Victor Ornelas

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol. You will guarantee see it at weekend parties and/or family gatherings. An alcoholic dink or beverage is a drink that contains ethanol, which is a type of alcohol that is produced by the fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. An estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually. Why is drinking alcohol accepted and normal at parties or everyday for some people? This is because drinking alcohol plays an important social role in many cultures. Alcohol is a depressant, which in low doses causes euphoria, reduces anxiety and improves sociability. However, in high doses, which is very common, alcohol causes drunkenness, unconsciousness, and inhibits brain activity.

Why is Alcohol Addictive?

The most important way alcohol inhibits brain activity is by increasing signaling by a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and drugs that increase GABA signaling are used as sedatives, muscle-relaxants, and anti-anxiety medications, among other things. In addition, alcohol has been shown to increase the release of endorphins. Endorphins are natural chemicals in the brain that activate opiate receptors and cause feelings of relaxation and euphoria.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

Ø  An uncontrollable urge to drink                    

Ø  Lack of control over how much you drink

Ø  Negative thoughts when you are not drinking alcohol

Ø  Drinking in risky situations

Ø  Drinking that interferes with fulfilling obligations

Ø  Continuing to drink even though it causes problems

Ø  To be social, you must drink

Importance to Me

Excessive alcohol use is especially harmful for younger age groups, where alcohol has been directly or indirectly to more than 30% of deaths among males aged 15-29 years in the American regions (López-Caneda et al, 2019). In addition, data from The National Survey on Drug and Health suggest that roughly 65% of college students drink alcohol in a given month and the Harvard College Alcohol Study, which was conducted on 15,000 students on more than 100 college campuses, showed that a large percentage of college students who do drink do so in excess, which is defined as dinking 5 or more drinks in an evening (White & Hingson, 2014). Research also shows that college students and the general public tend to define and pour single servings of alcohol that are significantly larger than standard drinks, suggesting that they might underestimate their true levels of consumption on surveys (White & Hingson, 2014).

Why is this social issue important to me? For two reasons. First, because I am a college student and I know that drinking alcohol affects many students, usually on the weekends and especially during parties. Alcohol addiction for college students can affect students mentally, physically and emotionally. Second, because I have seen first-hand what alcohol can do to a person’s mind because alcohol has ruined my dad and especially my uncle. My uncle would drink alcohol every single day and that would affect his ability to think properly. I have also never seen my uncle sober because every time he would visit me and my family for a party, he would already be drunk. I have seen my uncle so drunk that he would blackout and knockout standing up with a beer can in his hand. As for my dad, I consider him an alcoholic as well because at parties, him and my uncle would each drink up to 18 beer

cans in a single night.

Consequences of Alcohol Addiction

Consequences of college drinking include missed classes and lower grades, injuries, sexual assaults, overdoses, memory blackouts, changes in brain function, and death (White & Hingson, 2014).

Community Thoughts

"Alcoholism affects families and others. My family was affect by this because I had to end my 13 year marriage and had an impact on me and my 3 kids. My kids and I had to learn to make many sacrifices to survive the loss of income, loss of business and nearly had my home foreclosed. All this was due to the effect of alcoholism that my husband developed. Unfortunately, my ex husband's selfishness led to a divorce and separation of his 3 kids."   - Martha O.

Reference

López-Caneda, E., Cadaveira, F., & Campanella, S. (2019). Editorial: Binge Drinking in the Adolescent and Young Brain. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 2724. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02724

Pierucki, H. (n.d.). Why Is Alcohol So Addictive? - DrugAbuse.com. [online] DrugAbuse.com. Available at: https://drugabuse.com/alcohol/alcohol-addiction/ [Accessed 18 Mar. 2019].

WebMD. (2018). What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?. [online] Available at: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/what-is-alcohol-abuse#1 [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].

White, A., & Hingson, R. (2014). The burden of alcohol use: excessive alcohol consumption and related consequences among college students. Alcohol research : current reviews, 35(2), 201-18.