The Dangerous Effects of Alcohol
By Dr.Ali Fourkan
Alcohol addiction is a problem affecting hundreds of thousands
of people across the UK, many of whom do not even realise they have an issue.
Those who are aware that alcohol has become a negative influence in their lives
may need to complete an alcohol detox in order to get better. This is typically
followed by a programme of rehabilitation and lifelong abstinence to maintain
sobriety.
It
is the thought of permanent abstinence that often causes delays in treatment
for some individuals. With alcohol being a widely available and socially
acceptable substance, many drinkers fear that a life of sobriety will somehow
put them in the minority and will mean their life will become boring.
Others
are worried about alcohol detox and believe that it is going to be so painful
that they will not be able to cope. These obstacles to recovery can be
problematic as it could mean many alcoholics continuing to get worse without
treatment.
The Dangerous Effects of Alcohol
Excessive
consumption of alcohol leads to a host of mental and physical health problems
and often adverse consequences for the drinker and his or her family. Most
people drink alcohol in moderation, and many forget that it is a highly
addictive toxic substance. Those who drink more than the recommended weekly
amount of fourteen units are putting their health in danger.
Drinking
large amounts of alcohol can mean building up a tolerance to the effects and
the result of this is that the individual will then need to drink more and more
every time in order to achieve the desired ‘buzz’.
However,
the more alcohol a person drinks, the more likely he or she is to develop a
physical dependence and loss of control over his or her consumption. When a
person loses control over their alcohol intake or the ability to stop drinking,
it is usually because an addiction has developed. This can have devastating
consequences for the person’s mental and physical health as well as their
lifestyle.
Reducing Harm to Mental Health
The
negative effects of alcohol cannot be underestimated; on the back of a review
by Public Health England in January 2016, the Government reduced the
recommended weekly alcohol guidelines for men from twenty-one to fourteen. A
warning was also issued to moderate drinkers telling them that there was no
safe limit of alcohol consumption that would prevent against alcohol-related
cancers.
Experts
say it is the toxins in alcohol that cause the harm to health; researchers from
the Adam Smith Institute are now claiming that a new ‘hangover-free’ synthetic
alcohol product could have what it calls, ‘seismic effects on public health’.
The
product is known as ‘Alcosynth’ at the moment, and it is said to be one hundred
times safer than alcohol. It gives drinkers the feeling of being drunk without
any loss of control, and because it does not contain any toxins, it is deemed
as being a much safer alternative to alcohol. Nevertheless, researchers say
that government regulations are blocking the development of Alcosynth.
Saving Lives
The report into the use of Alcosynth is titled Sinnovation:
How Markets Can Solve Public Health Problems and in it, researchers claim that the
development of these safer products is being curbed by both EU and UK
regulations.
The
report also warns that the pursuit of abstinence campaigns as opposed to the
development of risk-reduction products could negatively affect the number of
lives that could be saved every year.
Nonetheless,
alcohol campaigners firmly believe that the best way to reduce the impact of
alcohol on society is to introduce higher alcohol prices, restrict the
marketing of it, and reduce the availability.
Alcohol
Focus Scotland’s Alison Douglas said, “Scotland continues to experience the
highest rates of alcohol harm in the UK, with 22 Scots dying every week last
year due to alcohol. Steps are being taken to begin to turn the tide on this
shocking picture, but more must continue to be done to change the pro-alcohol
culture in our country. The idea that a synthetic alcohol product could provide
the same public health benefits is far from proven, and given the scale of the
problem we face, our efforts are much better spent on measures which we know to
work.”
Tackling Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol
misuse is a massive problem here in the UK and one that continues to be a drain
on society and the economy. In Scotland, the Government has taken steps to
address the issue by introducing a quantity discount ban on alcohol, more
education on the dangers of alcohol misuse, and also a lower drink-drive limit.
However, according to a Scottish Government spokesperson, “Any products
intended for human consumption need to comply with the relevant EU and domestic
legislation.”
Alcosynth
was created by Imperial University’s Professor David Nutt and is a derivative
of benzodiazepine. Researchers believe it may help to reduce the harm caused by
alcohol. Currently, alcohol consumption can cause illnesses such as liver
disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and cancer. It can also
cause a devastating alcohol addiction that require an alcohol detox and
treatment to overcome it.
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