Alcohol, other drugs and society

In reference to alcohol, other drugs and society, one of the biggest barriers in recovery from addiction is societal attitudes and beliefs concerning the use of alcohol or other drugs. Alcohol is the nation’s socially acceptable drug, yet most people have no idea that, first, alcohol is a drug. When most people think about drugs, they think about pot, cocaine, prescription drugs, heroin, etc., but not alcohol. Alcohol is a drug — it’s just a socially accepted drug. We could have accepted some other drug as our drug of choice to legally sell, but alcohol was the drug chosen. The stigma associated with the use of other, illegal drugs prevents a lot of people from getting help, but a social/legal construct doesn’t have anything to do with how a drug interacts with the brain and body — drug addiction is a health concern first and foremost. It helps to understand the facts about all drugs, especially alcohol. Legal concerns should be secondary. Value judgments made about the use of other drugs are suspect in light of facts about alcohol and the damage it’s done to society.

Advertising dresses up this drug, alcohol, in respectable clothing, so that it’s an escape to the beach, a social lubricant, a romance enhancer, a sports-watching aid, and all that, but alcohol is still a mood-altering drug to which 10% of the people who drink alcohol become addicted. Even health professionals who know alcohol is a depressant drug talk about alcohol as if it’s separate from other drugs — they will say “alcohol or drugs” rather than “alcohol and other drugs”. Ideas about “good” alcohol and “bad” drugs are ingrained in society, so much so that it’s difficult to have an objective discussion. A drug is a drug, and alcohol does more damage to society than all other drugs put together. Making a decision to drink alcohol when one comes of age shouldn’t be an easy, automatic decision. There’s a lot to be said for living a drug free life. At least a person needs to know the facts before making such a big decision.

Many people are irritated with talk about alcohol and the damage it does — they’re likely protecting one of the few pleasures they have left. Most people drink responsibly and have no problem with alcohol, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know the facts about alcohol and to put its use as compared to other drugs in perspective. This is from NCADD.

To get a better understanding of how devastating alcoholism is in our country, here are a few figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• 88,000 deaths are annually attributed to excessive alcohol use
• Alcoholism is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the nation
• Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 2.5 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) annually, or an average of about 30 years of potential life lost for each death
• Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the United States (except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients) are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption

Over time, excessive alcohol use, both in the form of heavy drinking or binge drinking, can lead to numerous health problems, chronic diseases, neurological impairments and social problems, including but not limited to:

• Dementia, stroke and neuropathy
• Cardiovascular problems, including myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation and hypertension
• Psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety, and suicide
• Social problems, including unemployment, lost productivity, family problems, violence including child maltreatment, fights and homicide
• Unintentional injuries, such as motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns and firearm injuries.
• Increased risk for many kinds of cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box) and esophagus
• Liver diseases, including fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis
• Gastrointestinal problems, including pancreatitis and gastritis
• Alcohol abuse or dependence – alcoholism.

Alcoholism has little to do with what kind of alcohol one drinks, how long one has been drinking, or even exactly how much alcohol one consumes.  But it has a great deal to do with a person’s uncontrollable need for alcohol.  Most alcoholics can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking.  The alcoholic is frequently in the grip of a powerful craving for alcohol, a need that can feel as strong as the need for food or water.  While some people are able to recover without help, the majority of alcoholics need outside assistance to recover from their disease.  Yet, with support and treatment, many are able to stop drinking and reclaim their lives.

These are just facts, and the social drinker need not worry — however, given the severity of alcoholism, everyone should know the true nature of the drug alcohol.