ALCOHOL

Public Health Issue

Public Health Issue

Identification

The disorders from the use of alcohol are the psychiatric disorders that are identified by the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000, pp.1) and their ancestors. The abuse of alcohol also includes a constant drinking behavior due to which many interpersonal, social and occupational problems can occur. The dependency of alcohol intake includes the psychosocial problems and it involves the physiological dependence of alcohol with the symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal. This problem is considered as alcoholism and different studies have also been performed on heavy drinking. According to the guidelines that are provided by the National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism it is recommended that the women can take 1 drink per day and it can be risky if more than 7 drink taken in a week. Three drinks per occasion are recommended and there can be risky conditions if this number increases from the predefined conditions. Similarly, men cannot take more than 2 drinks per day and the risky conditions can occur if more than 14 drinks are taken in a week or more than four drinks in any event. Binge drinking includes four or more than five drinks in any occasion for both men and women. The social drinkers have become a label for those people who drink occasionally and they do not be included in the criteria that are provided for the use of alcohol and its dependence.

It is reported by the Institute of Medicine Task Force that many problems which add up to the society due to the intake of alcohol are not caused by the people who are suffering from disorders due to the use of alcohol but they are caused by the people who have a varied range of maladaptive patterns of use of alcohol. There are many possibilities that there can be different risk factors for the use of alcohol and the disorders of alcohol intake (Nigg et al., 2006, pp.468). Alcohol dependence is costly to individuals who are living in United States (Gelernter, & Kranzler, 2009, pp.91-99).

Significance

There are many psychological, social and biological risk factors for the consumption of alcohol and for the problems that are related to intake of alcohol. The drinking of alcohol is an essential part of social, occupational and family life of many people who are living in UK. The risks are increasing and the rate of consumption is not associated with them. The unnecessary intake of alcohol in is a growing issue of the society and for policy makers also. Guidance is offered by The National Alcohol Strategy to address some of the increasing trends of alcohol consumption and its results on the citizens (Department of Health et al., 2007, pp.12). There is a need of development of more strategies and guidelines so that the misuse can be decreased and the sensible drinking can be promoted. One action can be the monitoring of changes in the habits of drinking with time and different factors can also be identified which produce an ...