Alcohol Abuse.

Essay by kberg3030High School, 12th gradeA, October 2005

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For most people who drink, alcohol is a pleasant accompaniment to social activities. Nonetheless many people get into serious trouble because of their drinking. On a daily basis alcohol is abused by millions all across the United States. Nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. Along with abusing alcohol come many problems. The consequences of alcohol misuse are serious--in many cases, life threatening. First of all your health is a huge issue, as are your actions while under the influence. Drinking increases the risk of death from automobile crashes as well as recreational injuries. Furthermore, both homicides and suicides are more likely to be committed by persons who have been drinking. Economically, alcohol-related problems cost America approximately $185 billion per year. In human terms, the costs cannot be calculated. The most destructive problem that goes along with binge drinking is when it occurs within the family setting.

This is true for many reasons. First of all if a parent is an alcoholic this disease is often transferred on down to their children. On top of this, as many already know, violent behaviors are an extremely common side effect of drinking in excess. These behaviors have an enormously large impact on all of the other family members in many different ways. Often when children are abused they turn to drinking to try to forget their problems, or they turn to a more drastic solution.

You hear about it all the time. After years of abuse from Joe's alcoholic father, one night he decides to end the abuse for good. Whether it is by killing himself or his abusive parent, it always ends with tragedy. Alcohol has this kind of effect on people and when you put a family in the middle of the problem it really escalates. This...