Alcohol

3798

ENG111-01

MWF-9AM

Argumentation

22 Sept. 2006

Alcohol

Good morning, my name is Chadd Pfeiffer. I would like to thank WSCI for allowing me to speak in front of you students on the topic of binge drinking.

When people hear the word "drug" they usually think of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, or heroin, but another drug out there that people do not think about is alcohol. Most people never consider the fact that consuming alcohol can be just as harmful as illegal drugs, not only on the body, but on the mind and spirit as well. If constantly abused, alcohol can be even worse for one than taking illegal drugs. Irresponsible drinking can destroy a person's life as well as the lives of those around them.

Alcohol and Alcoholism is a big part in our society, which should be recognized and dealt with. Alcoholism usually begins with social drinking then a person will find excuses to drink more often. Rebecca Donatelle states, "When alcohol is made more readily available to an individual, such as in a college environment, it increases the risk that person will drink excessively" (p. 201). The chances of a person becoming an alcoholic are much higher for a person who drinks excessively and lower for a person who drinks moderately. Most alcoholics start out by building up a tolerance, causing them to drink higher amounts of alcohol to get the same effect. This tolerance is the starting point of an alcoholic's dependence and causes many problems in an alcoholic's life. Alcohol begins to control the individual's life and causes their drinking habits to conflict with their best interests. Personal relationships can be torn apart, jobs are frequently lost, and the health of a person deteriorates when an individual begins to rely on a drink to get by.

Alcohol can be very serious when it includes a mother when she is pregnant. Alcohol can harm the fetal development. Donatelle declares, "More than 10 percent of all children have been exposed to high levels of alcohol in the uterus. This is known to be the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States" (p. 207). Additionally, a child who has an alcoholic parent is much more likely to become an alcoholic later in life. To help prevent this from happening there is just one thing to do, DO NOT DRINK WHILE PREGNANT!

In addition, alcohol can affect a person ability to drive. Alcohol can slow down a person's reaction time and blur their vision to different degrees considering the amount of alcohol that is consumed. According to Donatelle, "Studies show that 3 out of 10 drivers in their lifetime will be in an alcohol related accident" (p. 208). This means that in this classroom around eight of you will be involve in an alcohol related accident. One of the ways to reduce this number is, even if you have had one drink do not attempt to drive. It only takes a couple of minutes to find a ride and one mistake to take a life.

Furthermore, alcohol can have an astounding effect on a person's body. Donatelle expresses that, "Internal organs and systems can be severely damaged, and even shut down when too much alcohol is consumed. The prolonged use of large amounts of alcohol without an adequate diet may cause serious liver damage such as cirrhosis of the liver. "It has been estimated that 10% of all alcoholic persons develop cirrhosis, a disease characterized by diffuse scarring of the liver" (p. 228). The central nervous system can also be permanently damaged causing a person to possibly blackout, hallucinate, and experience tremors. The withdrawal symptoms that a severe alcoholic can experience are sometimes