CURRENT EVENTS
I read a recent article from January 8th, 2020 titled "Alcohol -Fueled Deaths Double in the US over the Past 20 Years". This article states since 1999 deaths went from 36,000 a year to 73,000 a year in 2017. (Steven Reinberg,2020) One million deaths have been related to alcohol in less than two decades. Alcohol has been around for years. We tend to focus on newer opiod or suicide deaths than alcohol related deaths. One in five overdose deaths involve alcohol from excessive drinking. (Steven Reinberg, 2020)Link to article: http://denverrap.org/risk-and-protective-factors-important-in-preventing-drug-and-alcohol-use/
Alcohol-Related Car Crash. Retrieved from bhattlwagroup.com
CDC: Excessive Alcohol Use Costs State Billions. Retrieved from www.usnews.com
Excessive drinking can cause a great amount of harm not only to your body but those around you. The US National Center For Health Satistics reported that in 2017 alcohol abuse accounted for 2.6 % of 3 million deaths in the United States. (Steven Reinberg, 2020) 50% of these deaths were from liver disease or over doses of liquor alone or combined with other drugs. (Steven Reinberg,2020) Alcohol related deaths are highest among men but the growth of women drinking has become especially higher. Women are at greatest risk due to the higher blood alcohol levels than men when they consume the same amount as a man that is same weight. A womens body tissue is exposed to more alcohol actaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of alcohol after each drink. (Steven Reinberg,2020)
Some reasons for the increase of alcohol consumption could start from loss of job security,financial collasp,community fragmentation, isolation & other social problems by changing world economy & changing cultures. (Steven Reinberg, 2020) Alcohol provides people with a temporary out for the stressors they may be dealing with. That is just it , it is temporary ,after that high the problems still lay ahead and you must deal with them. This can become a vicious cycle for many. Like the article brings out " Alcohol is sneaky, it tells your brain the best way to calm down is to drink more". (Steven Reinberg, 2020) This is why it is so important to find other ways to cope with stress and anxiety of todays problems and not always turn to the bottle for an escape. Be alert and aware so you do not fall into the snare of alcohol.
Best peice of advice the article brings out is to try to have as little as possible and drink in moderation.
Risk & Protective Factors
Depending on each persons situations, Alcoholism can be interrelated between social,behavioral issue,psychological issue,and cultural issue. What you were exposed to as a child can influence the way you look at drinking and the way it can effect your life.
It is important to know the risk factors that can increase a persons chance to become addicted to alcohol. Protective factors can help reduce risk.(Leah Raffa, 2015) It is important to identify risk factors and provide early interventions to help in coping . Within the community it is importnat to build a secure environment for children such as after school programs, faith based resources, and have positive peer role models. It is important to help develop good coping skills and problem solving which will help reduce the risk of addiction. (Leah Raffa, 2015) Being suportive and helping build self-esteem is essentially important in prevention.
Some Useful Links in Intervention:
References:
Leah Raffa (2015) Risk & Protective Factors in Preventing Drug & Alcohol Use.
Retrieved from www.deverrap.org
Steven Reinberg (2020) Alcohol- Fueled Deaths Double in U.S. Over Past 20 Years.
Retrieved from www.usnews.com/news
Great blog on current events on alcohol. Very powerful images used to bring it into perspective. The article “Alcohol-fueled deaths double in the U.S. over the past 20 years” is a staggering fact but a brutal reality. Alcohol is known to be both physically and psychologically addictive (Fetting, 2016). With a national legal limit of 0.08% in the United States, it does not take much to put a man or woman over that limit. Erickson (2011) confirmed that the average male would only need four drinks in one hour, while for an average woman that number would drop to three to reach the legal limit.
ReplyDeleteIt has become increasingly more common for establishments serving alcohol to assume some level of responsibility when serving alcohol to someone who then leaves and drives drunk. Obvious visible signs of intoxication include slow, slurred speech; giving a delayed response; becoming argumentative, confrontational or obnoxious; or staggering or stumbling (Erickson, 2011). With the fines that can be imposed on individuals overserving someone who is intoxicated, it is not worth their risk financially. Galbicsek (2019) pointed out that some dangers of drunk driving include slow reaction time, lack of coordination, reduced concentration, decreased vision, and inhibited judgment. Those most likely to drive drunk are those between the ages of 16 and 20, and between 21 to 24.
There are several different offenses and corresponding penalties regarding driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher (Cost, 2019).
DUI-driving under the influence
DUIL-driving under the influence of liquor
DWI-driving while intoxicated
OUI-operating under the influence
OWI-operating while intoxicated
OUIL-operating under the influence of liquor
With increased fines, court costs, lost revenue from work, and attorney fees, it is surprising to see so many people still get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Costs associated with drunk driving can range from $100-2,500 for bail; towing of vehicle-$100-1,200; attorney fees-$1,55-5,000.; fines-$150-1,800.; misc. fees for jail, sentencing, probation-$310-1,750 (Cost, 2019). Additionally, there are costs for urine/drug screenings, community service, driver responsibility fees, treatment, ignition interlock device-$500-1,500.; auto insurance rate increase from $1,000-10,000 (Cost, 2019). Overall, a drunk driving can cost the average driver between $10,000 and 25,000., and yet people still make the decision to get behind the wheel after drinking. According to NIAAA (2020) 9,967 or 31% of alcohol impaired driving fatalities occurred in 2014. Very informative, well written blog Nicole. Here is a great video highlighting what can happen after a night of drinking and driving.
References:
Alcohol facts and statistics. (2020). NIAAA. Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics (Links to an external site.)
Baytes, A. (2015, June 20). YouTube. [Video Image]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZlbqW_vs8Y (Links to an external site.)
Erickson, C. (2011). Addiction essentials. (1st ed.) New York, Norton & Company. ISBN: 978-0-393-70615-4
Fetting, M. (2016). Perspective On Substance Use Disorders and Addictions with Clinical Cases. (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4833-7775-9
Galbicsek, C., (2019). Drinking and driving (DUI). Alcohol rehab guide. Retrieved from https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/dui/ (Links to an external site.)
The financial cost of a DUI., (2019). Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.alcohol.org/dui/financial-cost/ (Links to an external site.)
Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment when you say, “Alcohol provides people with a temporary out for the stressors they may be dealing with”. In today’s day the Western Culture often turns to alcohol to deal with daily stressors. Because it is so widely accepted to drink alcohol it seems that it is just the norm, but drinking can easily get out of hand and turn into alcoholism. Once a person begins to consume alcohol over the recommended amount their decisions become impaired and if done on a regular basis alcohol can cumulatively rewire the brain to increase desire and develop dependence Those who choose to avoid situations in social settings where alcohol is present are less likely to develop issues (Alcoholism Causes and Risk Factors, 2020). I agree with your article it is smart to limit alcohol intake and drink in moderation to avoid such problems.
References:
Alcoholism Causes and Risk Factors. (2020). Retrieved from Addiction Center: https://www.addictioncenter.com/alcohol/alcoholism-causes-risk-factors/