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Students Making Decisions : About AlcoholAnudha Mittal, SafetyIssues |
Volume 3 Issue 33August 2004 |
| With the fall approaching, many students are heading off to college. Living alone, they will frequently face decisions. One of these decisions will be about alcohol. | |
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With 109 million usages per month, alcohol is among the most popular drugs in America and it is very popular among young adults. Seventy to eighty percent students use it monthly. The alcohol industry profits 22 billion dollars per year! Twenty-two billion …how many of us can even fathom that magnitude of money? Alcohol companies spend a considerable amount of money to keep their business thriving. Millions of advertisements are released and they do a lot of market research to make effective advertisements. Depending on your community and ethnicity, what channels on TV you watch, what programs you see, and the places you visit, you are given a different set of ads. Judging from your interests on TV, alcohol companies can make ads that most appeal to you. Men and women are approached differently as well. Where men are approached with provocative scenes or images of conquest, women are approached with ads containing visions of friendly and cozy environments. Many ads show underage drinkers laughing and drinking. Alcohol companies want young addicts because they turn into life-time customers. All this information adds up to saying that alcohol companies spend a vast amount of money on getting customers. Their goal is to make more money from their customers. The ads are meant to deceive you into thinking they want you to have a good time just like the models in the ads. Their purpose is to get money out of your pocket and make business boom. |
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The images in our head affect out spontaneous decisions. With their numerous billboards and TV commercials, alcohol companies leave images of happiness, laughter, and attractive companions in our heads. They do not remind you of potential scenes of sexual assaults, DUI accidents, or hangovers. Again, the soul purpose of an advertisement is to get money from customers. When you see an ad, ask yourself these questions. Alcohol of course, is a liquid and can not generate companions. It can alter the mind to feeling of lightness, but with many damaging effects on the brain. |
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There are short damages to the brain which
lead to inability to balance, coordinate body movements, make judgment and
take decisions, and remain alert. Coordination, judgments and quick
decisions, and alertness are necessary for driving, which is why driving
under influence is very dangerous. Every two minutes, there is an alcohol
related automobile injury in United States and every thirty minutes, a
death. In most states, it is illegal to drive if BAC (Blood Alcohol
Concentration) is higher than .08 (some states have a limit of .10 BAC),
but even at a lower BAC, driving is dangerous. The designated driver
should abstain from drinking at any social event. Overdosing can lead to
passing out. This is extremely dangerous because after passing out, you
are completely helpless to take care of yourself. Vomiting may also occur
and leads to dangerous situation. One is inhaling vomit which can lead to
lung infections. The second is drowning in ones own vomit if the liquid
blocks air passages. If a friend has passed out or is lying helplessly, do
not leave them lying on their back. That leaves him/her in a position with
greater chances of inhaling or drowning in vomit. Another short-term effect of overdosing is blacking out. It results from a quick rise in BAC such as after taking a shot. A black out is completely different from passing out. During a black out, a person does not make new memories. After this period, he/she will not be able to recall what he/she was doing, what promises were made, or what decisions were taken. However, during the blackout, a person can remain very active and coordinate in complicated behaviors. |
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Alcohol is used in religious traditions and
moderate drinking is not entirely harmful. One glass per day for women and
two for men decrease the chances of coronary heart disease. However, a
little bit of increase in alcohol intake significantly increases chances
of breast cancer. Alcohol also does not provide nutrients, and does
provide calories. Moderate and safe drinkers are faced to choose between
decisions with more dilemma than total abstainers.
If you do choose to drink, eat food while drinking. Eating food will decrease the rate at which alcohol is absorbed because the stomach will also be metabolizing food. So, BAC will increase more slowly and safely. Also, be active while you are drinking. Be doing something. Don’t just sit down and drink. You are more likely to drink large quantities if you are just drinking. Drink in the company of others so that people around you know if you pass out or need medical attention. Overall, the benefits of abstaining far outweigh those of drinking. It is possible to have fun and enjoy social company without drinking. Researchers have performed experiments with mock bar settings. Fake and real drinks were served. Subjects who had not had real alcohol reported feeling pleasure because that is what they expected to feel. Much of what we feel comes from what we expect to feel. Do not let yourself depend on alcohol or any other drug to feel happiness. From health and safety viewpoints, it is much better to remain sober. Least importantly, also consider all the money that gets wasted on buying drinks. Live and have your friends live a healthy, safe, and long life. |
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