About Alcoholism Facts and Effects

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Alcoholism has become a significant problem in industrialized countries throughout the world.  Paradoxically, the more "developed" and technologically advanced a country becomes, the more it seems vulnerable to the societal, personal problems and difficulties, and alcoholism effects that are directly or indirectly caused by this disease.

In a word, the people of the world need more relevant alcoholism facts and alcoholism statistics if they are to become more knowledgeable about and avoid the unhealthy, devastating, and the sometimes fatal results of alcoholism.

For Most People, Drinking Alcohol Is Enjoyable

According to various alcoholism facts and alcoholism statistics, for the vast majority of people, drinking alcohol is a pleasant experience.

This is especially the case when people are engaged in recreational and social activities and when their drinking behavior can be considered as "moderate" or responsible.

Moderate alcohol use can be defined as having up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.  In the vast majority of situations, moreover, drinking in moderation is not harmful for most adults.

It has been shown by alcoholism statistics, however, that a relatively large number of individuals simply cannot have any alcoholic beverages because of the problems they experience when drinking.  According to the most recent alcoholism facts that are available, due to the fact that roughly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic, this group of people who should not or can not drink alcohol is a sizeable and a significant amount of people.

To drive the point home more forcefully, consider the following: according to recent alcoholism research, it has been found that approximately 53 percent of the adults in the United States have stated that one or more of their close relatives has a drinking problem that requires professional alcoholism assistance.

Damaging and Devastating Alcoholism Effects

Medical research statistics has demonstrated that most alcoholism effects are not only destructive and extremely unhealthy, but in far too many instance, fatal.

For instance, excessive drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers, such as cancer of the kidneys, throat, colon, larynx, rectum, esophagus, and the liver.

Heavy, chronic and abusive drinking can also lead to immune system problems, brain damage, harm to the fetus while the mother is pregnant, cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic alcoholism.

Sadly, it appears that many people are neither aware of alcoholism facts such as these nor are they conversant with the many negative and debilitating alcoholism effects that most alcoholics experience.

Moreover, irresponsible and excessive drinking increases the risk of death from motor vehicle accidents as well as work-related and recreational injuries and accidents. Not only this, but homicides and suicides are more likely to committed by individuals who have been drinking alcohol.

In basic economic terms, alcohol-related issues and problems cost the people in the United States approximately $200 billion per year.  In human terms, the cost of the following alcohol-related issues are, however, impossible to calculate: destroyed lives, failed health, child abuse, illnesses, fatalities, wife battering, broken homes, and injuries.

Summing up, then, we can see that most, if not all alcohol dependent individuals suffer from alcoholism effects that not only destroy their health but that typically devastate their relationships, wreck havoc with their finances and employment, and in some cases result in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and workplace injuries and accidents that cause others to lose their lives.

Alcoholism Statistics and Alcoholism Facts

Unfortunately, the full scope of the damaging nature of alcoholism effects is not easily understood unless various alcoholism facts and relevant alcoholism statistics are presented.  In short, alcoholism statistics provide the kind of alcoholism facts that make a significant impact on people's awareness. With this in mind, the following alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics are provided below:

• Although 40 percent of U.S. college freshmen say they binge drink -- five or more drinks on one occasion -- a new study has discovered that up to 20 percent of male students go substantially beyond the binge-drinking threshold, consuming more than 10 or 15 drinks per drinking session.
• Every year, 1,400 American college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle accidents.
• Up to 80 percent of alcoholics have a deficiency in thiamine and some of these individuals will go on to develop serious brain disorders such as Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome.
• Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005.  This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion).
• Every year in the U.S. more than 150,000 college students develop health problem that are alcohol-related.
• The 9.6% of adult alcoholics drink 25% of the alcohol that is consumed by all adult drinkers.
• Every day in the United States more than 13,000 children and teens take their first drink.
• According to recent research, 62% of U.S. high school seniors reported that they have been drunk recently.
• According to a study undertaken in 2002, at least 762,000 children that are born each year have been exposed to alcohol during the mother's pregnancy.
• In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes.  This amount was approximately 39% of all traffic fatalities.  This amounts to one alcohol-related death every 31 minutes.
• The three leading causes of death for U.S. 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, suicides, and homicides, and alcohol is a leading factor in all three causes.
• Alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.
• 3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcoholics or have serious drinking problems.
• 3.1 million Americans, roughly 1.4% of the population 12 and older, received treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems in 1997.

These alcoholism facts and alcoholism statistics paint a dreary picture of the alcoholism effects that are experienced by alcoholics.  Obviously, some major educational, preventative, and treatment changes need to take place in our society if these alcoholism effects are to be significantly reduced.

The Difference Between Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Many people incorrectly think that alcohol abuse and alcoholism are the same.  Simply put, this is incorrect information that is not based upon alcoholism facts, alcoholism research, or on alcoholism statistics.  More specifically, alcohol abuse, unlike alcoholism, does not include an extremely strong desire for alcohol, physical dependence, or the loss of control due to drinking.

Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations in a twelve-month time period:

• Failure to attend to important responsibilities at work, home, or school.
• Drinking in situations that can result in physical injury.  Examples include driving a vehicle or operating machinery.
• Experiencing recurring alcohol-related legal problems.  Examples include getting arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, for damaging someone's property, or for physically hurting someone while drunk.
• Continued drinking in spite of ongoing relationship problems that are the result of drinking.

What is Alcoholism?

A Definition of Alcoholism.  Also known as alcohol addiction and alcohol dependence, alcoholism is a progressive debilitating disease that includes the following symptoms:

• Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms when a person stops drinking after a period of excessive drinking.  Such symptoms include: anxiety, sweating, nausea, and "the shakes."
• Tolerance: The need to drink increasing amounts of alcohol in order to "feel the buzz" or to "get high."
• Craving: A strong and continuing compulsion or need to drink.
• Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking over time or on any given occasion.

Have a Look at These Top Quality Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Videos!

The Need for Alcoholism Assistance

It is important to emphasize the following:  if you observe your friends or family members exhibiting any of the above symptoms or behaviors, consider the fact that they may need alcoholism help.  More precisely, they may need to enter into a hospital or a treatment center for alcoholism rehab if they are to recover from their addiction and from the alcoholism effects they are surely experiencing.

What About Alcoholism and Self-Control?

Frequently, people who are not alcoholic do not fully understand why an alcoholic can't simply use willpower or self-control to stay away from drinking.  According to the alcoholism facts found by substance abuse researchers, however, alcoholism has little to do with being strong, with willpower, or with fighting the temptations to drink in the vast majority of circumstances.

In fact, alcoholics are caught in the compelling grip of an uncontrollable need for alcohol that takes precedence over their ability to quit drinking. Indeed, alcoholism statistics show that the need to drink for the alcoholic can be as strong as his or her need for shelter, food, or water.

An Alcoholism Cure?  While there is no known cure for alcoholism, recovery from alcoholism is, fortunately, possible.  While some individuals are able to recover from alcoholism without professional assistance, according to the research literature, many, if not most, alcoholics need medical treatment or counseling for their addiction.  The good news, however, is this: through rehab, counseling, treatment, and support, many alcoholics are able to refrain from drinking, reverse many of the alcoholism effects they have experienced, and re-establish their lives.

Alcoholism Videos

We have included some alcoholism videos so that you can see and hear directly from various people about their struggles with this disease.  If you, a family member, or one of your friends has a "drinking problem," seeing what others have gone through and how they attained successful recovery is much more "real" than any information you can read about.  Furthermore, watching these videos may help you uncover various alcoholism facts and alcoholism statistics that will enable you to better understand what others with a drinking problem are experiencing and how the different alcoholism effects made an impact on their lives.  So make sure you look at these excellent videos!

About Alcoholism Facts and Effects:  Conclusion

Unfortunately, alcoholism has become a critical problem in the United States AND in other developed countries in the world.  Ironically, the more technologically advanced and "developed" a nation has become, the more it seems susceptible to alcoholism effects in the form of societal and personal problems that are directly or indirectly related to this disease.

Numerous alcoholism facts and alcoholism statistics have been presented that all point to the devastating and debilitating alcoholism effects that most, if not all alcohol addicted individuals eventually experience.  The people in the developed nations of the world obviously need access to more realistic alcoholism facts and to more relevant alcoholism statistics and information if they are to become more aware of ways to avoid or significantly reduce the dangerous, unhealthy, and at times, the fatal alcoholism effects that result from chronic, irresponsible, excessive, and abusive drinking behavior.

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