PLEASE READ AND HEED (Alcoholism in General)

Member Name: Jackal123

Product:	Alcoholism in General
Date:	23/10/01 (109 review reads)
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Alcohol is bad for you…everyone knows that, but do they really know how dangerous the effects can be? Did you know that even moderate drinking, under certain circumstances, is not risk free? And that if you drink at more than moderate levels, you may be putting yourself at risk for serious problems with your health and problems with family, friends, and co-workers?

Well I am going to try and explain some of these effects today and give my point of view over alcohol. Forgive me if the review is quite lengthy but this is not any old issue, it could be the difference between life and death. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Many years ago a good friend of mine, Harry, died having had a strong alcohol addiction, which eventually got out of hand. Day and night he was hooked on the bottle and no matter what anyone told him he never stopped. It took a few months of heavy drinking before he was diagnosed with a cancer and consequently died. In a way it was only his fault. However, his condition affected all his family and close friends, including me, who were shocked by his death.

Due to this event my knowledge and understanding of the dangers involved with drinking increased a great deal. Thankfully, being a Muslim, the consumption of alcohol is disallowed, so I have never had to face the consequences of drinking. I don't think I'm missing out on anything as alcohol can do nothing but bad for a person's body.

Alcohol is considered to be a central nervous system depressant. That simply means that it slows the central nervous systam and has effects like slower reaction times. There are several factors that influence how alcohol will affect a person. These include:
 age
 gender
 physical condition
 amount of food eaten
 other drugs or medicines taken





Short-Term Problems:

Short-term problems include minor, but impo
rtant things like distorted vision, slower reaction times and drowsiness. Alcohol affects the co-ordination of the brain which is why you may often see drunken people doing strange things with their arms and legs! This is because their co-ordination has been affected and the brain sends wrong signals to the muscles in different parts of your body.

Long-Term Problems:

Heavy drinking can lead to vomiting, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness or even a coma. These are all lethal and heavy drinking should be kept away from.

It is a commonly known fact that women may develop alcohol-related health problems after consuming less alcohol than men do over a shorter period of time. Because alcohol affects many organs in the body, long-term heavy drinking puts you at risk for developing serious health problems, some of which are described below.

Alcohol-related liver disease. More than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease. Some drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, as a result of long-term heavy drinking. Its symptoms include fever, jaundice (abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs, and urine), and abdominal pain. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause death if drinking continues. If drinking stops, this condition often is reversible. About 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. Alcoholic cirrhosis can cause death if drinking continues. Although cirrhosis is not reversible, if drinking stops, one's chances of survival improve considerably.

Heart disease. Moderate drinking can have beneficial effects on the heart, especially among those at greatest risk for heart attacks, such as men over the age of 45 and women after menopause. But long-term heavy drinking increases the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and some kinds of stroke.
Cancer. Long-term heavy drinking increases the risk of developing certain forms of c
ancer, especially cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, and voice box. Women are at slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer if they drink two or more drinks per day. Drinking may also increase the risk for developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
Pancreatitis. The pancreas helps to regulate the body's blood sugar levels by producing insulin. The pancreas also has a role in digesting the food we eat. Long-term heavy drinking can lead to pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. This condition is associated with severe abdominal pain and weight loss and can be fatal.

Alcohol also has a serious effect on pregnant women. It can cause a range of birth defects, the most serious being fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Children born with alcohol-related birth defects can have lifelong learning and behavior problems. Those born with FAS have physical abnormalities, mental impairment, and behavior problems. Because scientists do not know exactly how much alcohol it takes to cause alcohol-related birth defects, it is best not to drink any alcohol during this time. How unfortunate would it be if you were born with one of these diseases and it was your parents' fault. I could never live with it if one of my children was affected at birth due to something I had done.


How much alcohol is too much?

This is a common question as the maximum level of alcohol varies depending on a range of factors. This depends on a person’s age, sex, size and metabolic rate. There is no set figure on how much alcohol is too much but it should become fairly obvious when you have had enough and it is time to stop!

To conclude alcohol has so many bad effects but an occasional drink is not harmful. I am against people who want the sale of alcohol to be stopped. Alcohol is harmful, of course, but when used sensibly there is very little I find against it. Having experienced such a tragic loss of my close friend I have been strongl
y putting forward my views on heavy drinking. The addiction of alcohol is so popular. Whenever people are feeling down they always turn to the bottle. This is something which should be kept away from at all possibilities. Not only you but your whole family and friends will be affected.

Cheers

Jackal123

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