Negative Impacts of Alcohol
The use of addictive substances has been associated with negative impacts both on the individual and the people around them. One such addictive substance is alcohol. Alcohol use may be viewed as a leisure activity, although the impacts are severe. Alcohol users are always at the risk of overdrinking due to their addictive nature, and the consequences are always regrettable. The excuse used b most alcohol users is that it helps in relaxing the mind from stressful activities. However, the negative effects of alcohol are disastrous, and individuals are always left to regret having started the drinking habit. Alcohol drinking is associated with a series of negative effects such as economic constraints, social disruption, as well as adverse health impacts.
Alcohol is an addictive substance, and the users’ control is limited to the time before addiction. The negative impacts of alcohol-associated with addiction, although personal decision and peer influence, may play a significant role in causing most of the effects. One of the most disastrous effects of alcohol is economic constraints. Most alcohol brands are expensive, and a lot of resources are used to purchase the substance. Cheaper alcohol brands are also expected to become costly, where excessive drinking is involved. Addiction pushes people into prioritizing alcohol over productive activities such as education and family expenses. For example, a sole breadwinner in a family may be unable to meet the needs of their families if they spend most of their earnings on alcohol. Moreover, alcohol consumption may have an overall negative impact on the economy.
Alcohol trade has been viewed as a source of income at the expense of the whole economy. The outcomes of alcohol consumption may prove more expensive than the income acquired through trading in alcohol. First, alcohol lowers the production levels of individuals once addiction happens. A drunken employee will affect the operation of the workplace and will affect the production of other employees as well. Also, intoxicated people easily get into fights and violence that ends in significant loses (Fitterer, Nelson & Stockwell, 2018). The violence associated with alcohol consumption may go further to affect the operation of businesses around drinking points. Therefore, alcohol is generally associated with negative economic impacts. Moreover, alcohol consumption is associated with negative social relations due to its impact on the user’s brain.
The social impacts of alcohol consumption go beyond the individual levels of withdrawal. A drunken individual will face challenges interacting socially with the people around them. For example, a parent will hardly deliver her parental roles while under the influence of alcohol. The relationship between parents and their children is, therefore, affected by alcohol. Also, alcohol affects the way people interact in society. People who are not sober cannot be included in the decision-making process of the society. The society is generally deprived of potential decision-makers when alcohol addiction becomes a menace in the society in question. Also, the violence caused by alcohol consumption leaves behind grudges that play a crucial role in affecting the social nature of society. For example, victims of violence may seek revenge or legal action against perpetrators affecting the friendship that had been existing initially. Moreover, alcohol use is associated with a series of negative impacts.
Alcohol use is not only associated with social and economic impacts but also health impacts. Experts have, on several occasions, associated with alcohol use to poor health, either directly or indirectly. First, alcohol is associated with depression, where an individual is addicted (Benedek, Panzierer, Jauk & Neubauer, 2017). Depression may occur due to several factors associated with alcohol. For example, the financial strain that comes with excessive consumption of alcohol may land an individual into a financial crisis. Also, the outcomes of alcoholic behaviors may be disastrous and harmful, leaving people with depression. Additionally, alcohol may have a direct health impact on an individual.
Individuals who use alcohol are at risk of acquiring various health complications. Some of the complications may not be felt in the short-run, but the continuous use of alcohol exposes the individual to a higher risk. For example, liver cirrhosis is associated with alcohol and poses deadly impacts on the individual. Also, alcohol has been associated with brain damage, with the victim having difficulties in maintaining proper judgment. The health impacts have an additional economic impact on the individuals where medical services are sought. Generally, alcohol adds to the financial challenges faced by individuals by posing threats to the health of the consumers.
In sum, alcohol consumption is associated with a series of negative impacts such as economic constraints, social disruption, as well as negative health impacts. Addiction pushes people into prioritizing alcohol over productive activities such as education and family expenses. Also, alcohol consumption is associated with negative economic impacts with potential income generators falling on the receiving end of negative impacts. Also, alcohol consumption is associated with hostile social relations due to its impact on the user’s brain. Apart from economic and social impacts, alcohol has negative impacts on the health of the consumers. Generally, alcohol is associated with more negative impacts compared to the benefits that some people claim.
References
Benedek, M., Panzierer, L., Jauk, E., & Neubauer, A. C. (2017). Creativity on tap? Effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognition. Consciousness and cognition, 56, 128-134.
Fitterer, J., Nelson, T., & Stockwell, T. (2018). The negative effects of alcohol establishment size and proximity on the frequency of violent and disorder crime across block groups of Victoria, British Columbia. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(8), 297.