Alcohol Misuse: Health-Related Illnesses
Course Name: Adult Nurse In Diverse Care Setting
Word Count: 2201
Alcohol Misuse
Cohort February 2011 NA201
Student ID:
Alcohol misuse is a growing concern for the nation. Statistics have shown an increase in cost expenditure to the NHS and an increase in related illness. According to the department of health the effects of alcohol misuse cost the NHS 2.7billion per year. Alternatively the cause of alcohol misuse can harm an individual’s health, destroy families and disrupt a community. In 2010 Nutt implied that compared to drugs, alcohol has a larger impact on society and is lower in price and easier to purchase. The key areas of alcohol misuse depends on the integration of the demographics; social environment; living conditions, ethnicity; and working conditions. Therefore the lifestyle that an individual chooses will affect their health and well being (Townsend, 1979).
In relation to health issues alcohol misuse if not prevented, can lead to many health related illnesses such as the development of cirrhosis of the liver, this is the scarring of tissue and the cells dying on the liver (Brooker, 2011). Alcohol consumption can also lead to different forms of cancer. Such as cancer of the mouth, throat and breasts, this is due to the damage alcohol can cause to the break down in cells (cancer UK, 2009).
In order to help with the prevention of alcohol misuse there needs to be an understanding of the attributes that influences an individual to drink; this will provide the information needed to access and evaluate the requirements for prevention.
There are different forms of alcohol misuse; the differences will depend on the way an individual drinks and the amount they consume, which will affect the way an individual can function on a day to day basis. Binge drinking can lead to an individual to become potentially violent and aggressive, which can cause the loss of a job and families (Carlson2001). Binge drinking is associated with consuming large
Word Count: 2201
Alcohol Misuse
Cohort February 2011 NA201
Student ID:
Alcohol misuse is a growing concern for the nation. Statistics have shown an increase in cost expenditure to the NHS and an increase in related illness. According to the department of health the effects of alcohol misuse cost the NHS 2.7billion per year. Alternatively the cause of alcohol misuse can harm an individual’s health, destroy families and disrupt a community. In 2010 Nutt implied that compared to drugs, alcohol has a larger impact on society and is lower in price and easier to purchase. The key areas of alcohol misuse depends on the integration of the demographics; social environment; living conditions, ethnicity; and working conditions. Therefore the lifestyle that an individual chooses will affect their health and well being (Townsend, 1979).
In relation to health issues alcohol misuse if not prevented, can lead to many health related illnesses such as the development of cirrhosis of the liver, this is the scarring of tissue and the cells dying on the liver (Brooker, 2011). Alcohol consumption can also lead to different forms of cancer. Such as cancer of the mouth, throat and breasts, this is due to the damage alcohol can cause to the break down in cells (cancer UK, 2009).
In order to help with the prevention of alcohol misuse there needs to be an understanding of the attributes that influences an individual to drink; this will provide the information needed to access and evaluate the requirements for prevention.
There are different forms of alcohol misuse; the differences will depend on the way an individual drinks and the amount they consume, which will affect the way an individual can function on a day to day basis. Binge drinking can lead to an individual to become potentially violent and aggressive, which can cause the loss of a job and families (Carlson2001). Binge drinking is associated with consuming large
References: House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (2008-9) Reducing Alcohol Harm: health services in England for Alcohol, [online] Available from http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmpubacc/925/925.pdf (accessed 27th May 2012) Naidoo,J Wright J (2010), Looking at the history of alcohol consumption, British Journal of Nursing vol5, No 10 p515