Preview

Alcohol Essay 10

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2579 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Alcohol Essay 10
Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a result of use as well. There are various levels of use including, moderate and binge drinking, which all show different effects as a result of the amount used. The demographics of users play a significant role in the effects that are caused. The lives of users are quite different from those of non-users, including the crimes that are committed by users. There are also other effects that are not derived directly from alcohol use, including negative effects on motivation and mood swings. When you use alcohol you increase your chances of seeing negative consequences from the use, significantly more than non-users have of seeing these consequences. We also learn myths that are created by the media and extreme drug abstainers. Perhaps the most important thing we must learn when researching alcohol and its effects are the real life experiences that we go through as a result of this drug. It is important that we learn all the dimensions of the reality of this drug before we pass judgment on it.
Many myths are created involving the use of alcohol, some of which based on truth, but the most wide heard myths are ones that are created to make alcohol look like a socially accepted and healthy drug with no side effects. The first of



References: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9416.html Faupel, C; Horowitz, A; Weaver, G; (2004) The Sociology of American Drug Use. Alcohol, Drug Abuse, & Mental Health Administration, 1977

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Science Report on Copper

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Copper is find in ores, an ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals, there is a lot of different copper ores such as Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Malachite, Azurite:…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the vignette “Minerva Writes Poems” the reader can infer that Minerva is not happy with her life and the choices she made.On page 84 it states “Minerva cries because her luck is unlucky”.Minerva is not happy and she writes poems to let out what she is feeling in the inside and Esperanza wants to help but there is nothing she can do.Minerva gets hit by her husbands and kicks him out alway lets him come back.On page 85 it states that “Out the door he goes clothes,record,shows out the window and locks the door but the night comes back throw rook at the window and say he's sorry and she opens the door, same story over again she is black and blue.…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    essay 1 sociology

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page

    I believe alcohol is a depressant that alters perceptions, emotions, and senses. Alcohol first acts as a stimulant, and then it makes people feel relaxed and a bit sleepy. High doses of alcohol seriously affect judgment and coordination. Drinkers may have slurred speech, confusion, depression, short-term memory loss, and slow reaction times. I believe a vast amount of alcohol drunk in a short period of time may cause alcohol poisoning. Teens who uses alcohol can become psychologically dependent upon it to feel good dealing with life, or handle stressful situation. I believe, their bodies may demand more and more to achieve the same kind of high experienced in the beginning and . Some teens are also at risk of becoming physically addicted to alcohol. Withdrawal from alcohol can be painful and even life threatening. Symptoms can range from shaking, sweating, nausea, anxiety, and depression to hallucinations, fever, as well as convulsions. Alcoholism may start innocuously, due to the acceptability of social drinking, but over time, can lead to serious health problems, including brain, kidney and liver damage. I believe although alcoholics seem to be doing the most damage to themselves, they are hurting their families even more.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol is a drug found in beer, wine, and liquor that causes intoxication. Alcohol can impair a person’s physical and emotional state. Intoxication is the physical and mental changes produced by drinking alcohol (Friedman, Stine, and Whaten 2242). Some people believe that beer and wine are safer than liquor which leads them to believe that it is okay to drink. The truth is that one 12 ounce bottle of beer or a 5 ounce glass of wine is equal to the amount of alcohol in a 1.5 ounce shot or liquor and can cause the same effects (“Facts About Alcohol”). Short term effects of alcohol include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, coma, death, blackout, memory loss, poor vision, reduced reaction time, and loss of judgement along with self control (Friedman,…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    First, Substance abuse. Our social issue deals mainly with abusing the use of alcohol. Alcohol is often confused as a stimulant because it makes a person feel “happy”, but alcohol is considered a depressant drug. Depressants are drugs that decrease the functioning of the nervous system. Alcohol is the most commonly abused depressant. Millions of people in the U.S suffer from alcoholism. Alcohol indirectly stimulates the GABA neurotransmitter, which is the brains major depressant/ inhibitory transmitter, and slows/ stops neural activity. Alcohol depresses inhibitions. It causes motor skills, and speech to be affected. Alcoholism causes black outs/ memory loss, liver disease,…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A propers brain development had been put at risk by over consuming alcohol beverages. Mental issues like depression and anxiety may exacerbate when alcohol is being consumed. Also, alcohol abuse ofter creates mental frustrations. In fact,” the National Comorbidity Survey found in 1997 that alcoholics were two to three times more likely than non-alcoholics to also have an anxiety disorder. Another study, NIAAA’s National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, found that those with a history of alcohol dependence (even former drinkers), had a more than fourfold-increased risk for a major depressive episode than those without a history of alcohol dependence” (1) . Although frequent teenage alcohol abuse may cause a drastic body changes. The loss or even gain weigh are may be very severe, which also may lead the abuser to feel depressed,anxious or even suicidal. In fact, Alcohol is involved over a quarter of all suicides in the US (approximately 7500 per year).…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A growing number of students on college campuses are taking their life in their own hands each time they consume large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. This popular method of drinking, called binge drinking, is a social stigma passed down from past generations. Students consider binge drinking a recreational way of life that is reninforced with alcoholic berverage "hangouts" located near college campuses. The fraternity and sorority houses are known for their wild parties. The peer-pressured initiations of thise elite groups of students are binge drinking oriented. Students do not realize the fun they perceive to have during these binge drinking bashes lead to alcohol dependency, serious health problems and ultimately death. For these reasons, college campuses should work towards an lcohol-free campus.…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Every weekend there are young adults ages eighteen to twenty engaging in underage drinking at parties. Alcohol plays a huge role in today's’ society. More people drink today than ever before. It is clear that alcohol has had a good impact on people’s lives, but it is more clear that it has had an negative impact on people’s lives. Alcoholic beverages include good things such as happiness for celebrations. Downfalls of alcohol include DUIs, addictions, and death.…

    • 1866 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Thesis: There are physical and social effects of alcohol that are not only detrimental to your own physiological and psychological well being, but also to those you interact with.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Legal Drinking Age

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages

    There have been many researches that prove alcohol is harmful to one’s health. Some major short term effects of alcohol are impaired vision, bad judgment, loss of coordination, and causes sleepiness. Alcohol has been proven to worsen one 's decision making and judgment as he or she consumes more and more (Marsden). Almost 7 million kids between the ages of 12 to 20 were binge drinkers in the year 2000 (Drug…

    • 1088 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol Persuasive Speech

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Alcohol is a common and easily obtainable drug that has been socially accepted in many countries. Alcohol is a ‘depressant drug.’ It slows down the actions of the central nervous system and lowers heart and breathing rates, allowing many people to ‘relax.’ The drug doesn’t affect the body as much if it is taken in right amounts; however if the drug is abused, it can be very harmful. Even though many people are aware of the negative effects of alcohol, people still decide to drink as it helps them unwind and have a ‘good time.’…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The other eighty percent is processed through the gastrointestinal system. It is considered a drug, and is a sedative depressant of the central nervous system (Reeves). Alcohol can damage the dendrites at the end of a nerve cell causing disorder to brain functions. It is also capable of rupturing blood capillaries and veins. Aside from damaging nerves and veins, it can also damage the liver. It stops the liver’s ability to process fats, and can cause disease. The high sugar content in some alcoholic or mixed beverages can lead to hypoglycemia and predispose one to diabetes. Alcohol can also alter sleep patterns, basic motor functions, thoughts, and emotions. The consumption of alcohol on or at an above average rate can lead to…

    • 2808 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol is a depressant drug; it slows the activity of the brain and the spinal cord. Beer, ale, wine, and hard liquor contain varying percentages of alcohol. One average drink equals one 12oz. can of beer, 5oz. of wine, or 1.5oz. of 80 proof whiskey. It takes at least one hour to sober up from each average drink consumed. As alcohol enters the blood stream it knocks out the control centers of the brain, resulting in intoxication. The stages of intoxication range from "happy" to "confused" to "comatose". Poor judgement and loss of control over ones actions are the results of one's intoxication. A person in a state of intoxication is more vulnerable to being raped. Alcohol poisoning and even death can occur. Now imagine all these effects with the addition of Rohypnol and GHB added to the mix (scary huh?).…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the United States alone, there are 17.6 million alcoholics. That is about one in twelve people. Some people drink because the think it is fun and others drink because they have some sort of problem that they are trying to get through. Some do not know that they have a problem until somebody tells them or something tragic happens to make them realize their problem.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Marzuk, Jenny. “Mainstream Drug Use in America.” American Studies. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://web.wm.edu/‌americanstudies/‌370/‌2007/‌sp5/‌Main_Drugs_Home.html>.…

    • 1812 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays