Health and Social Care Level 3

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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five
[e-mail]
Health & Social Care

5.1 Analyse the social problems resulting from the availability of cheap alcohol.

For a number of reasons the price of alcohol is cheap, partly because of the failure of taxes to keep up with inflation and the increased efficiency in producing and distributing of the alcohol. The relaxed control for advertising, pricing and promotion has also contributed to the availability of cheap alcohol, resulting in problems within the society with live in today. Below are some examples of the social problems resulting from the availability of cheap alcohol;
Alcohol consumption not only affects the person whilst they are drinking it but can potentially affect them for many hours afterwards, depending on how much they have consumed. It has a major impact on the work place due to causing absences, work accidents and lower performance rates. Drinkers take more sick leave due to the effects of their alcohol consumption than other employees and those who do go to work whilst under the influence of drink, do not only put themselves at risk but are risking injury to other people in the work place. In Great Britain, up to 25% of workplace accidents and around 60% of fatal accidents at work are believed to be linked to the effects of alcohol. Those who drink regularly have a lower productivity rate then their colleagues due to a lack of self-direction. The effects of alcohol related problems within the work place when discovered often leads to unemployment which not only costs the employee, but also the employer and the social security system.

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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five

Alcohol effects the way we think, behave and also takes our inhibitions away, it gives an air of confidence and often results in individuals acting out of character, in a way they would not if they were not under the influence of drink. The national increase in sexually transmitted infections is largely due to unprotected sex whilst under the influence of alcohol.
Anti-social behaviour is often the result of alcohol, and covers a wide range of unacceptable activities that affect the community, some examples are; graffiti, vandalism, threats of violence, intimidation of others, littering, swearing, shouting and urinating in public places. Many law abiding citizens have awoken in alarm at remembering what they did the night before, at the time they thought their anti- social behaviour was a laugh, but in the cold sober frame of mind they feel differently and remorseful but for some the night will remain a happy thought till they go out again and wreak havoc amongst society.

It was provisionally estimated that 2011 saw 280 deaths, 1,290 serious injuries and 9,990 total casualties which were directly related to drink driving incidents. People that choose to drink and drive are not only putting their own lives at risk but are risking the lives of many innocent people. It is a proven fact that alcohol slows down brain functions so you cannot respond to situations as it takes longer for the brain to receive impulses from the various stimuli detected during driving. This delay means the body is unable to react as quickly as you would normally be able to, it also effects your concentration and reduces your ability to judge situations such as suitable breaking distances. There are fewer people today that risk driving after drinking as they understand the dangers of this through increased advertisement and government efforts to increase awareness. The high penalties for drink driving also
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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five demonstrate a limiting effect on the number of people who drink and drive. However, what some people are failing to realise is that they can still be under the influence of alcohol the following morning and may be over the legal limit to drive. Alcohol is removed from the blood at a rate of about one unit an hour, varying depending on the individual. This is reliant on how much a person drinks and how late they finish drinking, but generally speaking, as an example, if someone was drinking heavily until 2am they would still be over the legal limit for driving at 8am. It is not worth the risk of endangering life for one drunken mistake that can ruin the lives of so many.

Drinking can impair on how a person performs as a parent or partner as well as how they contribute to the functioning of the household. A person who drinks often squanders money away on alcohol leaving little for food or bills, placing the family in financial difficulty. Even though the price of alcohol is cheap, they see this as an excuse to buy and consume more, an example of false economy. Parental drinking to excess can often lead to child neglect and numerous other impacts on the child’s social, psychological and economic environment. It can have lasting effect on their partners and children through acts of violence. The impact of drinking on family life can include substantial mental health problems for other family members, such as anxiety, fear and depression.

Acts of violent crime are often committed while under the influence of alcohol. Nearly half of all violent crimes are cited as alcohol related by victims and violence committed by a stranger, which is the type most feared by society. 62% of people assaulted believe their attacker was under the influence of alcohol. When the victim is the partner of the attacker it is reported that alcohol is a factor 75% of the time.
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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five
Excessive drinking over a long period of time can lead to many different illnesses. People who drink large amounts of alcohol are more at risk of developing health problems, of which some are life threatening. These include illnesses such as cirrhosis of the liver, cancers, for example; liver, pancreatic and throat cancers and also the increased chance of heart disease.

5.2 Evaluate the other principle factors that have made alcohol a problem.

Years ago there was a far more limited variety of alcohol than there is available today. The increased disposal of drinks such as Alco pops prove very popular with underage drinkers and have made the problem worse. These drinks are purposely manufactured to be tasty and appealing to younger age groups encouraging people to drink more. Although the legal age for drinking is eighteen, it has been documented that children as young as ten years of age are drinking and they mainly consume drinks such as these sugary Alco pops. Manufacturing companies are putting their profits before the future of the younger generations by continually producing these drinks.

The availability of alcohol today is much wider than it was years ago. We live in the era where shops can be open for 24 hours or 7 days a week and where the opening hours in pubs and clubs are continually being extended increasing the availability of alcohol. Shops are continually competing against each other to get people to shop with them, so they have offers in place to get shoppers in their store. This is
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Sandra Hanson NC40163
Assignment five understandable in some areas but not when alcohol is being made more appealing by offers. We live in a country of contradictions where the government say they want to help to get the country fitter and healthier but there not doing nearly enough in the fight against the problems of cheap alcohol.

Ibitha is highlighted as the holiday destination for the young to drink and party. There are programmes on the television at the moment showing people falling down drunk, vomiting in the streets out of their heads with alcohol and partying all night and sleeping off their hangovers in the day, this is appealing to others and more groups are booking to go for a holiday filled with none stop drinking and partying. Would Ibitha have been so popular without these programmes, I don’t personally think it would if the media had not highlighted it as the ideal destination for partying. The media have to take responsibility for how they portray things, and the stories that they cover. We need people to see more of the devastating effects that alcohol causes and not only the short-lived, ‘fun’ elements. The long-term effects and the accidents and injuries caused by alcohol all cost the NHS, the police force and the prisons and essentially the tax payer. The number of alcohol related incidents is astronomical, and the demand for resources often exceeds supply leaving these areas with limited resources. Despite being pushed to the limit we still see no logical answer to the problems.

5.3 Explain why cocaine is regarded as the main choice of drug for the rich.

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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five
Cocaine is known as the rich man’s drug as it is an expensive drug, and just as they like to be seen driving expensive cars and living in the finest areas with their designer clothes it all adds to their status symbol. Cocaine is a class A drug and is known as coke, blow, candy cane, Angie, Flake, Aunt Nora, Scottie, Charlie, and dream are all names that the rich use when talking about their recreational drug of choice. Cocaine is a quick acting drug and gives the desirable high that they desire giving them more confidence and more stamina which aids them to live life in the fast lane. The rich can afford to buy the purest form of cocaine and as the effects can wear off in as little time as thirty minutes they can afford the continuous supply needed to remain on a high. The effect this drug has on people has been described as giving them a quick and euphoric high, as a snort of top quality coke can make them feel that they have scored the winning goal in the F A Cup final. It is widely accepted in the higher classes and does not tarnish their status, often making them more popular amongst their peers. In the celebrity world the media have exposed many of them for their use of cocaine, one person springs to mind and that is the well documented fall of Danielle Westbrook who was addicted to cocaine so much so that her septum in her nose was destroyed due to the drug and also saw the fall of a promising career.
Cocaine is also known as the poor man’s drug which is known as MCAT as it is bulked out with other things to make it cheaper for the average man.

5.4 Analyse the cause of the problems relating to drugs in terms of their availability and their attraction.

7 Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five

For some dependant drug users their dependency will often lead to them committing some form of crime to help finance their addiction, which include stealing from family or their workplace, shoplifting, breaking and entering, mugging, fraud, reselling of illegal drugs, breaking into vehicles and especially for women prostitution. A number of studies have shown that the type of crime which stems from the need for money created by dependence on certain drugs is generally acquisitive and non-violent. Although addicts may at times engage in violent crime, such as armed robbery or muggings, the research tends to show that this type of crime is quite rare.

The attraction of certain drugs especially amongst the young is that they are chasing the high that drugs give. Being high relates to the state, feeling, or sensation of being in total euphoria. It is usually achieved with the use of a product or substance, this feeling is associated to notorious drugs such as MDMA, GHB, Ketamine, amongst others. Using these drugs would certainly put them in a condition where they experience total ecstasy, euphoria, and zero inhibitions. Being high is a sensation, a lot of people get addicted to the sensation and not necessarily to the drug that causes it. The state a person gets into after using these drugs is so intense that they feel the need to experience it again, hence the saying, chasing the high.

Peer pressure is undoubtedly a major factor in why people try drugs for the first time, a feeling of needing to fit in, to have the same experiences of others, to have that same feeling of euphoria, without thinking that first experience may lead them to a life of drugs as no two people are the same. Their peers maybe happy to have the occasional high where as they maybe a person that becomes addicted to the feeling,
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Sandra Hanson
NC40163
Assignment five and becomes highly dependent on their next fix.

Drugs are all around us, even in our schools and prisons; the availability of drugs is high and easily accessible. There are drug dealers waiting to pounce on their next victim offering to help them out with something that will help them feel real good, drug dealers are motivated by the profit they make and will say anything to get people to buy their drugs. They offer the first cheaper, knowing that person will more than likely be back for more. Drug dealers do not care about the effect on people’s lives just their own rewards.

5.5 Analyse a range of possible solutions to the problems of drugs.

Knowledge is power, we need to educate children on the harsh realities of drugs, and we need them to know all the facts. Schools do give drug talks but I feel nobody can deliver the true facts more than an ex drug addict who has lived through all the pitfalls, who has lost everything and is fighting to get back his self-respect, his family, to become a respected member of society, everything he had before he succumbed to a life of drugs. They need to see how drugs bring an addict to a shadow of their former selves and wreck their life and the lives of their families.

We need to tackle the occasional drug users, by more policing of the hot spots for illegal drugs, night clubs are a major venue where this activity takes place. When someone is caught with drugs they should be fined on the spot, there drugs destroyed and they should be made to do community service. It is hoped that by being exposed as someone that has taken drugs it will deter them from trying drugs again.

There needs to be more available help for those that take drugs, families need educating so they can understand and help them, more councillors and doctors that
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Sandra Hanson
NC40613
Assignment five

Specialise in drug rehabilitation, as these are the people that are the greatest ally in their battle against drugs.

Prevention is always better than the cure, we need more coverage by the media of the damage drugs can cause. We need to see the hard facts. I will always remember a mother whose daughter was found dead on her knees clutching a needle, the mother gave permission for the photo to be released to the public, in hope it will shock people into what they are doing. I may not remember the young girls name but I will never forget the image of her, and that is what we need more of.

We need more policing, sniffer dogs and more raids on drug havens. All airports need tighter drug controls, stricter searches of all people, vehicles, and ships going through ports. We need to be seen as a country to have zero intolerance of drugs getting into our country, we need much stricter sentences for them that are caught, we need to stand together and do all that we can to fight to stop the blight of drugs
Ruining the future of our children.