Alcohol Addiction
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the national prohibition of alcohol in January 1920, but the Twenty-first Amendment entirely repealed the Eighteenth when it was ratified less than 14 years later. While there are still a handful of dry communities in various parts of the country today, alcohol largely remains a part of regular life for many Americans.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a 2012 survey found that nearly 88 percent of people ages 18 or older said they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, 71 percent drank in the past year, and more than 56 percent drank in the past month. As one of the most widely accepted legal drugs, alcohol …show more content…
However, as the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) notes, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking. This does not mean that alcohol abuse is not self-destructive or dangerous, and it is important to understand that alcohol abuse can very well progress into alcoholism.
The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, any alcohol use by people under 21 years of age, and any alcohol use by pregnant women in its definition of excessive alcohol use. The NIAAA defines binge drinking as patterns of single occasion alcohol consumption that result in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher, which usually means five or more drinks within two hours for men or four or more drinks within the same time frame for women. Heavy drinking is typically defined by weekly alcohol consumption, which translates to 15 drinks or more per week for men and eight or more drinks per week for women.
Alcohol abuse shares many of the same side effects as alcoholism. This may include such visible physical effects on the individual as:
• Blackouts in which the drinker cannot recall events that occurred while he or she was under the influence
• Breathing difficulties
• Coma
• Displays of anger or other emotions
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Loss of …show more content…
These may include, but are not limited to:
• Brain damage
• Gastritis
• Heart diseases
• High blood
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established the national prohibition of alcohol in January 1920, but the Twenty-first Amendment entirely repealed the Eighteenth when it was ratified less than 14 years later. While there are still a handful of dry communities in various parts of the country today, alcohol largely remains a part of regular life for many Americans.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a 2012 survey found that nearly 88 percent of people ages 18 or older said they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, 71 percent drank in the past year, and more than 56 percent drank in the past month. As one of the most widely accepted legal drugs, alcohol …show more content…
However, as the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) notes, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking. This does not mean that alcohol abuse is not self-destructive or dangerous, and it is important to understand that alcohol abuse can very well progress into alcoholism.
The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, any alcohol use by people under 21 years of age, and any alcohol use by pregnant women in its definition of excessive alcohol use. The NIAAA defines binge drinking as patterns of single occasion alcohol consumption that result in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher, which usually means five or more drinks within two hours for men or four or more drinks within the same time frame for women. Heavy drinking is typically defined by weekly alcohol consumption, which translates to 15 drinks or more per week for men and eight or more drinks per week for women.
Alcohol abuse shares many of the same side effects as alcoholism. This may include such visible physical effects on the individual as:
• Blackouts in which the drinker cannot recall events that occurred while he or she was under the influence
• Breathing difficulties
• Coma
• Displays of anger or other emotions
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Loss of …show more content…
These may include, but are not limited to:
• Brain damage
• Gastritis
• Heart diseases
• High blood