Alcohol is a chemical substance found in drinks such as beer, wine, and liquors. It is made by a chemical process called fermentation that uses sugars from fruits and yeast. Alcohol or intoxicant, sometimes referred to by the chemical name “ethanol”, is one of the most widely used and abused psychoactive drugs in the world and falls under the depressant category. No form of alcohol consumption is risk-free. Even low levels of alcohol consumption carry some risks and can cause harm. All types of intoxicants are known to cause serious health and social problems.
Both The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and The World Health Organization (WHO) have recently classified alcohol as a “Group 1 Carcinogenic”, meaning it has a very high risk of developing cancer. In 2023, the WHO declared that there is “no safe amount” of alcohol consumption without health risks.
The normalization of alcohol consumption, along with past misconceptions about its health benefits, also promoted by the industry, further reinforces the mistaken idea that it is not a “drug”. Furthermore, religious beliefs about alcohol that it’s a “Spiritual Drink” and is permissible have driven many people to drink without fear and very much abuse
Alcohol is a chemical substance found in drinks such as beer, wine, and liquors. It is made by a chemical process called fermentation that uses sugars from fruits and yeast. Alcohol or intoxicant, sometimes referred to by the chemical name “ethanol”, is one of the most widely used and abused psychoactive drugs in the world and falls under the depressant category. No form of alcohol consumption is risk-free. Even low levels of alcohol consumption carry some risks and can cause harm. All types of intoxicants are known to cause serious health and social problems.
Both The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and The World Health Organization (WHO) have recently classified alcohol as a “Group 1 Carcinogenic”, meaning it has a very high risk of developing cancer. In 2023, the WHO declared that there is “no safe amount” of alcohol consumption without health risks.
The normalization of alcohol consumption, along with past misconceptions about its health benefits, also promoted by the industry, further reinforces the mistaken idea that it is not a “drug”. Furthermore, religious beliefs about alcohol that it’s a “Spiritual Drink” and is permissible have driven many people to drink without fear and very much abuse it.
Health & Social Problems of Intoxicants:
Alcohol works in the brain primarily by increasing the effects of y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. By facilitating GABA’s actions, alcohol suppresses the activity of the Central Nerve System (CNS) and causes serious damage to the brain. Alcohol also causes serious damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. Young people under 18 years old are particularly at risk because their organs are still in developmental stages, and the areas of their brains are still undergoing the most significant changes during the teenage years.
The question is, why are teenagers addicted to alcohol? Here are some reasons:
The Australian National Drug Strategy Survey surveyed in 2011, concluded that the two main reasons for ‘Alcoholism’ among teenagers are:
Trying to fit in with a group (friends).
Home, where they try to fit in with family habits.