Navigating the Perils of Alcohol Abuse: Health and Social Risks

Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Dangers of Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse includes a spectrum of unhealthy behaviors associated with drinking alcohol. Abuse of alcohol ranges from binge drinking, dependence of alcoholic beverages, health problems resulting from drinking, and involvement in alcohol related crimes. People involved in alcohol abuse are exposed to preventable health and social problems depending on the type and level of abuse. Apart from tobacco, alcohol is the drug with the largest preventable effects on the health of the users ranging from liver problems to mental health issues. Alcohol use disorder is a significant global problem affecting people differently depending on their age, gender, and state of physical health (Caamano-Isorna et al., 2160). For men, risky drinking is defined as the consumption of greater than 14 standard drinks in a week or 4 drinks at a time. The amount is lower for women with risky drinking being defined as the consumption of 7 or more drinks in a week. Binge drinking is the consumption of 5 or more drinks for men and 4 drinks for women on a single occasion. Both risky and binge drinking have significant implications for the consumers, their family members, and the society in general. Alcohol abuse, either on occasion or over time, has significant health implications on the users. Alcohol impairs the functioning of the brain and affects the capacity of people to communicate and behave normally. Risky drinking causes damages on the brain and affects how it looks or functions making it harder for users to move with coordination. On the other hand, binge drinking affects how people behave on the short-term and increased abuse of alcohol has negative implications on mental health of the users. Additionally, alcohol abuse over the long-term affects the functioning of the heart and is associated with life threatening health problems. The effects include cardiomyopathy or the stretching of the heart muscles making it difficult to function properly (Caamano-Isorna et al., 2160). Alcohol abuse on the short-term and long-term increases the risk of arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats and stroke. People with a history of alcohol abuse have a greater likelihood of having high blood pressure and associated health issues. By far the greatest health issue associated with long-term alcohol abuse is the development of liver problems. Alcohol abuse causes an inflammation of the liver leasing to a variety of problems and health complications. Long-term health issues include liver cirrhosis, fibrosis, and steatosis or fatty liver (Lee 468). While liver problems may ar