People become possessive. We search for things that make us happy, and when we find them we don’t want to let them go. Happiness can be found in anything, from objects to people. And, depending on the environment, people sometimes go to extremes with what we consider “pleasing.”
      One of the number one killers in America is drug abuse. People do drugs for a number of reasons. Whether it’s because they want to fit in, they think drugs make them forget their problems, or because they have poor self esteem. People who abuse drugs are seeking one thing: liberation from all that ails them. 
      Society recognizes the danger drug abuse poses and is constantly holding “anti-drug abuse” protests. Their efforts have been a success, for the most part. It seems the “glory days of tobacco” back in the 1920s when smokers were ignorant to the damages they were doing to their bodies by smoking, are over. Authors of a report on longevity in the Archives of Internal Medicine say that “Smoking, diabetes, obesity and hypertension significantly reduced the likelihood of a 90-year life span . . . Furthermore, men with a life span of 90 or more years also had better physical function, mental well-being, and self-perceived health in late life compared with men who died at a younger age. Adverse factors associated with reduced longevity--smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle--also were significantly associated with poorer functional status in elderly years.” We see here that smoking is an influential evil, but it isn’t the only evil.
      Freevibe.com, a popular website devoted to helping teens “say no” to drugs, has posted facts about the consumption of alcohol and what its effects are.
      “Alcohol can damage every organ in your body. It is absorbed directly into your bloodstream and can increase your risk for a variety of life-threatening diseases, including cancer. Alcohol depresses your central nervous system, lowers your inhibitions, and impairs your judgment.” The article goes on, “Drinking can lead to risky behaviors, including having unprotected sex. This may expose you to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases or cause unwanted pregnancy. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to coma or even death. Also, in 2004, 36 percent of traffic deaths of 16- to 20-year-olds were alcohol-related. That equates to the deaths of 2,115 people in this age group alone.” And perhaps the most interesting fact Freevibe.com states is that “If you're around people who are drinking, you have an increased risk of being seriously injured, involved in car crashes, or affected by violence. At the very least, you may have to deal with people who are sick, out of control, or unable to take care of themselves.”
      Many religious and health organizations form methods that they hope will assist in the prevention of suicidal deaths. The U.S. Army teaches soldiers to apply “ACE” (Ask, Care, Escort) as part of the “ASIST” program, whenever confronted with a suicidal situation. The program lists many reasons why people are tempted to commit suicide. Among these reasons are: depression, loneliness, the inability to fit in with groups, death of a family member or dear friend, hopelessness and drugs. (Primarily alcohol.) It’s interesting to point out that alcohol abuse is usually last on the list, and briefly mentioned. The Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York writes this in one of their articles: “Retrospective studies indicate that a large majority of suicide decedents with alcohol use disorders meet criteria for alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is a maladaptive pattern of alcohol use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period: (i) tolerance; (ii) withdrawal; (iii) the alcohol is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended; (iv) there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol use; (v) a great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain alcohol, use alcohol, or recover from its effects; (vi) important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of alcohol use; (vii) alcohol use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by alcohol.” This clip from The Hutch Report sums it up nicely: “…the US military should be even more mindful of the potential problems that could occur if their youngest soldiers are left alone for too long and have access to alcohol.” The Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry also says this in their article: “During recent years, the relationships between suicide rates and measures of alcohol consumption have been investigated in several studies. The association between alcohol consumption and suicide rates have been analyzed in 13 nations of the world (Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the US, and West Germany); in 10/13, suicide rates were positively associated with per capita consumption of alcohol.” Alcohol seems to have many adverse effects on lonely soldiers’ minds. Consider this news clip from USA Today: “BAGHDAD (AP) — American soldiers took turns raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, and one of them put a bullet through her head after killing her parents and 5-year-old sister, an Army investigator testified Monday. The attack followed a session of whiskey drinking and card-playing during which five soldiers plotted the March 12 assault, criminal investigator Benjamin Bierce said.”
      It is a fact—not idea—that alcohol abuse is a mighty killer. But why do people continue to drink themselves to death? The effects of too much alcohol consumption are clear. Why do we continue to overdrink?



"True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance."
--Akhenaton
 

Copyright 2008 by C.S. Harmon. All Rights Reserved.