Alcohol

2 Pages 610 Words

Alcohol

Millions of people consume alcohol everyday. The chemical formula for alcohol is. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the United States. It is a depressant, and causes relaxation, pleasure, and stimulation for those who consume the beverage. Alcohol is an addictive substance; however, not everybody becomes addicted.
Alcoholics are compulsive drinkers, who can not keep their drinking under control. Frequently alcoholics intend to have only one or two drinks but find it impossible to stop. They end up consuming eight or more drinks at one sitting.
Many people drink alcohol, but only a small amount develop drinking problems (World Book, 2000). The exact cause of alcoholism as puzzled many researchers. Alcoholism can be explained as a(Alcohol and Tobacco, p33) chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manisfestations. Alcoholism was recognized as a disease two hundred years ago. Scientists, physicians, and social workers believe that alcoholism is the result of a complex mix of sociological, psychological, and behavioral factors that interact with a person’s genetic makeup, resulting in a complex mix (Alcohol and Tobacco, p. 36). Research shows that heredity plays an important role in alcoholism. Alcoholism is thought to be linked to various genes. Researchers believe that certain families may have a unique mix of genes that make family members more susceptible to alcoholism than others. Studies have proved that people with an alcoholic parent have a greater risk of developing the disease, than people without alcoholic parents. Alcoholism and the Family states Twenty-eight million Americans grew up in families where one or both parents have alcoholism (p 11). In the 1950s, a twin study was conducted in Sweden. (Alcohol and Tobacco) Researchers first identified male twins, at least one of whom had a problem with alcohol. When they stud...