The drinking of alcoholic beverages has two faces: one happy and the other sad. The moderate drinking of alcohol can make the heart of man rejoice. Yet, its misuse can cause harm or can even be deadly, like the bite of a poisonous snake.
Worldwide, the cost of alcohol misuse in terms of human life is incalculable. In France alcohol abuse is the third cause of death, after cancer and coronary heart disease, killing some 50,000 people directly or indirectly each year according to a report commissioned by the French Health Ministry. The death toll exacted by alcohol is especially high among young people. According to a World Health Organization report published in 2001, alcohol is the leading cause of death among European men aged 15 to 29. It is predicted that soon in some Eastern European countries, misuse of alcohol will kill 1 out of every 3 young men there.
Alcohol also contributes to acts of violence. Drinking can remove inhibitions and social restraints and can trouble the way one interprets other people's actions, thus increasing the likelihood of a violent response. Alcohol is a significant factor in domestic violence and sexual assault. A French study of prison inmates suggested that alcohol was involved in two third of rapes and indecent assaults. And in Poland, surveys indicate that 75°/° of alcoholics' wives have been subjected to violence.
When health costs, insurance costs and lost productivity resulting from accidents, illness, or premature death are calculated, the financial cost of alcohol to society is staggering. Alcohol abuse is said to cost the four million people of Ireland at least one billion dollars a year. This sum is equal to the price of a new hospital, a sports stadium and a jet for every Minister every year. A report to the U.S. Congress declared: "The estimated economic cost of alcohol abuse was $184.6 billion for 1998 alone, or roughly $638 for every man, woman, and child living in the United States that year." And what about the psychological cost of broken or bereaved families and stunted educations or careers?
Is it possible to break the chains of alcohol abuse? Can alcohol-induced problems be overcome or even avoided?
First, it is imperative that the person who drinks recognizes that a problem exists and that abstinence will improve his way of life. A common reaction among addicts is denial. "I drink like every one else" or "I can stop whenever I want to," they claim. Another reaction is making the others responsible for one's drinking habit: "I drink because my wife left me and I lost my job" instead of "My wife left me and I lost my job because I drink."
Second, one has to seek help whether with professionals or with resource people. The absence of alcohol leaves a void, somewhat like losing the companionship of a close friend. This void has to be filled with outdoor activities such as sports, or safe purposeful activities such as reading, praying, visiting friends, etc...
Adapted from Awake! October 8, 2006