Alcohol is both friend and foe; recent studies have shown that in moderation it can reduce the chances of heart attack, strokes and dementia. It appears that red wine and beer are the best forms to take it; beer has the beneficial properties of the hops and grains whilst red wine has antioxidants. However, women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, should avoid alcohol altogether.
Alcohol is one of the big three readily available and socially acceptable drugs for addiction, tobacco and caffeine being the others, so it affects a larger number of the population. In the USA almost 14 million people are either alcohol abusers or addicts with men having the larger proportion than women.
Alcohol abuse costs many countries millions of pounds because of lost working days or just worker impairment, use of hospital resources due to ill health, fighting, injury or pregnancy, cost of law enforcement agencies, attending alcohol related marital disputes, crimes, car accidents etc, to which when added to the other social problems, make it a very serious problem indeed.
Children are also users of alcohol and it is debateable whether it is this or tobacco that is their first major drug experience, leading them on to more serious drugs. A study in the United Kingdom has shown a marked increase in alcohol use amongst young people, particularly with 15 year olds, with the percentage of female consumption rising as well. This rise has been attributed to the sales of ‘alcopops’, a fruit based drink but with alcohol.
Moderation is the key, for when it is abused the demon drink can have devastating effects even without addiction.
Excess consumption can lead to fighting, spouse abuse, crime, injuries and death from muscle impairment, like falling down stairs, suicide, pregnancy and perhaps the most important one, drunk driving where almost half of all fatal road accidents are alcohol related.
Like all drugs, alcohol affects different people in different ways; it can even affect the same person in different ways depending on a variety of circumstances. It can really make people act in a Jekyll and Hyde way, a person, after a few drinks, suddenly wants to fight everybody in the room or may think everybody is their best friend.
