According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, excessive alcohol use is among the leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the United States. In 2005, for example, it was responsible for more than 1.6 million hospitalizations and over 4 million emergency room visits. Alcohol has been linked to numerous mental and physical conditions, and is increasing the person's risk for accidents and injuries.
Risky Behaviors
Alcohol increases the risky behavior in people. According to the CDC, it causes nearly 80,000 deaths every year in the United States. The Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights states that although alcohol may not cause domestic violence, it allows abusers to justify their behavior and gives them an excuse for the violent behavior. The Buffalo Bar Study, done by Drs. Brian M. Quigley, and Kenneth E. Leonard and published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAA showed that intoxicated people are more aggressive than sober people and that the alcohol consumption increased the risk of injury significantly. The CDC agrees with this and states that alcohol increases the risk for numerous accidents. For example, motor vehicle and drowning accidents are much more common among people who are under the influence of alcohol than among people who have not been drinking. Dr. M. Lynne Cooper showed in a study published in the "Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs" vol 14, 2002 that alcohol significantly increased risky sexual behavior such as having multiple or casual sex partners.
Diseases
Alcohol increases the risk for many physical conditions. Among the most common ones are liver diseases such as fatty liver or cirrhosis, says the NIAA. This source also states that approximately half the alcoholics in the United States suffer from cognitive disabilities. Among the most severe ones is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome caused by thiamine deficiency. Heavy drinking also increases the risk for different heart diseases and high blood pressure says the Women's Heart Foundation. It has also been linked to several different cancer types, says to Dr. Vincenzo Bagnardi and colleagues in a study published in Vol. 25 of the "Alcohol Research and Health" Journal in 2001.
Mental Problems
Alcoholism is common among several mental health groups such as people suffering from clinical depression, bipolar disorder or ADHD. For example, Dr. Christopher Baethge and colleagues, state in a study published in the"American Journal of Psychiatry" in May 2005 that approximately half of the adults with bipolar disorder abuse alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant. Thus, it has a tendency to make even a person who does not suffer from mental disorders to feel depressed.
References
- "J. Stud. Alcohol"; Alcohol Use and Risky Sexual Behavior; M. Lynne Cooper; vol 14, 2002
- Women's Heart Foundation: Alcohol and Heart Disease
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol's Damaging Effect on the Brain
- "Alcohol Research & Health Journal"; Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Cancer; Vincenzo Bagnardi et al.; vol. 25, 2001
- Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights: Alcohol and Domestic Violence
