Alcohol_Abuse

Alcohol Abuse I’d like to start with the story of a man who nearly lost everything because of alcohol abuse. He was camping one weekend, with his son. The boy was bored, so he asked his dad if he could go play at the park. His dad was not only hung-over from the night before, but probably still drunk. So rather than get up and take his young son to the park, he sent the boy off to play; alone. The man lay in bed for a moment before the realization of what he had done hit him. Instead of enjoying this time with his son, he had just sent the 5-year-old boy to play by himself. He sat up, wondering how long he’d have to wait before he could crack open another beer. Surely that would make him feel better. Instead, he walked to the park where his son played and sat down on the bench. As he sat on the bench all this man could do was think about the cold beer waiting for him back at the campsite. Then the man looked up at his son. Suddenly, it occurred to him that his life was passing him by. The most important thing in the world wasn’t getting back to that beer. It was his son. His drinking had already caused him to lose his job, his income, his wife, and almost his home. He’d had too many close calls with drinking and driving and other risky behaviors while he was drinking. In all reality, he should probably be dead. As he watched his son he decided he was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. At that moment he made the decision to change his life. Maybe he couldn’t get back all that he had lost, but he could certainly make the most of his life from that day forward. That was the last day I had a drink. My name is John, and I am an alcoholic. This is not just any story; it’s MY story. You may struggle with alcohol yourself, or know someone who does. According to Alcoholics Info.com, approximately 14 million adults in the United States abuse alcohol (“Statistics on Alcoholics”). Results of a study done by The American Journal of Industrial Medicine in 2006, show that the annual employer cost of alcohol-related injuries to employees and their dependents was reported at $28.6 billion (Zaloshnja). Two-thirds of victims who suffered violence by a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend reported that alcohol had been a factor. Among spouse victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender who had been drinking (Violence Prevention). The U.S. Department of Justice Report on Alcohol and Crime found that alcohol abuse was a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes committed in the U.S (T. Buddy). The economic impact is astounding. In 2000, the estimated annual cost to society because of crime, loss of productivity and health care due to alcohol abuse was $184.6 billion (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Alcohol abuse impairs how a person performs as a partner, spouse, parent, employee and member of our society. All of these issues can be prevented. Therefore, I propose the best way to solve the problem of alcohol abuse is for individuals to seek help. Again, I propose the best way to solve the problem of alcohol abuse is for individuals to seek help. I will be discussing some of the major social problems caused by alcohol abuse and how easy it can be for people to find the help that they need. First, I will discuss the problems alcohol abuse can cause in the workplace. In addition to the obvious dangers having an alcohol abuser in the workplace can cause to safety of not only the abuser, but also other employees, there are other aspects of work which are negatively effected by alcohol abuse. Nearly 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries can be tied to alcohol consumption or abuse. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that employees who abuse substances are 25 to 30 percent less productive and miss work three times more often than non-abusing employees putting a heavy financial burden on employers and an equally heavy burden on other employees who often have to pick up the slack for the abusive employee (Schuster). Next, I will show the negative effects alcohol abuse can have on a family. Alcohol abuse affects not only the primary relationship of an abuser, but can also have a profoundly negative effect on children and finances. The spouse of an alcohol abuser has the most obvious problems created by the addiction. Violence, infidelity and divorce are common in relationships in which one partner is an alcohol abuser. In many instances, the sober parent has to take on additional parenting responsibilities because the parent who is abusing alcohol is unable to perform these duties. Children of alcohol abusers often deal with low self-esteem, guilt and depression, among other issues. The children often feel responsible for the problems created by the alcohol. Alcohol abuse also leads to money problems for the family. There may be job losses and poor financial decisions that put the family on shaky ground economically. The abusive family member may spend large amounts of the family's income on alcohol. In addition to these hits on finances, alcohol abuse often leads to legal fees, damages to the home or vehicles, health costs and lost work days (Foster) Now I will discuss the effects alcohol abuse has on society as a whole. Three out of ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives and fifty to seventy-five percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive. So clearly the alcohol abuser behind the wheel is still a threat to society. Alcoholics Victorious reports the following statistics concerning other crimes related to alcohol. Alcohol was involved in at least 34 percent of all murder cases. More than half of rapists had been drinking. Mothers convicted of child abuse are three times more likely to be an alcohol abuser, and fathers, ten times more likely. Thirty-six percent of suicide victims had been drinking. Heavy drinking is involved in 60 percent of violent crimes, and 80 percent of fire and drowning accidents (Asmus). During the past two decades, five major studies have estimated the economic costs of alcohol abuse in the United States using the “cost of illness" approach, which expresses the multidimensional impact of a health problem in dollars. The most recent estimate of the overall economic cost of alcohol abuse was $185 billion for 1998. More than 70 percent of the estimated costs of alcohol abuse for 1998 were attributed to lost productivity, including losses from alcohol-related illness, premature death, and crime. The remaining estimated costs included health care expenditures such as the costs of treating alcohol abuse and dependence and the costs of treating the adverse medical consequences of alcohol consumption; as well as property and administrative costs of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and criminal justice system costs of alcohol-related crime (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). Finally, I will discuss how we can solve this problem. The solution is quite simple. As I said I propose that the best way to solve the problem of alcohol abuse is for individuals to seek help. There are many places to find the help. Alcoholics Anonymous offers meetings catered to many individual needs or desires and the aa.org website has a feature which lets individuals enter their zip code to search for meetings locally (“AA Meeting Directory”). They also offer online meetings through discussion forums, email or chat. Medical doctors have many references on solutions for alcohol abuse, while inpatient alcohol abuse facilities offer a more intense and guided program. While the cost for some of these options may be high, there are also solutions for that. AA meetings are free and many alcohol treatment solutions may be covered by health insurance. Forty-four states require health plans to cover alcohol treatment in some fashion (George Washington University, “State Laws, Health Insurance, and Alcohol Treatment”). About 80 percent of people with alcohol problems work, yet fewer than 25 percent of those who need treatment get it. Treatment substantially reduces drinking among people who abuse alcohol, and 40 to 60 percent of those treated for addiction to alcohol remain abstinent after a year (George Washington University, “Health Plans and Insurance”). In conclusion, I have discussed the many problems alcohol abuse causes. I have shown examples of problems created in the workplace, in families, and in society as a whole. I have also offered a solution. Seeking help for alcohol abuse saved my life. That is why I propose the best way to solve the problem of alcohol abuse is to seek help. Works Cited Asmus, Richard. "Negative Effects of Alcoholism on American Society." eHow.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Foster, Bethany. "The Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Families." eHow.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. George Washington University Medical Center. "State Laws, Health Insurance and Alcohol Treatment." Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems. Web. 1 Jul. 2002. 21 Mar. 2011. George Washington University Medical Center. "Health Plans and Insurance." Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Gordis, Enoch, MD. "Economic Perspectives in Alcoholism Research." National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Web. Jan. 2001. 21 Mar. 2011. "Iowa AA Meetings help for drinking Alcohol Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery." Step 12. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Schuster, James, MD, MBA. "How to combat addiction and substance abuse in the workplace." Smart Business. Web. Mar. 2011. 21 Mar. 2011. "Statistics on Alcoholics." Alcoholics Info. Web. 1997. 21 Mar. 2011. T., Buddy. "Crime and Alcohol." About.com. Web. 9 Aug. 2010. 21 Mar. 2011. United States Congress. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 10th Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol. Jun. 2000. 21 Mar. 2011. Zaloshnja, Eduard, and Ted Miller, and Delia Hendrie, and Deborah Galvin. "Employer costs of alcohol-involved injuries." American Journal of Independent Medicine. 50 (2007): 136-142.