Alcohol Abuse: Advertising

Introduction

 Alcoholism is a community problem that affects everyone negatively whether directly or indirectly. Alcohol consumption is perceived as a personal choice. It is the oldest drug, and it is widely consumed. Some drinkers develop addictions and can destroy them. Many people drink alcohol with beverages, and they drink for social reasons. Some people believe that there is no cause for drinking, but others believe that there are several causes and effects.  Alcoholics are 6times more likely to commit violently a crime and thirteen times more likely to commit a crime on the property. Alcohol abuse significantly minimizes the ability to solve problems, understand situations and predict the consequences. (McMurran, 1999, p.219).

Abstract

The study used quantitative research techniques on alcohol abuse. The study objectives were; to determine out the reasons why people abuse alcohol and to identify effects of alcohol abuse. The methodology used in the study to gather information was in-persons interviews, and the target population was people who once abused alcohol but had quit drinking, and some of the were being rehabilitated. The findings of the study were: people indulged in alcohol abuse because of trauma, stress, peer influence and adverting of alcohol. The effects of drinking alcohol excessively included increased road accidents, increase the crime rates, liver damage, alterations of body movement, and loss of appetite, decreased brain function and increased in other health related illnesses. Alcoholism is a major problem affecting everyone in the society and health education, and rehabilitation should be done so as to solve the problem.

Methodology

The study population was conducted among people who took alcohol and quit. The participants were selected using a simple random method. Everyone was given an equal chance to be selected. The researcher selected 5 participants for the study. The information was gathered through in-person interviews. An in-person interview guide was used to collect the data from the homogenous population. The data collected was cleaned, classified and after that coded before it was entered into a computer for analysis. The analysis was done using Microsoft Excel

Findings

The findings on the reasons that made people abuse alcohol included; stress- out of the five people interviewed 3 felt that alcohol relieves stress. Our world today is full of difficulties that people have never experienced.  Some people view alcohol as a means of reducing stress and relaxing the mind, but it can have very severe side effects. It is very rare for people to have positive outcomes when they turn to alcohol because of stress. Alcohol can act like a little tranquilizer but stress is stress, and it will always remain.

Peer pressure is another reason people indulged in alcohol abuse. Most of the people are influenced by their peers either negatively of positively they can make someone try something they would not try on their own. People wanted to fit in and to look like their friends when hanging out. When others are drinking alcohol the chances that someone will fall in the trap. Some individuals think that they can easily handle alcohol and control it, just like their friend. But most of them were likely to develop addiction especially if they have a family background of alcohol abuse.

Trauma is also another reason that made people drink. People being rehabilitated for alcohol abuse reported a huge number of physical injuries, victimization violently, rape and witnessing domestic violence. The physical abuse led most of them to alcohol abuse because of the trauma.

Lastly, advertisement; five people were interviewed, and 4 agreed that advertising predisposes to alcohol especially to the young population. Alcohol is usually advertised in the media. When people listen to alcohol advertisement and watch movies on the same, it increases their societal status.  It increases their self-confidence, sexual attractiveness and fun in their world.

One consequence of alcohol abuse is liver damage. 3 of the interviewed felt that alcohol abuse shortens human life as it causes liver cirrhosis. One of the interviewees said “my uncle was an alcoholic; he abused it for more than thirty years. Finally, he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.” The majority agreed that once someone has the disease of the liver, a lot of pain is experienced, and a lot of money is spent on the disease. The participants strongly agreed that alcohol abuse causes neurons damage. One of the participants said “whenever I drink excess alcohol my body movements are being altered, I lose appetite” another member told me to have witnessed his friend undergo depression after excess alcohol taking over a long time.

A few of the interviewed claimed that exposure to consuming alcohol for a long time contributes to decrease in brain functionality.  Two of the participants felt that excessive in taking of alcohol on an empty stomach would help to blackout. One of the interviewee said. “My dad was a drinker, with time I realized that he had a problem of remembering things’’ The participant felt that dementia could be prevented if it were not for excessive drinking of his dad.

 A member said that a drunken person decided to take an offensive off-the-cuff remark. The member felt that the individual who was under the influence of alcohol had an anger management this contributed to violence. Probably, the action may have involved innocent people. Majority of the interviewed felt that, driving while drug over acceptable levels may contribute to accidents

Conclusion

In summation, alcohol abuse is a problem the needs to be solved as soon as possible. Change in someone’s personality due to stress, trauma or influence by others need to be corrected so that people do not indulge in alcohol abuse as the last resort. The study revealed that there was a relationship between alcohol abuse and violent crime. The study also showed excessive alcohol had a correlation with accidents, disease of the liver, decreased brain functionality, and loss of appetite, blackout and violence. Public awareness should be done through health education to empower people with knowledge of alcoholism. Rehabilitation is another intervention that can be implemented to save those who are already drinking and addicted from severe effects of alcoholism and by doing these the general welfare of the community will be improved.

IN PERSON INTERVIEW GUIDE

1.      Have you ever taken alcohol? ………....................................................................................................................................

2.      If yes in 1 above, are you still taking alcohol? ………………………………………………

3.      If no in 2 above what are the major reason that made you stop taking alcohol?  

4.      What are effects of alcohol abuse?............................................................................................

5.      Why do you think alcohol abuse contributes to the above effects?..........................................

6.      In your opinion, what do you think should be done to reduce the above mentioned effects?......................................................................................................................................