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Alcohol also known as “Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer,

wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches (CDC). The

inability to adequately control alcohol consumption in the society is associated with various adverse

effects, ranging from mental health complications, physical health complications and several social

issues. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2019, 85.6% of individuals

aged 18 years and above in the United States were found to have consumed alcohol at least once in

their life-time. Based on the statistics from the survey, 25.8 % of persons aged 18 years and above

confessed to have engaged in binge alcohol consumption, with 14.1 million of them reported to have

alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol consumption is also a prevalent issue among the youths in the

United States. For instance, the survey revealed that an approximated population of 414, 000

adolescents within the age bracket of 12 – 17 years are heavy drinkers and had suffered from alcohol

use disorder (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholismand, 1) . Alcohol consumption also has

other negative effects that necessitates control of its consumption. According to the report by the

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol consumption is the root cause for estimated

95, 000 deaths annually and 261 deaths per day ( Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1) .

Additionally, the the New York Times article reports that alcohol consumption caused about 72,000

deaths due to drug abuse in 2019, in the United States. According to a study by the CDC, the rate of

alcohol consumption has increased drastically from the previous years with an increase of 5% from 2018

(Josh Katz). Following the increased rate of alcohol consumption and its associated adverse social,
physical and mental effects, there is need for the United States federal and states governments to

regulate alcohol use. Therefore, the paper is set forth to discuss the reasons why alcohol consumption

should be controlled.

One of the reason why alcohol consumption should be controlled is that it is highly addictive.

Among the several problems associated with alcohol consumption, addiction and other forms of

abnormal alcohol drinking are the immediate effects. Alcohol addiction gives rise to a severe form of

alcohol abuse when combined with physical dependence and other behavioral factors. Alcohol

dependence leads to a serious strong and an uncontrollable desire for alcohol to an extent that

individuals cannot perform their daily tasks without consuming it. This may lead to the development of

alcohol dependence syndrome and other withdrawal effects that poses a significant threat to achieving

major accomplishments in life. Once an individual has become dependent on alcohol, they find it

challenging and almost impossible to quit due to the associated withdrawal effects. Complicated alcohol

withdrawal syndrome is accompanied by chronic health complications such as symptoms of psychosis,

seizures and confusion. On the other hand, uncomplicated alcohol withdrawal syndrome begins within

six to eight hours after the last drink and is usually accompanied by severe headache, insomnia,

tachycardia, hypertension and anxiety. Complicated alcohol withdrawal syndrome is caused by a

heavier and prolonged consumption of alcohol leading to altered perceptions, vivid dreams and

hallucinations. Alcoholism is also one of the major causes of deaths worldwide, leading to nearly 88,000

deaths in the United States annually. Based on some studies, alcohol addiction is the fourth leading

cause of deaths in the United States. Despite most individuals being aware of the dangers associated

with a heavy alcohol consumption, they tend to engage in alcoholic behaviors that lead to severe

addiction. For instance, most social events held in the United States are characterized by various types

of alcoholic drinks and those that have no such drinks are considered to be little fun. Since drinking

alcohol is so socially acceptable, seeking help and acknowledging the start of a drinking problem can be
harder to do, thus furthering the addiction. To curb the excessive alcohol consumption and its effects, it

is therefore necessary for the United States Federal and States governments to control the substance’s

consumption.

Controlling alcohol will also help in preventing its abuse that will in turn reduce the addiction

and deaths rate. Alcohol abuse has been one of the biggest public health crisis in the United States in

the previous generations as it is today. Statistics have revealed that over 50% of the American youths

aged between 12 and 20 years have consumed alcohol at least once in their life-time thus making it the

most abused substance (American Addiction Centers, 2). Alcohol abuse, just like other forms of drug

abuse is associated with several adverse effects, including health complications and other social

problems. According to most studies, abusive drinking behaviors are more prevalent among the college

students than other populations in the United States. For instance, several national surveys reveal that

approximately 80 percent of college students consume alcohol each year with the first-years being the

most affected due to the drinking patterns developed in middle school and high school (Correia et al,. 3).

The drinking behaviors of college students is contributed by the campus norms related to drinking, and

exaggerated expectations regarding the benefits of drinking due to peer pressure. Alcohol abuse is

highly linked with mental disruptions that may lead to impaired judgments and poor academic outcome

among the youths at school age. Alcohol abuse among the college students is also believed to lead to

the consumption of other drugs, thus controlling alcohol would make it harder for its abuse as well as

abuse of other drugs. Many people would argue that alcohol should not be controlled but I beg to differ

following the increased rates of deaths among the youths as a result of drunk driving caused by alcohol

abuse.

Alcohol consumption is also associated with several social consequences beyond individuals

suffering from alcohol dependence. Alcohol abusers tends to have significant effects to their partners,

children, work and community as a whole. Alcohol consumption has led to increased rate of joblessness,
assaults and family breakdowns. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in

the United States, more than 10% of the children live in households where one of the parent suffers

from alcoholism (Okhifun,19). Children growing up in such homes are exposed to negative violent

behaviors from the alcoholic parent and may experience psychological trauma due to poor parenting.

The consumption of alcohol is the major cause of domestic violence in most homes. Alcoholic individuals

are prone to violence which may cause physical as well as psychological abuse, in addition to negligence

of family responsibilities. This may put a strain on relationships in many families leading to a divorce

which has adverse impacts on children and also on the other partner. Additionally, alcohol consumption

can lead to financial strains in the family, this is because heavy drinkers tend to spend a lot of cash

purchasing alcoholic drinks and may even end up losing their jobs thus creating more financial crisis to

the family. Unemployment a common and most challenging social consequence of social consumption.

Social effects of alcohol abuse are heavily portrayed by the young people. Most of the teenagers

especially college goes are heavy drinkers and have developed alcohol addiction which has adversely

affected their school performance (Okhifun,29). They occasionally miss classes and friendships due to

alcohol related issues. Consequently, these teenagers are liable to engaging in dangerous and violent

situations, and may exhibit antisocial behaviors such as aggression and violence and crime. Heavy

drinkers and may also have suicidal motives and often contract sexually Transmitted Diseases. The social

effects of alcohol consumption amongst teenagers necessitates the implementation of alcohol

regulation policies in learning institutions as young people should be highlighted and educated on

dangers of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol should be controlled as it is associated with several adverse health complications. Binge

alcohol consumption increases the concentration of alcohol in the blood leading to intoxication which

affects the normal physiology of the body. Moderate intoxication may cause impaired sense of time,

poor coordination, poor concentration, impaired judgement and conjunctival injection (Barclay et
al.,223). Severe intoxication may cause several deterioration of body functioning. Some of the health

complications associated with severe intoxication include hypothermia, cardiac arrhythmia, renal failure

and depressed reflexes. Prolonged alcoholism causes severe irreversible health impediments such as

liver injury mostly in countries with high income. Liver failure is caused by fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis

and cirrhosis. Fatty liver is a common initial phenomenon in heavy drinkers, this condition progresses

into liver cirrhosis in most patients as they continue abusing alcohol even after prognosis (Barclay et

al.,323). Individuals with liver cirrhosis experience symptoms of reduced liver function which may

eventually lead to death if an option for liver transplant is unavailable. Additionally, prolonged alcohol

uses also associated with other conditions such as stomatitis, glossitis, oral lichen planus and acute

pancreatitis. Therefore, alcohol control an essential step in avoiding the development of these health

complications. Alcohol consumption also leads to development of alcohol dependence and withdrawal

symptoms. Individuals with alcohol related health problems are not the only ones affected but also their

loved ones. Their families may strain in order to manage their situations and cater for their medical bills.

In conclusion, alcohol should be controlled as it is associated with several adverse effects. Lack

of adequate alcohol control results into addiction, alcohol abuse, social problems, and severe health

complications. Heavy consumption of alcohol among the youths, especially college students leads to

increased death rates due to alcohol-related disorders and drunk-driving as a result of impaired

judgment, thus it should be controlled.

 Works Cited

Correia, Christopher J., James G. Murphy, and Nancy P. Barnett. College student alcohol abuse:

A guide to assessment, intervention, and prevention. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

American Addiction Centers. (2020). Alcoholism Statistics & Alcohol Abuse Demographics.

Retrieved 20 December 2020, from https://www.alcohol.org/statistics-information/

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2020). Alcohol Facts and Statistics |

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Retrieved 20 December 2020, from

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

Barclay, G. A., et al. "Adverse physical effects of alcohol misuse." Advances in Psychiatric

Treatment 14.2 (2008): 139-151.

Okhifun, D., 2020. Social Effects Of Alcohol Abuse: Cosequences Of Alcoholism In Society.

[online] AlcoRehab.org. https://alcorehab.org/the-effects-of-alcohol/social/

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Alcohol-Related Deaths. Retrieved 20

December 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html

Josh Katz, Abby Goodnough and Margot Sanger-Katz. "In Shadow of Pandemic, U.S. Drug

Overdose Deaths Resurge to Record." 15 July 2020. nytimes.com. 2020.