Alcoholics

8 Pages 2049 Words

cent are below the poverty line. Ninety percent of all alcoholics are employed, and many work for years before their alcoholism becomes so bad that they cannot perform their job. Federal officials estimate that the abuse of alcohol costs the economy well over one hundred billion dollars every year. Alcohol does this by making people be less productive at work, taking more sick days, sustaining on the job injuries, collecting more workmen’s compensation, and increasing health insurance premiums.
Physical effects prolonged alcohol use like that of an alcoholic can lead to permanent damage of your body. The liver is the organ of the body most vulnerable to damage by alcohol because the liver is where the alcohol is broken down. The liver may become worn out from the daily task of removing alcohol from the blood; this may cause the liver to be unable to perform as well in removing other harmful substances. One of the most dangerous diseases of the liver caused by long-term alcohol use is cirrhosis of the liver.
Cirrhosis causes the liver to become inflamed and scarred, which eventually kills the liver and the person. Over fourteen thousand deaths a year from cirrhosis are directly related to alcohol. Alcohol causes an increase in blood pressure; this makes the heart pump harder to move blood around the body. Alcohol can cause an increase in heart rate while at the same time reducing the ability of the heart muscle to pump; it can also cause abnormal heart rhythms. Long-term and heavy use of alcohol can cause a condition of the heart called alcoholic cardiomyopathy, this impairs the heart muscles ability to contract and eventually fail.
Alcohol’s action on the brain is what ca...