Alcoholism

2a) What ill effects does the use of alcohol have on a) The Family and b) Society. (KU10)

The use of alcohol can have a variety of ill effects upon the family and our society,

approximately 14 million people in the country meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use

disorder. This means that millions of families suffer the effects of this challenging disease. If this

is the situation, imagine what we as a society would become with a world full of alcoholics. The

question a lot of individuals ask is what are these ill effects? How can alcohol really impact us as

people? Here are a few of those effects.

Firstly, the most obvious ill effect towards alcohol that contrasts to both families and society are

the forms of abuse. The common most witnessed and reported types of abuse ranges from child

abuse to domestic violence. According to one report published in the Journal of the American

Medical Association, 92 percent of victims of domestic violence reported that the assailant had

used alcohol or other drugs on the day of the assault. Another study found that of those

individuals who attack a partner, 60-70 percent had abused alcohol. People who battle this

disease tend to insult, manipulate and humiliate their family members or people that they may

not know depending on the intake. All these can be connected to an emotional form of abuse.

Alcohol consumption can also be another reason to give excuses for their actions however the

blame is usually misplaced. Families who contain children and an alcoholic can be harder to deal

with considering that a child of parent who abuse alcohol or other drugs are three times more

likely to suffer abuse and four times more likely to be neglected as compared to children from

drug-free homes. Young pupils who are unwillingly forced to witness and to deal with this

situation at a young age can lead to countless of problems in the child’s life, both in the short-

and long-term, such as problems in school, ending up in juvenile detention, becoming pregnant,
and numerous emotional and psychological problems. Comprehensive treatment for the child or

the family unit (including the parent who abuses alcohol or other drugs) can effectively address

and improve the many problems associated with violence and neglect in the home.

Secondly, having too much alcohol can result into bad decisions like drunk driving. Alcohol

related accidents are a leading role of causing many deaths among teenagers and adults.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 11,000 people died in

alcohol-related automobile accidents in the US in the year 2009 alone. There are connected

factors that cause drunk driving for example a slow reaction time, lack of coordination, a

reduction of concentration, decrease in vision and inhibit judgement. When alcohol is in your

system, it affects how quickly you’re able to respond to different situations. Drinking slows your

response time, which can increase the likelihood of an accident. Therefore, if the car in front of

you brakes suddenly or a pedestrian crosses the street, it will take longer for your brain to

process the situation and prevent an accident. Heavy drinking affects your motor skills such as

eye, hand and foot coordination. Without crucial coordination skills, you may be unable to avoid

an impending harmful situation. It is a major disadvantage for both families and the society alone

because if a car accident is involved, the other driver may be injured along with the clients that

are in the car with the alcoholic and it can harm so many people all because of one drunk driver.

Driving drunk can also be correlated towards watching sports. Fans that binge drink during

sporting events are much more likely to cause disruptions or violence. Furthermore, these people

usually drive to their destinations late causing problems in the road. Sports arenas and sporting

events often serve alcohol to underage drinkers and to people who are already visibly

intoxicated.
Lastly, Financial troubles can soon arise. We must be reminded that alcohol is not free. Ongoing

drinking can quickly cause a lot of people to spend beyond what they are supposed to just to

socialize. It is well established that alcohol abuse can lead to serious financial problems, but not

only because of the actual money spent on alcohol. It is to be considered that since your

inhibitions are lowered when you drink alcohol, you may be more likely to impulsively buy

things without thinking through the consequences of those purchases in the moment. For

instance, a person who is intoxicated may be apt to spend more money than planned at a bar.

Even drinking at home does not provide a shield against spending when inhibitions are low. The

Internet opens up an entire world of shopping possibilities. The “beer goggles "effect can make

an item seem more attractive and the purchase price more inviting, and increase the likelihood of

an unnecessary purchase. Work productivity can suffer from alcohol abuse. Finances are about

more than the dollars earned; they also include earning potential. Studies show that drinking can

affect work or academic productivity at every phase of working life. Students who binge drink in

college may have lower grades, which can have a ripple effect across their employment

prospects and salary potential. Employees who binge drink or drink heavily are prone to

absenteeism or presenteeism (i.e., being at work but underperforming). Long-term drinkers may

have to exit careers earlier than planned in order to manage health problems.

In conclusion, there are upon many ill effects that alcohol has on the family and society.

Although a few reasons were mentioned, many of these points are correlated with each other. At

the end of the day although, the rates of alcoholism will not decease any sooner it is hopeful that

it can stop with the help of family members and of course friends and acquaintances. We must

realize that if alcoholic people are opposed to us for reaching out and trying to help then we have
to force their temptations out of their body. We cannot help an individual who does not want to

be helped therefore, we must make a change and do what must be done.

Alcoholism and Family/Marital Problems

Edited by Meredith Watkins, M.A., M.F.T.
Last Updated: January 31, 2020

The Effects of Alcoholism on Modern Society

Written by:Editorial Staff
Last updated on June 27, 2019
BOOK
Alcoholism / Maria Gifford ; with Stacy Friedman and Rich Majerus.

Social Aspects of Alcoholism

Margaret K. Bacon (auth.), Benjamin Kissin, Henri Begleiter (eds.)