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Note: If you are serious about learning how to stop drinking
alcohol make sure you get the awesome Quit Drink 4 Life home based program! |
| The Dangers of Alcohol |
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According to results released by a British medical journal, alcohol is considered to be the most harmful among nearly two dozen various drugs. In fact, alcohol has been found to be more dangerous than heroin and crack based on its potential harm to people who consume it as well as to others.
The problem is that alcoholic beverages are often enjoyed at a variety of occasions. As previously mentioned, alcohol is often a mainstay at many social functions. This can include dinner, parties and all types of celebrations. Researchers have now found that consuming just two to three glasses of wine per week can be beneficial in terms of lowering blood clots and improving cholesterol levels. As a result, wine is now considered by many to be healthy for the heart. Even so, there are numerous dangerous associated with drinking that should be well understood.
Overall, alcohol in and of itself is not inherently bad. The problem with alcohol lies in the way it can be abused. The simple fact is that it is incredibly easy for many people to fall in love with the idea of consuming alcoholic beverages. Each year millions of people around the world fall into the trap of alcohol abuse. At the same time, thousands of people are killed or injured in automobile accidents related to alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, many deaths occur among people who did not actually consume alcohol on their own but became the victim of someone who did.
According to statistics from the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependency, more than 100,000 people are killed n America each year as a result of alcohol associated auto accidents. This number is often extremely high among younger adults and even includes those who are below the legal drinking age. Further estimates indicate that approximately 14 million people in the United States are alcoholics. Alcohol abuse is not limited to the U.S.; however.
While accidents are certainly the cause of many alcohol related death, there are also many other dangers associated with drinking. Health problems and alcohol-related illnesses can also contribute to the premature death of numerous people around the world.
 It is certainly no secret that overindulging in alcohol can lead to serious health issues. Whether it is due to peer pressure, dependency issues or a feeling of being invincible, anyone who has a drinking problem must seriously consider both the short-term as well as the long-term risks related to drinking.
Alcohol poisoning often tops the list as one of the more serious dangers related to drinking alcohol. This is due to a substance known as ethanol contained in alcohol. Ethanol has the potential to result in damage to the central nervous system. Persons who drink only in moderation do not need to be concerned about this problem but if you drink too much and consume alcohol beyond your tolerance level, your brain function may begin to slow and you may experience other problems such as lack of coordination, blurred vision and slurred speech. During an extreme drinking binge your body does not have the ability to dissolve ethanol safely. Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to poor memory, brain cell loss, violent or aggressive behavior and depression. It can also lead to coma and possibly death.
Alcohol abuse can also be responsible for a large percentage of liver health issues. The main function of the live is to remove toxins from the human body. When you consume too much alcohol, damage to the liver may occur that is not reversible. The main substance in alcohol, ethanol, must pass directly through the liver. The process of removing toxins such as ethanol can be a very slow process. As a result, when you abuse alcohol, you are likely to experience a build-up of fatty deposits within the liver. When this situation is not property treated, those fatty deposits can cause the liver to become inflamed. Consequently, liver cells will begin to die. If the warning signs of liver disease are ignored, scarring of the liver or cirrhosis will occur. This is a very serious situation that cannot be treated. This health condition will prevent the liver from properly functioning and can lead to liver failure.
 Women of childbearing years who consume alcohol may also be putting their unborn babies at risk for a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Expectant mothers are frequently warned about the dangers of consuming alcohol during pregnancy but this is a warning that many women fail to heed. When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, her baby also takes in alcohol. Throughout the developmental stages the baby can experience effects associated with alcohol that are completely life-changing. Irreversible damage to the baby's central nervous system can take place.
For instance, brain cells will not properly develop. The final results can be devastating. Fetal alcohol syndrome has now been found to be responsible for a number of health issues in children including mental retardation, facial deformities, hyperactivity, behavioral problems and developmental problems. The final degree of fetal alcohol syndrome in children can vary widely. While some women discover that their children suffer from minor learning problems as a result of the alcohol they consumed while pregnant other women come to learn that permanent and extremely serious damage has been done to their children as a result of their drinking. Without a doubt, the safest course of action is to simply avoid drinking if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The dangers of alcohol are numerous and severe. Whether you only feel that you drink while you are in social situations or you find yourself relying on alcohol daily just to get through the day, it is imperative that you consider the dangers and effects of alcohol. It is possible to break the cycle and stop drinking. No matter how long you have been drinking or how much you tend to drink it is possible to put a stop to your drinking and to enjoy a healthier and more productive life. You can do it!
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