Drinking alcohol is an acceptable social custom in some cultures, and alcohol by itself is neither dangerous nor evil. The problem with alcohol only starts when a person loses control and starts to become dependent on the habit. Alcohol addiction is a serious issue, and like any other form of substance abuse, it can ruin the life of the addict and their family, and cause damage to the progress of a society or nation.
The following are some statistics that show the serious impact of alcoholism in our society:
- Alcohol is the most abused substance in the United States
- Each year, alcohol related issues cost the U.S. economy over $100 million in healthcare and production loss
- 4% of criminal offenders blame alcohol as a factor
- Someone is killed every 30 minutes in an alcohol related traffic incident in the United States
- Fifty percent of traffic deaths are related to alcohol consumption
- There are over 15 million Americans dependant on alcohol of which over 500,000 are in the 9-12 age range
- Over $90 billion is spent by Americans on alcohol every year
- Unemployed youths in the age group of 26-34 constitute the major chunk of alcohol drinkers (12.2%)
- Three out of four spousal abuse cases are related to alcohol
Alcoholism is a not only a social menace, it can also completely destroy the life of the user. Irresponsible consumption of alcohol can have disastrous effects on the health of the user too. Alcohol can affect the liver, throat, esophagus, larynx, immune system, and brain, and cause liver cirrhosis and damage to fetuses. An alcohol addict will continue to drink despite of any kind of changes to their surroundings. An addict will be oblivious to the changes taking place around him or her and will only focus on drinking and on how and where to get the next drink.
Alcohol addiction is not viewed as a habit anymore. It is viewed as more of a disease – a disease that can be cured given the right treatment. A good alcohol rehab can cure an addict of this disease and put the addict on the road to a more productive and healthy life. The addict or their family should consult with an alcohol rehab center as soon as they witness or experience any signs of alcohol dependence.