Alcohol abuse presents wide variety of problems

By LAURA LILLY
Reporter

Dr. Sidney Cohen, a drug abuse expert, described alcohol as “the most dangerous drug on earth.”

Alcohol has been known to tear apart people’s lives, kill people, as well as break up many homes across the nation. People think since it is legal then it is OK, but the truth is alcohol is extremely dangerous and can be lethal.

 
One negative effect of alcohol is rapid water loss. With the more intake of alcohol, the more healthy chemicals are excreted from the system, and this can lead to dehydration.

Another health hazard from alcohol use is vitamin deficiency.

Folate deficiency occurs in the majority of binge drinking alcoholics and is a common cause of anemia. Since many alcoholics do not eat while they are drinking, then they end up not eating much at all, which also contributes to a vitamin deficiency.

With severe deficiency, major brain disturbance or alcoholic psychosis emerges. The brain functioning is off with distorted thinking, feeling, remembering, and disturbed motor coordination.

Liver damage is the best known result of alcohol abuse. The liver will swell with acute intoxication, sometimes pain-fully, and will become fatty.

With persistent abuse on the liver, the ravaged liver becomes scarred, shrunken and relatively non-functional. This end-stage cirrhosis is associated with the belly swollen with water.

Alcoholic beverages contribute to malnutrition by replacing foods needed for essential nutrients and by interfering with absorption, storage or metabolism of the essential nutrients. Ethanol may suppress appetite and consumption of food.

Alcohol abuse can also lead to sleep disorders, sexual problems, infection of the esophagus, infection of the stomach, infection of the pancreas, premature dementia, varying from a reduction of memory to more seriousness of losing the mind altogether.

Alcohol abuse also leads to cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, intestines and breasts. Hypertension and heart problems are also results of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol is also extremely dangerous during pregnancy, as well as cause a high number of motor vehicle fatalities.

Alcohol plays an important role in aggression. 40% of all accidents involving aggression occur while under the influence of alcohol.
The police spend 22% of their time on cases involving alcohol.
Violence on the streets and domestic violence while under the influence of alcohol often happen.

Also, at work, alcohol has huge consequences. 13% of all employees on sick leave have alcohol problems. Employees with alcohol problems produce at least 10% less work than their colleagues.

Alcohol can also make people irresponsible; for example, getting pregnant in circumstances where they are not able to care for a child.
So as The Book Of Alcohol by Alpha Health Education Series has clearly proven, alcohol is more then just hanging out drinking with friends.

It is extremely dangerous and progressive and leads to many deaths. There is help out there though.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact you Henderson AA chapter at 830-7121 or stop by the office at 401 Hoffman Drive.