Alcohol is one of the most abused drugs in the world. According to the National Institutes of Health in 2012, more than 7.2 percent of adults have an alcohol use disorder. It corresponds to about 27 million people worldwide. Here are some facts about alcoholism that every individual needs to know:
It leads to short-term health risks.
Abusing alcohol for short-term harm Alcohol can cause serious health damage as well as disease. Injuries include accidents, homicides, falls, alcohol intoxication, sexual assaults. People under the influence of alcoholism have inhibited judgments and decisions that can lead to harmful results.
It can also lead to long-term health effects.
The individual develops the medical conditions of long-term health risks after the intake of alcohol over a fairly long period of time. The dangers include high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, digestive problems, memory loss, etc.
It is related to sexual assault and domestic violence.
Studies show that alcohol abuse is associated with sexual assault and domestic violence. But that does not mean that alcohol abuse can cause an individual to do all of these, but rather that it forces the individual to engage in these actions while under the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol has effects on the fetus.
Pregnant women, if they abuse alcohol, tend to endanger not only themselves, but also cause a risk to the fetus. Abusing alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome which leads to certain deformities in the child, such as hyperactivity, impaired vision and hearing, poor coordination, heart problems.
It also affects the children in the family.
Children of alcoholic parents are considered to be at increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related mental health problems. Since the parent here is too involved in the addictive behavior, the children are more likely to experience repeated neglect, behavior problems, relationship problems, emotional instability, and various other mental health issues.
Genetics is not the only factor responsible for alcoholism.
A family history of alcoholics puts the child at a higher risk for alcoholism, but there are other factors as well, such as environmental factors. These include peer pressure, environment, parenting style, etc. along with genetics that are thought to contribute to alcoholism.
Alcohol abuse has caused about 5.9% of deaths worldwide.
Alcoholism is one of the lifestyle-related causes of death worldwide.
According to the 2014 world survey, alcohol abuse caused around 3.3 million deaths a year.
Many people think that alcohol addiction or alcoholism is an individual’s choice and do not focus on the fact that it does not affect them, but also affects their loved ones.
Alcoholism is a brain disorder and not a character issue. The above facts are provided in the hope that people will understand the effects of this addictive disorder. If you or your loved one is addicted to alcohol, help them recover from their addictive behavior as quickly as possible.