Alcohol and how it affects Society

Introduction

Alcohol is a part of nearly every human society, finding its place in religious ceremonies and celebrations, and on the dinner table. From the viewpoint of those not working in health professions, alcohol is a social entity, a core element distinguishing one's culture. However, for clinicians, alcohol is also a medical entity, a toxin whose abuse leads many patients to unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

In a majority of all cultures, alcohol and drugs are consumed in a specialized, public place. Solitary drinking is uncommon. Social interaction, information exchange, and "play" takes place at these sites (Rehn, 63). It is inconceivable to imagine European society without the café, or many societies of sub-Saharan Africa without beer gardens and parties. Opium dens in Laos during the 1970s were a social club, café, and a place to eat and sleep. Sociologists and anthropologists have also studied substance-using subcultures from the "skid row" and "bottle gang" alcohol users in classic sociological treatises, to the "Crackhouse" and "sex-for-crack" subcultures of the late 20th century.

Harms and Benefits

The potentially harmful aspects of alcohol are well known, representing the majority of medical and societal campaigns directed at alcohol. More specifically, we know that overuse of alcohol, both acute and chronic, can cause harm. Acutely, alcohol consumption impairs reaction time and critical thinking abilities at blood alcohol levels of 0.03 mg/dl and higher. As a result, the person is at higher risk for motor vehicle crashes; in the United States, 40 percent of traffic fatalities are alcohol related.

Those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol also suffer adverse consequences related to poor decision making and disinhibition, both of which are effects of alcohol. In addition, severe intoxication with alcohol can lead to blood alcohol levels high enough (e.g., 40-50 mg/dl) to cause coma, stupor, or death (Pittman, 33). Chronically, alcohol overconsumption can cause a wide range of consequences, including cognitive impairment, peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, and liver dysfunction.

However, there is increasing evidence that alcohol, when consumed in moderation, is both relatively benign and may have potential health benefits. Regarding the former position, the two sources of the medical evidence on alcohol, the study of the acute physiological effects of consumption and observational studies comparing abstainers with alcohol users, have made it difficult to extrapolate whether there are negative consequences for healthy users of moderate amounts of alcohol. However, we do know that alcohol is not benign in certain populations—for example, in pregnant women, those with family histories of alcoholism, and persons with hepatic/pancreatic disease, there is no harmless dose of alcohol.

As for whether alcohol consumption can be beneficial, the evidence suggests that for healthy persons without conditions contraindicating alcohol, 0.5 to 1 portion of alcohol per day (1 portion = one glass of wine, one can of beer) may have health benefits. A large study of nurses showed that those who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol had decreased mortality rates compared to those abstaining from alcohol (Marshall, 75). This finding is consistent with prospective studies from around ...