that have to become more responsible about alcohol and come up with more consequences when it is abused. WE have to be the responsible party and “Just say no” to just having one more. WE have to be responsible enough to give away the car keys at the start and when things begin to spin, just say no to anymore. WE have to be the ones that know having one before the PTA meeting is not the thing to do and WE have to know carrying a flask is not cool, even though some think it is. Finally, WE have to know ourselves enough to realize how WE get when too much is consumed, and WE should know when enough is enough. The cause of alcohol abuse is people not being able to stop drinking. This would not be a problem if we just did not start drinking. However, that would be living in a fantasy world and this is the real world.
It does not have to become a social problem if you do not let it. Take some, leave some. Have a little fun on July 4. Toast in the New Year. Have an occasional wine-tasting day and go celebrate a football win. Then leave it alone so it does not affect your daily life and the lives of others. And if that does not work, there is all kinds of help out there, but only if you want it. Rehabilitation centers are popping up all over, because it has become a global problem. Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people overcome their addiction. MADD and SADD are among the numerous support groups. These agencies, among others, help you to change your life so you can learn how to live without alcohol. If you want to help an alcoholic, try an intervention. Maybe if the person knows that people care what he or she does, maybe they will want to help themselves. The main thing is to educate yourselves and try to prevent it from happening to begin with. You cannot help everyone. Some people do not want help and they will suffer the consequences with their health and welfare. Others that want it will do it, no matter how hard it is.
The following are some web sites that will help and educate you about the effects of alcohol.
A message to teenagers:
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http://www.wrecked.co.uk/
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http://www.wcg.org/lit/booklets/alcohol/teenagers.htm
Binge Drinking:
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http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/binge/
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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june99/bingedrinking_6-2.html
SADD:
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http://www.saddonline.com/
Companion to Prevent kids from Drinking:
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http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/alcohol.html
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http://www.freevibe.com/Drug_Facts/alcohol.asp
Guide for teens:
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http://www.health.org/govpubs/phd688
Tips for Teens:
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http://www.health.org/govpubs/ph323
Alcohol Awareness:
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http://www.radford.edu/~kcastleb/toc.html (Effects on Society, 2009)References
2008, Crossroads, a Kaplan University Student Textbook, published by Pearson Custom Publishing, Teirmann, Kathleen A., Editor, retrieved 5-30-2009.
The Social & Medical Effects and How to Combat Misuse, October, 24, 2006 from www.HumanTruth.info, by Vexen Crabtree, retrieved from web site 7-11-2009.
Alcohol as a Social Problem (2009) from http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/alcoholidm/soc_prob.htm, retrieved from web site 7-11-2009
Effects on Society (2009) from http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/eff-soc.htm retrieved from web site 7-11-2009.
References
2008, Crossroads, a Kaplan University Student Textbook, published by Pearson Custom Publishing, Teirmann, Kathleen A., Editor, retrieved 5-30-2009.
The Social & Medical Effects and How to Combat Misuse, October, 24, 2006 from www.HumanTruth.info, by Vexen Crabtree, retrieved from web site 7-11-2009.
Alcohol as a Social Problem (2009) from http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/alcoholidm/soc_prob.htm, retrieved from web site 7-11-2009
Effects on Society (2009) from http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/eff-soc.htm retrieved from web site 7-11-2009.
