abuse of alcohol essay

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

103 Alcohol Abuse Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Alcohol Abuse Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Alcohol abuse is a prevalent issue that affects individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Writing an essay on this topic can help raise awareness about the consequences of alcohol abuse and encourage discussions on prevention and treatment strategies. Here are 103 alcohol abuse essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The impact of alcohol abuse on physical health.
• Exploring the psychological effects of alcohol abuse.
• The correlation between alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
• The role of genetics in alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse among college students: causes and prevention.
• The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development.
• Alcohol abuse among teenagers: risk factors and prevention strategies.
• The relationship between alcohol abuse and mental health disorders.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on academic performance.
• The societal and economic costs of alcohol abuse.
• Exploring the link between alcohol abuse and sexual assault.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to liver disease.
• The role of advertising in promoting alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol abuse and its consequences on the workplace.
• The influence of peer pressure on alcohol abuse among adolescents.
• Is alcoholism a disease or a choice?
• The effects of alcohol abuse on memory and cognitive functioning.
• Alcohol abuse in the LGBTQ+ community: prevalence and challenges.
• The role of parenting in preventing alcohol abuse among adolescents.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on relationships and family dynamics.
• The representation of alcohol abuse in literature and media.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the immune system.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
• The role of law enforcement in preventing alcohol-related crimes.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to prescription drug misuse.
• Exploring cultural differences in alcohol abuse patterns.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on college campus safety.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing cancer.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on sleep quality.
• The role of social media in promoting alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol abuse among older adults: causes and interventions.
• The effectiveness of treatment programs for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to homelessness.
• The role of alcohol abuse in motor vehicle accidents.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the developing brain.
• The relationship between alcohol abuse and suicide rates.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the development of eating disorders.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on memory formation and retrieval.
• The use of medication-assisted treatment for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child neglect and abuse.
• The impact of alcohol advertising on underage drinking.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing liver cirrhosis.
• The role of education in preventing alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse among military personnel: causes and interventions.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on driving performance.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and gambling addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on college retention rates.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the developing fetus.
• The influence of family history on the development of alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to mental health stigma.
• The effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing pancreatitis.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the progression of HIV/AIDS.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the immune response to vaccines.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on decision-making processes.
• The effectiveness of school-based prevention programs for alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse among healthcare professionals: challenges and solutions.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the development of fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to substance use disorders.
• The impact of globalization on alcohol consumption patterns.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the teenage brain.
• The role of community support in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child development delays.
• The influence of alcohol abuse on sexual risk-taking behaviors.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the immune response to infections.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and homelessness.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on emotional regulation.
• The role of spirituality in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent delinquency.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on academic achievement.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing neurological disorders.
• The effectiveness of harm reduction strategies for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on executive functioning.
• The role of cultural norms in alcohol abuse patterns.
• Alcohol abuse among first responders: causes and interventions.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to self-harm behaviors.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on the gut microbiota.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on attention and concentration.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and food insecurity.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the endocrine system.
• The role of trauma in the development of alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent mental health disorders.
• The effectiveness of peer support groups for alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing respiratory diseases.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on creativity and artistic expression.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on social cognition.
• The role of public health campaigns in preventing alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child maltreatment.
• The influence of alcohol abuse on academic motivation.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the cardiovascular system.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and eating disorder recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on sensory perception.
• The role of cultural identity in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent substance use.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on the immune response to vaccines.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing kidney disease.
• The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on spatial cognition.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and social isolation.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the neurobiology of addiction.

These essay topic ideas provide a broad range of perspectives on alcohol abuse, enabling you to choose a topic that aligns with your interests and academic goals. Remember to conduct thorough research and support your arguments with credible sources for a compelling and thought-provoking essay.

Want to create a presentation now?

Instantly Create A Deck

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Hassle Free

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2023 Pitchgrade

Binge drinking is a growing public health crisis − a neurobiologist explains how research on alcohol use disorder has shifted

Assistant Professor of Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacology, Penn State

Disclosure statement

Nikki Crowley receives funding from The National Institutes of Health, The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences endowment funds.

Penn State provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

View all partners

With the new Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black ” in U.S. theaters as of May 17, 2024, the late singer’s relationship with alcohol and drugs is under scrutiny again. In July 2011, Winehouse was found dead in her flat in north London from “death by misadventure” at the age of 27. That’s the official British term used for accidental death caused by a voluntary risk.

Her blood alcohol concentration was 0.416%, more than five times the legal intoxication limit in the U.S. – leading her cause of death to be later adjusted to include “alcohol toxicity” following a second coroner’s inquest.

Nearly 13 years later, alcohol consumption and binge drinking remain a major public health crisis , not just in the U.K. but also in the U.S.

Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. adults report binge drinking at least once a week, with an average of seven drinks per binge episode . This is well over the amount of alcohol thought to produce legal intoxication, commonly defined as a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08% – on average, four drinks in two hours for women, five drinks in two hours for men.

Among women, days of “heavy drinking” increased 41% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels , and adult women in their 30s and 40s are rapidly increasing their rates of binge drinking , with no evidence of these trends slowing down. Despite efforts to comprehend the overall biology of substance use disorders, scientists’ and physicians’ understanding of the relationship between women’s health and binge drinking has lagged behind.

I am a neurobiologist focused on understanding the chemicals and brain regions that underlie addiction to alcohol . I study how neuropeptides – unique signaling molecules in the prefrontal cortex , one of the key brain regions in decision-making, risk-taking and reward – are altered by repeated exposure to binge alcohol consumption in animal models.

My lab focuses on understanding how things like alcohol alter these brain systems before diagnosable addiction, so that we can better inform efforts toward both prevention and treatment.

The biology of addiction

While problematic alcohol consumption has likely occurred as long as alcohol has existed, it wasn’t until 2011 that the American Society of Addiction Medicine recognized substance addiction as a brain disorder – the same year as Winehouse’s death. A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder is now used over outdated terms such as labeling an individual as an alcoholic or having alcoholism.

Researchers and clinicians have made great strides in understanding how and why drugs – including alcohol, a drug – alter the brain. Often, people consume a drug like alcohol because of the rewarding and positive feelings it creates, such as enjoying drinks with friends or celebrating a milestone with a loved one. But what starts off as manageable consumption of alcohol can quickly devolve into cycles of excessive alcohol consumption followed by drug withdrawal.

While all forms of alcohol consumption come with health risks, binge drinking appears to be particularly dangerous due to how repeated cycling between a high state and a withdrawal state affect the brain. For example, for some people, alcohol use can lead to “ hangxiety ,” the feeling of anxiety that can accompany a hangover.

Repeated episodes of drinking and drunkenness, coupled with withdrawal, can spiral, leading to relapse and reuse of alcohol. In other words, alcohol use shifts from being rewarding to just trying to prevent feeling bad.

It makes sense. With repeated alcohol use over time, the areas of the brain engaged by alcohol can shift away from those traditionally associated with drug use and reward or pleasure to brain regions more typically engaged during stress and anxiety .

All of these stages of drinking, from the enjoyment of alcohol to withdrawal to the cycles of craving, continuously alter the brain and its communication pathways . Alcohol can affect several dozen neurotransmitters and receptors , making understanding its mechanism of action in the brain complicated.

Work in my lab focuses on understanding how alcohol consumption changes the way neurons within the prefrontal cortex communicate with each other. Neurons are the brain’s key communicator, sending both electrical and chemical signals within the brain and to the rest of your body.

What we’ve found in animal models of binge drinking is that certain subtypes of neurons lose the ability to talk to each other appropriately. In some cases, binge drinking can permanently remodel the brain. Even after a prolonged period of abstinence, conversations between the neurons don’t return to normal .

These changes in the brain can appear even before there are noticeable changes in behavior . This could mean that the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction may take root well before an individual or their loved ones suspect a problem with alcohol.

Researchers like us don’t yet fully understand why some people may be more susceptible to this shift, but it likely has to do with genetic and biological factors, as well as the patterns and circumstances under which alcohol is consumed.

Women are forgotten

While researchers are increasingly understanding the medley of biological factors that underlie addiction, there’s one population that’s been largely overlooked until now: women.

Women may be more likely than men to have some of the most catastrophic health effects caused by alcohol use, such as liver issues, cardiovascular disease and cancer . Middle-aged women are now at the highest risk for binge drinking compared with other populations.

When women consume even moderate levels of alcohol, their risk for various cancers goes up, including digestive, breast and pancreatic cancer , among other health problems – and even death. So the worsening rates of alcohol use disorder in women prompt the need for a greater focus on women in the research and the search for treatments.

Yet, women have long been underrepresented in biomedical research.

It wasn’t until 1993 that clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Health was required to include women as research subjects. In fact, the NIH did not even require sex as a biological variable to be considered by federally funded researchers until 2016. When women are excluded from biomedical research, it leaves doctors and researchers with an incomplete understanding of health and disease, including alcohol addiction.

There is also increasing evidence that addictive substances can interact with cycling sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone . For instance, research has shown that when estrogen levels are high, like before ovulation, alcohol might feel more rewarding , which could drive higher levels of binge drinking. Currently, researchers don’t know the full extent of the interaction between these natural biological rhythms or other unique biological factors involved in women’s health and propensity for alcohol addiction.

Looking ahead

Researchers and lawmakers are recognizing the vital need for increased research on women’s health. Major federal investments into women’s health research are a vital step toward developing better prevention and treatment options for women.

While women like Amy Winehouse may have been forced to struggle both privately and publicly with substance use disorders and alcohol, the increasing focus of research on addiction to alcohol and other substances as a brain disorder will open new treatment avenues for those suffering from the consequences.

For more information on alcohol use disorder, causes, prevention and treatments, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism .

• Amy Winehouse
• Binge drinking
• Neurobiology
• Intoxication
• Alcohol consumption
• Alcohol use
• Alcohol use disorder
• COVID-19 pandemic

Senior Research Fellow - Women's Health Services

Senior Lecturer in Periodontics

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Marketing

Assistant Editor - 1 year cadetship

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health

Personalize Your Experience

Log in or create an account for a personalized experience based on your selected interests.

Already have an account? Log In

Free standard shipping is valid on orders of $45 or more (after promotions and discounts are applied, regular shipping rates do not qualify as part of the $45 or more) shipped to US addresses only. Not valid on previous purchases or combined with any other promotional offers.

Register for an enhanced, personalized experience.

Receive free access to exclusive content, a personalized homepage based on your interests, and a weekly newsletter with topics of your choice.

Home / Healthy Aging / Common myths and misconceptions about alcohol use

Common myths and misconceptions about alcohol use

Please login to bookmark.

Alcohol is ingrained in our culture — so much so that it can be hard to know what’s true and what’s not about drinking and how it affects the body.

Below, Tyler S. Oesterle, M.D., M.P.H., a psychiatrist who researches and treats addiction disorders at Mayo Clinic, helps sort out fact from fiction as he addresses common myths about alcohol use.

Myth: Drinking one glass of alcohol a night has no impact on your health.

Unfortunately, this is not necessarily the case.

While the problems with alcohol are most pronounced when you consume it chronically and in large amounts, even small amounts of alcohol can lead to problems. International and domestic health authorities, including the World Health Organization and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism agree: Drinking alcohol is health risk.

“There’s no medical reason to drink alcohol,” says Dr. Oesterle. “It’s just something people do for fun. Fun is good; I don’t hate fun. But there’s other ways to have fun that don’t include ingesting a toxin.”

While drinking in moderation — defined by guidelines from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as at most two standard drinks a day for men and one a day for women — is typically OK, it can still cause trouble for some people, Dr. Oesterle says.

You could look at drinking alcohol like skydiving, Dr. Oesterle says. There is no recommended number of times that someone should jump out of a plane. It’s fun for some people, but there is no medical reason to do it or health benefit from it.

Similarly, drinking alcohol can be fun, but there are risks associated with it — so people should be aware of those risks, he says. Unlike skydiving injuries, alcohol use disorder is very common, affecting over 28 million U.S. adults in the past year, according to 2022 data .

Myth: Alcohol really just impacts your liver.

Not true. In addition to affecting the liver, alcohol affects the brain, the heart, and both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

The toll that excess alcohol use takes on the body is immense. Drinking too much over time can:

• Lead to high blood pressure and increase your risk of an enlarged heart, heart failure or stroke.
• Make it harder for your body to resist disease, increasing your risk of various illnesses, especially pneumonia.
• Interfere with your body’s ability to get enough B vitamins and other nutrients.
• Increase risk of many cancers, including mouth, throat, liver, esophagus, colon and breast cancers.
• Damage your nervous system, causing numbness and pain in your hands and feet, disordered thinking, dementia, and short-term memory loss.

Alcohol can be especially problematic in older adults because it can conflict with medications and worsen the symptoms of other health problems that are common among older people.

Additionally, alcohol can damage the nerves in the inner ear, affecting balance. This is a recipe for falls, which are typically much more traumatic in older adults and can even be deadly.

Myth: One glass of alcohol a day, especially if it’s red wine, is good for you.

This also is a myth, says Dr. Oesterle. This belief really took hold when a few studies came out years ago stating that there was a correlation between red wine and fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease , sometimes attributed to the antioxidants in red wine.

“That really got taken and blown out of proportion,” Dr. Oesterle says. “All of a sudden wine became this health must-do, that you must drink wine otherwise you’re not going to live very long. And it was just factually inaccurate. The data behind it was pretty loose.”

The data in the studies was correlative data, not direct causation data.

“So the actual cause (of any health benefit) probably wasn’t the alcohol at all,” Dr. Oesterle says.

Myth: You’re not in danger of health or addiction problems if you only drink alcohol socially.

Again, this is untrue. Cultural norms would have you believe that drinking is integral to certain activities, like a wedding reception, football game, brunch or night out on the town. It’s important to be aware that alcohol doesn’t have to be a part of those things, Dr. Oesterle says.

“It’s addictive for people … and then it’s causing problems. We can’t then get frustrated with those people because we built out a cultural norm around it,” he says.

Myth: If you’ve been drinking responsibly for years, you’re not going to become addicted to alcohol.

Dr. Oesterle leads Mayo Clinic’s inpatient rehabilitation program for addiction and says he often sees alcohol use become a problem for people after they retire. When these people were employed, they may have been too busy to consume copious amounts of alcohol. But without a routine or daily responsibilities, alcohol use can more easily spiral, he says.

“There’s nothing keeping them from drinking all day,” Dr. Oesterle says. “We know that the amount of alcohol exposure predicates the likelihood of developing an alcohol use disorder. So if you have very little alcohol exposure to the brain, your chance of getting addicted to alcohol is very low. But the more alcohol you expose your brain to, the more likely you are to get addicted.”

Myth: Being able to “hold your liquor” means alcohol is not damaging your body as much.

Actually, it can be the opposite. Those who maintain that they can hold their liquor, meaning that they can drink larger amounts with fewer apparent effects, may drink in excess to feel intoxicated. A higher tolerance for alcohol does not mean the body is impervious to the effect of alcohol; it means that drinkers should be more cautious.

The alcohol is still affecting their bodies, even if they do not immediately feel it, and they are still at higher risk of falls, cognitive impairment and other negative effects because they are drinking more.

Myth: If you’re menopausal and having trouble sleeping, alcohol can help you sleep better.

Nope. In fact, alcohol can make sleep worse and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats more pronounced. Consuming alcohol during menopause can also increase the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, says Dr. Jewel M. Kling , M.D., M.P.H., a physician with Mayo Clinic Women’s Health in Arizona.

Alcohol can exacerbate hot flash symptoms, which occur because of disruption to the body’s thermoregulatory zone. Alcohol also interferes with this zone, making the hormone-driven changes worse.

Dr. Kling recommends that people going through menopause limit alcohol to one drink a day or less, in addition to eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

Relevant reading

Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis

Around 54 million Americans live with osteoporosis or low bone mass, but many don’t recognize the symptoms until it is too late. Before a bad fall or fracture renders you immobile, learn how to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, manage your day-to-day symptoms, and even treat the disease with the tools provided in Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis.

Discover more Healthy Aging content from articles, podcasts, to videos.

You May Also Enjoy

Privacy Policy

We've made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please take a moment to review.

Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms

Introduction, causes of alcoholism, effects of alcoholism, works cited.

The term alcoholism may be used to refer to a wide range of issues associated with alcohol. Simply put, it is a situation whereby an individual cannot stay without alcohol. An alcoholic usually drinks alcohol uncontrollably and persistently.

Alcoholism usually leads to ill health, and it affects relationships between the individual and the people around him. It may also be considered as a disease and may be referred to as an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse may also cause damage to vital organs in the human body, including the brain and heart (Mukamal et al. 1965). Therefore, it may lead to psychiatric and medical issues. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, may occur.

Others include phobias, dysthymia, mania, and depression. Alcoholism may also cause neurologic deficits. These deficits may be manifested through certain impairments such as brain damage and memory loss. Such individuals also have difficulty executing certain functions and may experience issues with body balance and gait.

The brain might be affected as certain changes occur in its structure and chemistry. With time, a person develops physical dependence and tolerance. This causes the inability to stop drinking and causes complications as one tries to stop the habit.

This is particularly referred to as alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Identifying alcoholics for the purpose of treatment may be difficult since such individuals may avoid seeking help due to stigmatization. However, certain factors influence the risk for the condition.

These factors include mental health, depression, age, gender, ethnicity, and family history (Mukamal et al. 1965). This paper will discuss the genetic and environmental factors that cause alcoholism and highlight the complications, conditions, and diseases associated with the disorder.

The main causes of this disorder may be categorized into two. These include genetic and environmental factors. The genetic material that determines the metabolism of the drink also influences the risk of the disorder. Persons with a family history of the disorder may also develop it.

A particular study argued that the expression of genes was influenced if an individual started using alcoholic beverages at an early stage in life (Agrawal et al. 69). This increased the risk of alcohol dependence among such individuals.

Persons with a genetic disposition to the disorder would most probably start drinking at an early stage. Individuals who start drinking at an early stage are also more likely to develop alcoholism. It is also argued that 40% of alcoholics misuse alcohol by the time they are in their late adolescent stage. However, certain researchers disagree with this idea (Schwandt et al., 74).

Individuals who do not receive support from family and friends are highly likely to develop alcoholism. Therefore, some social and emotional factors may cause an ex-drinker to start drinking again. For example, mental and emotional stress can contribute to alcoholism.

An individual under the influence of alcohol may not be able to feel the pain associated with stress. With the normal alcohol intake, an individual’s brain might be at some equilibrium. When the individual tries to quit, the brain responds. This response may come in terms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

These feelings cause chemical imbalances that force an alcoholic to go back to drinking in order to feel better. Social and cultural pressures from media and other sources may also affect the drinking habits of an individual. The media’s portrayal of alcohol as a pleasurable and beneficial drink may encourage individuals to start drinking or cause ex-drinkers to return to their old habits (Bierut et al. 237).

The damaging effect of alcohol on the nervous system is more profound among adolescents and those with a genetic disposition to the disorder. These effects may cause the degeneration of the cerebral cortex. Consequently, this increases impulse behavior that may lead to alcoholism.

Despite the severe damages to the central nervous system due to alcoholism, it is possible to reverse some of the damages through withdrawal from the drug. Another risk factor is the availability of alcohol. This drug is most commonly abused. In terms of popularity, beer may come next after water and tea.

The difference in genetic characteristics also determines the risk of developing the disorder. This is mainly because different races have certain different genetic characteristics.

Therefore, they differ in terms of alcohol metabolism. The difference in genetic makeup may explain the difference in the rate of alcohol dependence among the different races.

The genetic component that determines the rate at which alcohol metabolizes is referred to as the alcohol dehydrogenase allele. The Native Americans and African Americans are said to have an allele that is not highly associated with alcohol dependence. The Native Americans, on the other hand, are more likely to develop alcohol dependence.

The effects of alcohol abuse are diverse. Consumption of excess alcohol may lead to several diseases and complications. For example, it may lead to the inflammation of the pancreas, liver disease, and cancers. Alcohol-related cancers are believed to form as the elements in the alcoholic drink are converted into acetaldehyde. This is a potent carcinogen.

Different parts of the body may host the cancerous cells. These areas include the liver, breast, and mouth. The larynx and the throat are also likely to be affected. Alcoholics who take tobacco have an increased risk of cancers (Bierut et al. 237).

Liver cirrhosis is another condition that may occur as a result of excessive drinking of alcohol. This is manifested through the scarring of the organ to such an extent that it cannot perform its functions. However, some individuals who drink moderately have also been shown to suffer from the disease (Mukamal et al. 1965).

Pregnant alcoholic mothers may also cause problems for the unborn. Fetal alcohol syndrome may result from such habits. Excessive use of alcohol may cause impaired brain development and brain shrinkage. Although the brain normally shrinks in old age, excessive use of alcohol increases this rate. With the increased rate, such individuals are likely to develop dementia and have memory issues.

Alcoholism also increases the risk of cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders. Excessive use of the beverage may cause an increase in the level of toxic amino acid in the plasma. This may be the reason why some individuals suffer from withdrawal seizures.

Alcohol abuse may also cause issues with memory and may impair learning. Alcoholism may also greatly affect the brain. For example, brain lesions are likely to occur. Alcohol-related brain damage comes about due to a combination of several factors.

Alcoholism may also cause heart attacks and strokes. Abuse of alcohol increases the risks of a heart attack. Some studies have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation may offer some level of protection to individuals against heart attack (Mukamal et al. 1965).

This applies specifically to individuals who had suffered a heart attack before. Prolonged use of alcohol in large quantities also causes alcohol cardiomyopathy. This disease affects the muscles of the heart. As the heart muscles fail, this may lead to heart failure.

Alcoholism is also associated with alcohol-related death. Many deaths worldwide have been attributed to the excessive use of alcohol (Doll et al. 199). Individuals who use alcohol excessively are at a higher risk of death than those who take alcohol moderately. Individuals with diseases that may be augmented by the excessive use of alcohol are also at great risk of alcohol-related death. Such diseases include oral cancers and liver disease.

Another effect of alcoholism is anemia. Excessive use of alcoholic beverages causes a reduction in the number of erythrocytes. This condition is referred to as anemia. Since red blood cells are used to transport oxygen around the body, the low level of oxygen due to low numbers of the cells leads to fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

Alcoholism may either be caused by genetic or environmental factors. Persons with a genetic disposition to the disorder are likely to start drinking and become alcoholics. Genetic variations may determine the difference in alcohol metabolism.

The environmental factors that may cause alcoholism include the availability of alcohol and sociocultural pressures. Certain environmental factors lead to depression that may encourage alcoholism. The effects of alcoholism are diverse. Alcoholism may lead to diseases such as liver disease, heart disease, and cancers. Excessive use of alcohol may affect almost all vital organs of the body and may eventually lead to death.

Agrawal, Arpana, et al. “Evidence for an interaction between age at 1 st drink and genetic influences on DSM-IV alcohol dependence symptoms.” Alcoholism Clinical & Experimental Research 33.12 (2010): 67-80. Print.

Bierut, Laura, et al. “Co-occurring risk factors for alcohol dependence and habitual smoking.” Alcohol Research & Health 24.4 (2000): 233-241. Print.

Doll, Richard, et al . “Mortality in relation to alcohol consumption: A prospective study among male British doctors.” International Journal of Epidemiology 34.1 (2005): 199-204. Print.

Mukamal, Kenneth, et al. “Prior alcohol consumption and mortality following acute myocardial infarction.” JAMA 285.15 (2001): 1965-1970. Print.

Schwandt, Melanie, et al. “Alcohol response and consumption in adolescent rhesus macaques: Life history and genetic influences.” International Biomedical Journal 44.1 (2010): 67-80. Print.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2020, January 12). Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms. https://studycorgi.com/alcoholism-causes-and-effects/

"Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms." StudyCorgi , 12 Jan. 2020, studycorgi.com/alcoholism-causes-and-effects/.

StudyCorgi . (2020) 'Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms'. 12 January.

1. StudyCorgi . "Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms." January 12, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/alcoholism-causes-and-effects/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms." January 12, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/alcoholism-causes-and-effects/.

StudyCorgi . 2020. "Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms." January 12, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/alcoholism-causes-and-effects/.

This paper, “Alcoholism: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: September 27, 2020 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

How We Get Hooked: Understand Alcohol Misuse

Uncover how perceived benefits shape our relationship with alcohol..

Posted May 18, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• What Is Alcoholism?
• Find a therapist to overcome addiction
• Explore how early alcohol experiences shape our perceptions of alcohol.
• Dive into how social learning reinforces drinking behaviors.
• Replace judgment with understanding, using a drinking diary to cultivate healthier alcohol consumption.

“I don’t know why I keep drinking.” I threw myself onto my therapist’s bright yellow couch on a hot summer day.

“I am sure you had a reason,” my therapist replied.

I remembered looking up at her with disbelief. It was not the response I imagined I would get.

This pivotal moment was the beginning of my journey to understanding the deeper reasons behind alcohol consumption, a journey I now navigate with my clients. Six years have passed since then, and having become a therapist myself, the exchange above has also become one that takes place often between me and my clients.

Every Behavior Serves a Purpose: Perceived Benefits

People who come to me to work on their alcohol consumption often feel perplexed by their own behaviors. They see all the good reasons to drink less, yet for some reason, they just can’t seem to figure out how.

“Is there something wrong with me?” many of them end up asking. My answer to that question is a definitive “No.”

No. There is nothing wrong with you. You drink for a reason.

Here is the thing: behind each of our behaviors, there is a motive. Our behaviors serve purposes. They are driven by perceived benefits. We take a shot before walking up onto the stage for a boost of confidence ; we pour a glass of wine before initiating intimacy to soften the moods; and we reach for that fourth beer because we believe the more we drink, the more fun we will get. Behind each sip we take, there is always something that we hope to get. Recognizing these patterns has led me to explore the initial allure of alcohol and the perceived benefits that often go unnoticed.

The Power of Perception: The Initial Perceived Benefits

As we scratch our heads wondering why someone can’t stop drinking despite all the negative consequences, we often fail to acknowledge the perceived benefits. You see, if drinking was really just “all bad,” very few of us would ever get hooked. The tricky thing about alcohol is that it often starts with benefits—perceived benefits, at least.

Imagine a young man at his first college party, feeling awkward and out of place—until he has his first drink. Suddenly, the edges soften, the room seems friendlier, and he feels like he belongs. Or a teenage girl who is going through her first breakup. As the cold beer pours down her throat, the sadness in her chest slowly dissipates. (That girl was me.)

Our early encounters with alcohol often set the tone for our relationship with it, creating powerful perceptions. According to the expectancy theory, we make choices based on the expected outcome of our actions. After the initial encounters, the young man learned to pop open a beer every time he felt unease at a party, and the teenage girl learned to pour herself a glass whenever sadness arose in her chest.

These early perceptions often overshadow the delayed negative consequences. The immediate perceived benefits reinforce the behavior, making it easy to overlook the hangover the next day, the occasional throw-up by the sidewalk, or the long-term impact on one’s health and well-being. As these early experiences shape our perceptions, they lay the groundwork for new associations that reinforce our drinking habits over time.

Reinforcement and New Associations: How Alcohol's Appeal Grows

As we continue navigating through life, the perceived benefits we have around alcohol slowly multiply. Perhaps you were originally drawn to alcohol by the alleviation of discomfort in social situations. Over time, as you continue to drink during parties and gatherings, your brain starts to associate drinking with having a good time.

Moreover, our observations about others around us continue to add layers of perceived benefits to our understanding of alcohol. According to social learning theory , we learn by observing and imitating others. When we watch a housewife on TV pour herself a glass of “mommy’s juice” by the end of the day, we learn to associate alcohol with relaxation and stress relief. When we see our friend pair a Cabernet Sauvignon with a hearty steak, we learn to see wine as a part of fine dining. The observations create more and more perceived benefits we associate with the liquid in the bottle.

These perceived benefits keep us reaching for a drink even when the negative effects start to pile up. Grappling with dissatisfaction with attempts to cut down, many people become trapped in a sense of self-blame.

Replace Self-Blame With Understanding

Understanding the "why" behind our drinking can make a crucial difference, as shame and guilt often hinder our ability to understand and make changes. When we get caught up in painful questions like “What’s wrong with me,” we become distracted from constructive questions such as “How can I create changes?” Insights and awareness are often the first steps to change.

You had reasons to drink. Understanding those reasons gives room for you to learn how to drink less.

Inside my 7-Day Toolkit, you can find my favorite tool, the 3-minute drinking diary , to help you uncover the hidden perceived benefits of drinking.

Jeanette Hu, AMFT , based in California, is a former daily drinker, psychotherapist, and Sober Curiosity Guide. She supports individuals who long for a better relationship with alcohol, helping them learn to drink less without living less.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Occup Med (Lond)

Military service and alcohol use: a systematic narrative review

A k osborne.

Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK

G Wilson-Menzfeld

M d kiernan.

Despite research highlighting the role of alcohol in military life, specifically in relation to mental health and certain combat experiences, there is no synthesised evidence looking at the relationship between military service and alcohol use.

To synthesize and examine evidence exploring the relationship between military service and alcohol use.

Six databases were examined across a 10-year period. Papers were included if they involved a military population and focused on alcohol use. From 4046 papers identified, 29 papers were included in the review.

Military characteristics and experience were linked to high levels of alcohol use across military populations. Societal and cultural factors also played a role in alcohol use in military populations. Predatory behaviour of alcohol establishments, pressures to conform, an acceptance of alcohol use, and the role of religious services and military affiliated social networks were all considered. Excessive drinking impacted physical and mental health. Those diagnosed with PTSD and associated symptoms appeared to have greater alcohol use.

Conclusions

This review identified certain characteristics and experiences of military service that are associated with higher levels of alcohol use. It is important to identify risk factors for alcohol misuse to develop appropriate policy, targeting prevention.

Key learning points

What is already known about this subject

• Historically alcohol has had an integral role in military life and has been seen as an acceptable behaviour in social bonding and comradeship.
• Alcohol misuse in military populations has been associated with a negative impact on social, physical, and psychological health.
• Literature reviews to date have focussed on comorbidity of PTSD and alcohol misuse, wider mental health and Gulf and Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans, no systematic reviews of literature have considered the wider experiences of alcohol use and military service.

What this study adds

• Military-specific traits and experiences such as, service type, rank and deployment status are linked to higher levels of alcohol use in military populations across multiple countries.
• There appears to be an over-reliance on self-report questionnaires for the assessment of alcohol use in a military population focussing on symptom severity, with a paucity of research considering personal experiences and meanings ascribed to alcohol use.
• The systematic narrative review has brought together a body of knowledge on alcohol use in a military population and the synthesis of this literature provides an evidence base to help inform future policy.

What impact this may have on practice, policy or procedure

• There are specific characteristics strongly associated with military service that impact alcohol use, it is important to identify these ‘risk factors’ to mitigate the impact on operational effectiveness and workplace cohesion by developing appropriate and targeted prevention policies.
• Mental ill health and harmful levels of alcohol use in military personnel co-exist and more specifically, this creates internal stigma making this population particularly reticent to seek help for both alcohol and mental health problems and therefore harder to identify.
• The systematic narrative review has highlighted a lack of consistency in the tools and measures used to assess alcohol use in a military population and suggests a need for a consensus of assessment measures in practice and wider research.

Introduction

Alcohol has played a prevalent, historic role in military life, where, internationally, it has been used as a means of mediating stress, both in theatre and in the aftermath of battle [ 1 ]. Used in social bonding and comradeship [ 1 ], drinking has become a common and accepted behaviour in military culture, surpassing alcohol use in the general population [ 2 , 3 ]. Beliefs on acceptable drinking norms can be influenced and reinforced when exposed to the military social environment [ 4 ].

The Motivational Model of Alcohol Use indicates consumption of alcohol may be used to cope, and to ‘regulate the quality of their emotional experience’ [ 5 p. 990]. These reasons for alcohol misuse have also been evidenced in serving military and veteran populations [ 4 ]. However, regardless of the potential advantages of alcohol consumption socially, especially in enhancing positive emotional experiences, problems develop when alcohol is misused. For military service members, exposed to highly stressful situations, behaviour around long-term alcohol use can be affected by the accepted social norms around higher levels of alcohol use for recreation and coping [ 4 ].

Research has suggested that alcohol may serve as a coping mechanism after traumatic events, where deployment has been associated with increased rates of alcohol use or problem drinking [ 6 ]. Drinking to excess may have a negative impact on mental and physical health [ 7 ], functional impairment [ 8 ], troop readiness [ 9 ], suicidal ideation [ 10 ] and the perpetrator in military sexual assaults [ 11 ]. Furthermore, the UK Armed Forces have expressed concerns that ‘excessive drinking can undermine operational effectiveness, leave soldiers unfit for duty, and damage trust and respect within the team’ [12 p. 12 ].

Alcohol use and military service are of great importance and a public health issue. However, there are no systematic reviews of literature that focuses on the wider, overall experiences of alcohol use and military service. Existing systematic review evidence stresses the important role of alcohol in military life, particularly focussing on the comorbidity of PTSD and alcohol misuse [ 13 ], Gulf and Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans [ 14 ], or as part of systematic reviews with a wider mental health focus [ 15 ]. Therefore, this study employs a systematic narrative review that aims to explore the relationship between military service and alcohol use.

To appraise evidence from multiple sources including qualitative and quantitative research, and to ensure an inclusive systematic search without bias, a systematic narrative review strategy was employed [ 16 ]. Suitable databases were searched, identifying published peer-reviewed evidence ( Table 1 ).

Systematic search strategy

Research papers on alcohol use with a military sample published prior to March 2021 were considered. Since the Global War on Terrorism began in 2001, there has been an increase in combat deployments of military service personnel from many nations across the globe. During this period, warfare has evolved, and the world has seen a more complex form of modern warfare, adapting and modernising to become more technologically advanced. This has also resulted in a change in the nature of deployments, impacting the role of military service in the lives of serving personnel. Deployments are dangerous and stressful for military personnel and combat stress, specifically experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been associated with alcohol misuse [ 14 ]. Consequently, only papers published after 2001 have been considered in this review to ensure an accurate representation of the role military service has on alcohol misuse.

The exclusion criteria included papers that were unavailable in English, focussed on treatments or interventions for alcohol problems, or the sample included veterans. Papers on substance use were included, only if they reported alcohol use. The PICO framework was used to develop the search terms ( Table 2 ). Truncation and wildcard search strategies were utilised.

PICO framework to develop search terms

Veterans and ex-service were included as search terms to ensure the maximum number of papers were returned. However, only papers with a serving military population were included in the review. The ex-service military population was excluded because of additional, non-military specific, factors that exist that may impact alcohol use such as their experience of transition out of the military. Following the search of the databases, 4046 papers were returned ( Figure 1 ).

PRISMA diagram of papers returned during systematic search.

A full-text search was carried out on 83 papers to determine the suitability for inclusion in the review. To appraise the quality of papers included in the review, the Critical Appraisal Skill Programme [ 17 ] tool was consulted. Fifty-four papers were excluded due to their focus on a veteran population or alcohol use not specific to military service. No further papers were identified through reference and citation searches. Consequently, 29 papers were included in this review.

Thematic analysis was used to analyse the papers and generate themes. The six steps of Braun and Clarke [ 18 ] were followed: familiarization with the data, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report.

Twenty-nine papers were included in this review ( Table 3 ). There were 22 studies represented across all 29 papers. Studies with multiple papers in this review included: the Health and Wellbeing of the UK Armed Forces Cohort Study [ 2 , 8 , 39 ]; Ohio National Guard (OHARNG) Mental Health Initiative [ 34 , 36 ]; Department of Defence Health Related Behaviours study [ 28 , 35 ] and the Prevalence, Incidence and Determinant of PTSD and Other Mental Disorders (PID-PTSD +3 ) study [ 40–42 ].

Characteristics of papers in review ( N = 29)

AUDIT, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test; PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; N/S, not specified.

Seventeen papers had samples from the US [ 6 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 25 , 26 , 28 , 31–38 , 43 , 44 ], six from the UK [ 2 , 8 , 19 , 27 , 29 , 39 ], three from Germany [ 40–42 ], one from Norway [ 24 ], one from Nigeria [ 30 ] and one from Angola [ 22 ]. Six papers looked at alcohol in the military for male personnel only [ 19 , 26 , 27 , 41–43 ], whereas 21 papers considered male and female personnel [ 2 , 6 , 8 , 20 , 23–25 , 28–40 , 44 ]. Two papers did not specify the gender of their sample [ 21 , 22 ].

Eleven papers considered Active Duty/Regular personnel [ 2 , 6 , 8 , 19 , 24 , 28 , 30 , 35 , 39 ] including two looking at special operations [ 23 , 38 ]. Ten papers considered National Guard/Reserve personnel [ 21 , 25 , 26 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 37 , 43 ] and four papers considered all serving personnel [ 33 , 40–42 ]. Five papers did not specify the enlistment type of the military personnel in their sample [ 20 , 22 , 27 , 29 , 44 ]

Of the 29 papers, 28 were quantitative [ 2 , 8 , 19–44 ] and one paper was qualitative [ 6 ].

Four themes were identified in the literature: Military Characteristics and Alcohol Use, Consequences of Deployment on Alcohol Use, Implication of Mental Health on Alcohol Use and The Role of Cultural and Social Factors on Alcohol Use.

Fifteen papers considered military characteristics associated with alcohol use in their military samples [ 2 , 19 , 20 , 22–25 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 33–35 , 40 , 41 ]. Hooper et al. [ 29 ] surveyed 1382 military personnel and reported they had a higher number of units of alcohol consumed per week than the suggested ‘low risk’ drinking threshold. In comparison to the general population, Fear, Iversen [ 2 ] identified a greater percentage of hazardous drinkers in a military population than in the general population.

Only two papers considered the potential differences in alcohol consumption between men and women. Fear et al. [ 2 ] suggested a gender difference in hazardous drinking where there were a greater number of male hazardous drinkers (67% military, 38% general population) than female hazardous drinkers (49% military, 16% general population). However Fadum et al. [ 24 ] noted that high alcohol consumption did not differ much between military women and men. Furthermore, no significant difference in high alcohol consumption between military and civilian women was found [ 24 ].

Papers in this review also considered the consequences of heavy drinking whilst serving in the military. For personnel that had deployed on operational service, a greater volume of drinking was linked to difficulties at home during and post-operational deployment [ 19 , 41 ]. In addition to demonstrating a high incidence of alcohol use in the military, the papers reported evidence of associations between alcohol use and factors such as age, service type, active deployment, combat exposure, mental health, and relationship status. In UK, US and German military populations, heavy drinking has been associated with holding a lower rank, being younger, being single, being in the Naval service or Army, being deployed to Iraq, not having children, being a smoker, having a combat role and having a parent with a drink or drug problem [ 2 , 19 , 23 , 25 , 35 , 41 ]. Most papers examined such risk factors in soldiers from US or UK military populations, potentially providing limited applicability to military populations in developing nations [ 22 ]. Interestingly, in contrast to US and UK findings, Cheng et al. [ 22 ] identified older age rather than younger age as a significant risk factor for alcohol use in Angola.

Literature suggests that, in the UK, levels of drinking are higher in the Army than other branches of the military [ 2 ]. Different subcultures of drinking within individual branches have been attributed to these variations across the military, especially under circumstances that involve personnel taking part in team activities where there may be pressure from peers to drink alcohol to relax and debrief [ 2 ]. These situations that involve socialising and alcohol use are a common feature of Armed Forces life and particularly in the Royal Navy. In this regard, Henderson, Langston [ 27 ] reported significant degrees of harmful drinking among personnel serving in the Royal Navy in comparison to the civilian population.

In addition to heavy and hazardous drinking, substantial levels of binge drinking have also been found in military populations across UK, US, German, Angolan and Nigerian military populations [ 2 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 30 , 33 , 40 ]. Binge drinking in the UK, has been associated with being younger, being in the Army, being single and being a smoker [ 2 ]. Furthermore, there appears to be a difference in the prevalence of binge drinking between Active Duty/Regular soldiers and National Guard/Reserves. Larson, Adams [ 33 ] identified that there was a marked difference between those personnel in Active Duty who reported frequent binge patterns of alcohol use than those in the National Guard/Reserves.

The issue of problematic alcohol use among the Armed Forces population, related to active service, was considered by 19 papers [ 6 , 19–21 , 23 , 29–31 , 33 , 34 , 36–44 ], including a focus on adverse combat experiences [ 19 , 21 , 29 , 37 , 38 , 44 ], pre-deployment preparedness [ 36 ] and differences between Active Duty/Regular soldiers and the National Guard/Reserves [ 31 , 33 ].

Rates of alcohol use have been perceived as the highest for those with combat specific jobs or those with a greater number and higher intensity deployments [ 6 ]. Furthermore, despite Special Operations Forces experiencing greater exposure to combat deployments than conventional forces, Dretsch et al. [ 23 ] determined that the prevalence of alcohol misuse in 16 284 Special Operations Forces soldiers was comparable or lower than reported by the wider military. This paper had the largest sample of the papers included in this review.

Research has indicated that heavy alcohol use often occurs during pre- and post- deployment with a significant association to the deployment period itself [ 6 , 20 , 30 , 37 , 43 ]. Most of the research primarily focuses on personnel with military service during the Iraq War (2003–2011), with and without deployment experience. More recent papers have begun to consider the impact of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014).

Adverse combat experiences during deployment have been associated with heavy drinking in military personnel [ 19 , 21 , 38 ]. Hooper et al [ 29 ] discussed how the active involvement in theatre of war had strong links to problematic drinking habits among serving personnel who feared for their own mortality and who ‘experienced hostility from civilians’. Wilk, Bliese [ 44 ] also found that soldiers who had higher rates of exposure to the threat of death or injury were significantly more likely to screen positive for alcohol misuse. Exposure to atrocities similarly predicted misuse of alcohol with alcohol-related behavioural problems.

Although in Russell [ 37 ] all combat experiences were also positively correlated, only the combat experience of killing was significantly related to post-deployment alcohol use. Interestingly, alcohol use decreased amongst those who experienced killing during combat. The authors’ explanation for this was based on the suggestion that the ‘killing experience may activate the soldiers’ mortality salience and trigger a self-preservation focus that manifests itself in reduced risky alcohol consumption’ [ 37 ]. No other paper in the review considered this.

Alongside the available evidence that suggests that fighting the enemy in battle and witnessing the horrors of war predisposes serving personnel to the risk of problematic alcohol use, Skipper et al. [ 38 ] suggested that serving personnel who are part of ‘special forces’ are at an even higher risk of providing a positive alcohol test result due to problematic drinking if they are involved in hostile warfare. In line with adverse combat experiences, Browne, et al. [ 19 ] also argued that personnel who deployed with their parent unit, whose role in theatre was outside, above or below their training or experience and who experienced poor in-theatre unit leadership were more likely to be heavy drinkers.

Despite several papers in this review ( n = 13) identifying a significant link between deployment and subsequent alcohol use, regardless of country, Thandi et al. [ 39 ] demonstrated that levels of drinking were not related to deployment status. Marshall et al. [ 34 ] also found no effect of deployment on alcohol use, although this was for those who reported pre-deployment depression or PTSD. Three German papers support the suggestion that deployment has no effect on alcohol use [ 40–42 ]. Interestingly, the correlates of increased average daily alcohol use across two time points in these papers, were limited social support, greater sleeping difficulties and increased negative post-event cognitions following deployment [ 41 ]. Lower PTSD symptom severity pre-deployment and less childhood emotional neglect, predicted a decrease in average daily alcohol consumption [ 41 ]. It is possible to suggest that specific deployment experiences impact alcohol use in a military population rather than deployment in general. However, these German papers were all from the same Prevalence, Incidence and Determinant of PTSD and Other Mental Disorders (PID-PTSD +3 ) study. Additionally, Orr et al. [ 36 ] identified that only pre-deployment preparedness was associated with incident alcohol misuse when controlling for demographics, deployment related factors (e.g. exposure to warzone stressors), and the presence of psychopathology.

US research has identified further differences within a military population. Around 13–14% of National Guard/Reserve personnel exhibited high levels of drinking in association with deployment [ 31 , 33 ]. Whereas Larson et al. [ 33 ] discovered that an increase in alcohol use as a result of deployment was actually greater in Active-Duty personnel compared to the National Guard/Reserves. Regardless, alcohol use following deployment is thought to be uniquely predicted by higher levels of PTSD symptom severity, higher levels of avoidance-specific PTSD symptoms and lower levels of positive emotionality [ 31 ]. It is worth noting that although there appears to be an indication of differences in alcohol use with engagement type following deployment, more research is needed to further explore this.

Although not a focus of this review, eight papers focussing on alcohol use in a military population reported on the implication of mental health [ 8 , 25 , 28 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 39 , 40 ]. This included five papers looking at the role and impact of PTSD [ 25 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 39 ], one on wider mental health [ 40 ], one on suicide [ 28 ] and one on functional impairment [ 8 ].

Previous research has suggested military personnel with PTSD may use alcohol for self-medication as a coping mechanism for distress related to psychological symptoms [ 31 , 34 ]. Five papers indicated a significant association between PTSD symptom severity, heavy drinking behaviours and new-onset Alcohol Use Disorder [ 25 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 39 ]. However, once the influence of personality variables were accounted for, Ferrier-Auerbach et al. [ 25 ] found that mental ill health was not associated with any drinking variable.

Although baseline PTSD symptoms significantly increased the risk of screening positive for new onset alcohol dependence, Kline et al. [ 32 ] identified no effect of pre-deployment alcohol use on subsequent PTSD diagnoses post-deployment. Such findings indicate that it is possible that the specific psychological consequence of military deployment (e.g. PTSD) significantly impacts military personnel’s alcohol use rather than being in the military in general.

In support of the specific psychological impact of deployment on military personnel’s alcohol use, further differences have been identified between deployed and non-deployed military personnel. Trautmann et al. [ 40 ] identified among recently deployed soldiers, that heavy drinking was related to a higher risk of anxiety, affective and sleep disorders. Among soldiers never deployed, heavy drinking was linked with any mental disorders other than substance use disorder and was further associated with somatoform disorders. For those recently deployed, associations between heavy drinking and the presence of any mental disorder as well as anxiety disorders were significantly greater than those that had never deployed.

Beyond PTSD, Herberman et al. [ 28 ] identified that US soldiers who reported high levels of alcohol use were more likely to have seriously considered and/or attempted suicide. After adjusting for level of alcohol use, PTSD, and depression, drinking to avoid rejection/’fit in’ was associated with suicidality.

One paper considered the impact of alcohol use on functional impairment. Rona et al. [ 8 ] identified that a score on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) denoting potential alcohol dependence was consistently associated with functional impairment, whereas binge drinking was not. Interestingly, despite a known impairment, participants with hazardous drinking perceived their functioning to be better than those with lower AUDIT scores. The implications of this perception should be explored further. Furthermore, half of the participants presenting with potential alcohol dependence also had psychological comorbidities.

Five papers identified the role of social support and communities in the alcohol consumption of military personnel [ 6 , 22 , 26 , 30 , 39 ]. The communities within which military personnel reside can have a prominent role in their alcohol use. Besse et al. [ 6 ] conducted interviews and focus groups with 29 US Active-Duty soldiers to understand the context of alcohol establishments in communities near military installations in relation to alcohol use. Participants identified predatory behaviour by local alcohol establishments to encourage excessive drinking, placing the profit as a higher priority over the safety of the soldiers. Free or reduced admission fees and drink specials were often specifically designed with soldiers in mind, with some participants reporting that alcohol establishments gave soldiers ‘heavier pours’ or mixed drinks with a higher proportion of alcohol. These findings indicate that there is a perception that military personnel drink more, thus increasing the availability of alcohol and subsequent use.

Unsurprisingly, Besse et al. [ 6 ] also ascertained that drinking has been described as an accepted way to relax and cope with stress brought on by the daily stressors of military life. Drinking alcohol was perceived to be an accepted part of military culture. Pressure to engage in heavy drinking often came from peers as an obligation to prove oneself to the group. This was particularly common among young military personnel or those new to a unit. Socialising appears to play a role in military personnel’s alcohol use. Besse et al. [ 6 ] conducted the only qualitative paper in this review. The findings allow further insight into the reciprocal relationship between alcohol and military personnel by using interviews and focus groups to explore the reasons behind the relationship. Qualitative methods are highly appropriate for this paper, where the purpose was to learn how military personnel experiences the community within which they reside.

Unexpectedly, Cheng et al. [ 22 ] indicated that socialising with family and friends two to four times, but not five or more times, per month increased the risk for problematic drinking in military personnel. More specifically, Thandi et al. [ 39 ] identified that entering into a new relationship resulted in a decrease in alcohol use.

Only two papers considered the role of religion in alcohol consumption [ 22 , 30 ]. Cheng et al. [ 22 ] ascertained that attending religious services more than once a week appeared to protect against problematic drinking in Angolan soldiers. It is possible that the effect of religion on alcohol consumption is dependent on the soldiers’ culture as another paper determined that religion had no role in drinking in Nigerian soldiers [ 30 ].

The social networks of military members appear to be crucial in the likelihood of alcohol use. For Reserve and National Guard soldiers, one paper indicated that drinking-related social network characteristics such as drinking buddies were associated with increased alcohol problems [ 26 ]. However, for those deployed, military-affiliated social networks were a protective factor against alcohol problems [ 26 ].

This systematic narrative review explored the relationship between military service and alcohol use. From the 29 papers examined in this review, it is evident that there are military-specific traits and experiences which impact alcohol use, namely military characteristics, such as service type and rank, and military deployment. Mental health, cultural and social factors also play a role in alcohol use in a military population.

Throughout this review, there are associations drawn between military characteristics and alcohol use such as service type, rank and deployment status [ 2 , 19 , 23 , 25 , 35 , 41 ], that have been associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption in military populations in a number of countries [ 2 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 30 , 33 , 40 ]. Additionally, studies have pointed towards a difference between alcohol use in a military population and the civilian population [ 2 , 27 ]. Although, Fadum et al. [ 24 ] indicated no difference between military women and civilian women.

Most papers indicated that alcohol use was greatest in those with deployment experience, especially those with adverse combat experiences [ 6 , 19 , 21 , 38 ]. This is unsurprising, at least in a UK military population, where policy allows the continuation of alcohol use during military ‘decompression’, where those returning from combat receive a short duration of absence together with psychological support [ 45 ]. There was a suggestion that these findings were a result of using alcohol as a coping mechanism after traumatic events, however, further work is needed to explore this. Specific combat experiences were significantly related to screening positive for alcohol misuse for elite and non-elite military personnel including personal threats, fighting and atrocities [ 38 ]. Interestingly, an increase in alcohol use following deployment was greater for Active-Duty personnel compared to the National Guard and Reserves in a US cohort [ 33 ]. It is important to note that not all research found a significant link between deployment and subsequent alcohol use, regardless of country, a few papers argued that deployment had no effect on alcohol use in military populations [ 34 , 39–42 ].

Evidence in this review suggests that mental ill health and harmful levels of alcohol use in military personnel co-exist. But, more importantly, the evidence suggests that internal stigma makes this population particularly reticent to seek help for both alcohol and mental health problems. Kiernan et al. [ 46 ] identified that many veterans only present for help when they can no longer cope with the situation, they find themselves in. This study found that seeking help for alcohol misuse issues late, when problems have escalated significantly, invariably led to a co-morbid presentation, a significant decline in mental health and excessive drinking, usually exacerbated by a collapse of the individuals social support network. Once more, this strengthens existing evidence that excess drinking negatively affects physical, social, and mental health [ 7 , 46 ]. Specifically, PTSD symptom severity was significantly associated with greater alcohol use [ 25 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 39 ]. Heavy drinking was also related to a higher risk of anxiety, affective and sleep disorders, functional impairment, and suicide [ 8 , 28 , 40 ].

This review also suggests that culture and social factors can influence alcohol use in a military population. An interdependent relationship was identified between military personnel and local alcohol establishments near military installations [ 6 ]. It was suggested that establishments tailor their business, often in a predatory way that is perceived as detrimental to military personnel’s health, well-being, and career. The behaviour of alcohol establishments near military installations was felt to exacerbate this alcohol acceptance. However, only one US paper considered this, more international research should be conducted to consider if this is a common experience in a military population. Interestingly, there was a suggestion that attending religious services [ 22 ] and that having military affiliated social networks when deployed [ 26 ], protected against problematic drinking.

Drinking alcohol was noted as an accepted way to relax and cope with stress in the military with some feeling pressure to conform to drinking [ 6 ]. This acceptance of alcohol use and the social norms surrounding its use can have life-long, post-military service implications, as military veterans who normalise or excuse their drinking, delay their engagement in substance misuse services [ 46 ]. The historic social and cultural norms within the military [ 1 ], and even the ‘romanticising’ of this culture [ 12 ] are now being recognised, and the UK’s Ministry of Defence is trying to combat and encourage a sensible approach to alcohol use with initiatives to identify individuals’ alcohol use during regular oral examinations [ 47 ].

In almost all studies considered for this review, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) or the modified brief version, AUDIT-C was utilised. The AUDIT and AUDIT-C have been acknowledged as valid instruments for identifying alcohol misuse or dependence among US and Australian military populations [ 48 , 49 ]. However, the validity of such tests in other military populations does not appear to have been completed, despite the variability in populations. Regardless of the validity of such instruments, research has relied heavily on self-report questionnaires for assessment in a Military population. This can result in ascertaining large volumes of data; however, this can also give rise to participants answering in a more socially desirable way, rendering results inaccurate [ 50 ].

This focus on quantitative research methods has made it difficult to draw any conclusions as to what the resulting impact of military service on alcohol use may have on the ability of service personnel to carry out their jobs. To mitigate this, future research must also consider a qualitative approach, considering personal experiences and meanings ascribed to alcohol use, rather than only symptom severity, to draw any conclusions.

This review has synthesised findings from existing literature, highlighting potential gaps in current research. Despite being a comprehensive, international systematic narrative literature review, it is important to acknowledge there are limitations. First, only papers written in English were considered for review and may have excluded inclusion of international findings. Only the relationship between military service and alcohol use of serving personnel was considered, with papers including veterans in their sample being excluded as it was outside of the aims of this review. Finally, only peer-reviewed research was included in this review and, whilst this was a purposeful decision, it is acknowledged that evidence from grey literature may illuminate further understanding of this issue.

This systematic narrative review aimed to critically evaluate existing literature to explore the relationship between military service and alcohol use. Findings indicated that there are specific characteristics strongly associated with military service that appear to have an impact on alcohol use. The subsequent effects of alcohol use in a military occupational context reinforces the validity of exploring the casual links in more depth. Further research is needed to identify specific ‘risk factors’ associated with serving in the military and problematic alcohol consumption. Exploring the attributable burden will be a crucial building block to developing appropriate and targeted prevention policies.

Contributor Information

A K Osborne, Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.

G Wilson-Menzfeld, Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.

G McGill, Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.

M D Kiernan, Northern Hub for Veterans and Military Families Research, Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.

• Conditionally
• Newsletter Signup

Health Conditions Chevron

Mental Health Chevron

Substance Use Disorder Chevron

I Saw My Nightly Glass of Wine as ‘Self-Care.’ In Reality, I Had a Drinking Problem

By Katie Camero

Lauren Milbourne, 42, from Thousand Oaks, California, loved to indulge in a glass of wine every night to de-stress after work and considered it her favorite form of “self-care.” But one glass quickly turned into three. Then wine morphed into vodka. She began sneaking around and lying to her family to hide from the shame that consumed her. Now three years sober, Milbourne wants you to know that anyone can have an alcohol use disorder . Here’s her story, as told to senior health writer Katie Camero.

Not every “ wine mom ” has or will develop a problem with drinking, but it happened to me.

I grew up in a middle-class family in Southern California with two loving parents. Alcohol wasn’t a big deal in my home by any means, but I knew from the very first time I drank at about 17 years old that I liked how it made me feel. I didn’t party often, but when I did, I always drank to excess. That habit continued into college, where the binge drinking lifestyle was pretty normalized, so nothing I was doing seemed wrong or out of the ordinary.

When I met my husband in 2006 and found out I was pregnant about a year and a half later, I immediately stopped drinking. But I didn’t think twice about starting back up again once the baby came. I saw other moms getting together for wine nights and drinking at birthday parties where their little kids were running around, so that’s exactly how I bonded with them after I had my son. But what I really loved was drinking alone. On my way home from work, I’d even get butterflies of anticipation in my stomach thinking about my glass of wine. It felt like it was self-care. It felt like a reward—and I deserved it. Looking back now, I realize that I was pretty lonely. My husband and I had moved away from everything we knew, so I was trying to make new friends and raise my baby all while handling a new job.

Alcohol became my solace . But unfortunately, I was like that frog in a pot of boiling water; I didn't know it was happening as it was happening. I started drinking regularly on weeknights after work and would become resentful of anything that got in the way of that. One glass turned into three. I would look at a bottle of wine and convince myself that as long as I didn't finish it, I was fine. But as time progressed, I’d down entire bottles.

That’s when I started to hide my drinking. My anxiety ramped up, and the one thing that would help was alcohol, even though the alcohol was causing it in the first place . It was this vicious cycle that just kept going and going. I kept that up for many years without any negative consequences. I was doing well at work. My husband and I were still together. No DUIs, no arrests, nothing like that. My friends eventually nicknamed me “googly eyes” because of how I looked when I got drunk. And it was funny because it all seemed harmless. I didn't start fights or do anything outrageous. Again, life wasn't forcing me to question my drinking, so I didn't.

By Julia Ries

After about four years, I switched to vodka. My brain kept moving the goalpost to accommodate how and what I wanted to drink. The more I did that, the more secretive I became of my behavior, especially with my son. I tried to keep him from seeing me as a sloppy drunk, but I wasn’t always successful. I was physically present at his school and sports functions, but not mentally. I was desperate for him to see me as a “normal mom.” But of course, that got harder to do as time went on.

My husband eventually started questioning things. He would notice how drunk I was despite only seeing me with one glass of wine. I started to lie; I’m not a liar by nature, but that’s what alcohol does to you. Then the pandemic happened. I was working from home and didn’t have any real accountability. Suddenly 5 p.m. would come a little earlier. It got bad, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything to anyone.

My husband ended up spearheading an intervention for me that included the rest of my family, none of whom had any idea I had a problem. They wrote me beautiful letters of care and love asking me to get sober. For the first time, a switch flipped. I realized I had a real problem and was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I agreed to go to a local detox center in April 2021.

On my first night there, I called my husband crying, begging him to pick me up. I told him I was nothing like these people. But thank God he said no because I soon realized that I was exactly like everyone else there. We had different drugs of choice, but we all shared the same struggle. I moved on to rehab about two days later.

I’ve now been sober for three years.

Many people assume someone like me doesn’t have an alcohol use disorder. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s why I started sharing my sobriety journey on TikTok nearly two years ago. It took me a while to work up the courage to start posting, but once I did, I realized how much it helped me feel seen, heard, and validated. Now I get so many messages from people saying they had no idea anyone else was going through the same thing.

My sobriety has been truly life-changing. I am in better physical shape at nearly 43 years old than I was in my 20s: My immune system is incredibly strong; my anxiety, which I used to take medication for, is gone; my skin is no longer dry, flaky, and red; all of my relationships have improved; and I’m currently pursuing a graduate degree, which I never thought was possible. I’m still in therapy, which has evolved from talking about my alcohol use to just life overall. It gives me coping mechanisms to help process old traumas that I can now tie back to the reasons why I drank the way I did. I also meet with a women’s Alcoholics Anonymous group for community and connection. And now that my son is a teenager, we talk about alcohol, why people struggle with it, and what can happen. My goal really is to help him have the emotional intelligence to talk about it because I couldn’t. I want him to have enough self-awareness to say, “I need help.”

My advice? Don’t wait until you have a DUI. Don't wait until your spouse leaves you or you lose your job. Start questioning your drinking today, particularly if alcohol use disorder runs in your family. Instead of asking yourself, Is my drinking a problem? think, Is alcohol serving my life in a positive way? And stop comparing yourself to others because you never know what’s happening behind closed doors. The reality is that no one out there is saying, “Gee, I wish I would’ve gotten in a few more great drinking years.” Everyone wishes they would’ve quit sooner, and there's a reason for that. It’s hard, but it’s worth questioning. That, to me, is real self-care.

• How to Actually Quit Drinking, for Now or Forever
• Here’s Why You Should Avoid Mixing Ibuprofen and Alcohol
• 14 Nonalcoholic Drinks That Are Great for Parties, Fancy Dinners, or Literally Anytime

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

College course examines depiction of drinking in film and its social consequences

Mike Cerre Mike Cerre

Leave your feedback

• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/college-course-examines-depiction-of-drinking-in-film-and-its-social-consequences

As college students wrap up the year, many reflect on what they learned in the classroom and what it means for their lives. At the University of Notre Dame, a popular course offering has very real-life implications. Special correspondent Mike Cerre takes a look for our reporting on the intersection of art and health, part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

Read the Full Transcript

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Geoff Bennett:

As college students wrap up the year, many reflect on what they learned in the classroom and what it means for their lives.

At the University of Notre Dame, a hugely popular course offering has very real-life implications.

Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports for our ongoing series at the intersection of health and arts, part of Canvas.

Mike Cerre:

From "Animal House" in the '80s to the more recent "Hangover" films…

Oh, it's like college.

… pop culture and advertising's depiction of drinking is playing out on college campuses to a much more alarming degree than the toga parties of the past.

Nearly half of college students say they drink, and 30 percent say they binge-drink, according to a recent survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism.

Here on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, they are taking a more academic and intellectual approach to the issue, in addition to traditional counseling and disciplinary action. The psychology department is teaming up with the film, television and theater department on a course that teaches students why they think drinking is so cool and why it's probably not.

Societally, people seem to condone your actions because you are drunk.

"Drunk on Film" is a full-credit in person and online course with over 150 students on the wait-list each semester.

Psychology Professor Anre Venter and film and TV Professor Ted Mandell lead the students in their critiques of popular films featuring heavy drinking and its social and health consequences.

So what we want to focus on and what we, like, researched a little bit into is kind of this effect of depressed on depressants, obviously, since alcohol is a depressant.

Along with pop culture favorites, the films include classics like "It's A Wonderful Life" and even some cartoons the students grow up with, like "Beauty and the Beast."

Professor Mandell believes film, TV and advertising have long cultivated the students' acceptance of drinking as part of normal life. Where does total abstinence fit into this course?

Ted Mandell, Professor, University of Notre Dame: Nowhere. Nowhere.

This course is — to me, is about the ability to look at media and entertainment that you have been exposed to since you were 2 years old and reevaluate it and ask yourself, is this really the narrative of alcohol that's true? Does alcohol really bring me community?

And to get students to look at narratives and reevaluate that and then compare that to what they are personally doing in college.

Co-professor Anre Venter has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and focuses more on the behavioral aspects of college drinking.

Ted Mandell:

Right. It's the social anxiety?

Anre Venter, Professor, University of Notre Dame: But isn't that what we often hear students talk about, drinking because of social anxiety?

Anre Venter:

Liquid courage.

The professors are careful not to turn the "Drunk on Film" class into an intervention or therapy session that would more likely shut down the students, rather than open them up for the discussions, which are the key teaching moments.

I'm not a licensed therapist. Ted's not a licensed therapist.

And we're not doing therapy in any way, shape, or form,.

But what we're, I think, getting the students to do is to begin to ask questions as to why? Why do I do it this way?

Alcohol changes the relationship between what's called the hypothalamus and the pituitary ground and the adrenal.

Related podcasts and nonfiction films addressing the health and social consequences of excessive drinking and are part of the mix of videos.

I want to welcome you to tonight's conversation with Holly Whitaker.

Guest lecturers have included Holly Whitaker with The New York Times and bestselling author of "Quit Like a woman," which highlights the added health and safety risks for female students drinking heavily on campuses.

Holly Whitaker, Author, "Quit Like a Woman": I think that you are trained to become a participant in drinking culture. We are trained to drink like this. We're given images and those images are reinforced our entire lives. When you go to college, you let loose. You get drunk.

How many of you didn't drink in high school?

She and the course take on call traditions, like the football tailgating parties, often hosted by parents and adults, who she believes are often complicit in normalizing excessive student drinking as socially acceptable.

The phrase you can't be an alcoholic while you're in college is a very common. People have heard that around here.

Aedan Joel and Ava Bidner took the class last year and are now teaching assistants.

Ava Bidner, Student:

Yes, so we watched one called "The Spectacular Now," which has Miles Teller as the main actor, and he plays a character called Sutton. And it's really just about his relationship with alcohol and his story.

And you kind of see it gradually progress, where you don't really think his drinking is a problem. And then, as you kind of go through the film, you see that he becomes just increasingly dependent on it and it really affects all aspects of his life.

Aedan Joel, Student:

I was drinking freshman year and then after that started to kind of become curious as to whether or not, not drinking would be something that would fit into my own self-concept.

As a social psychologist, we think that human behavior is a function of both the person and their environment. Often, the environment is a more powerful predictor of behavior than the person's disposition.

I think the one thing when we started this class that truly surprised me was not that students drink in college, but the level of drinking that is normalized. What is considered normal right now, I would never even think — it wouldn't have crossed my mind when I was an undergraduate.

Many students taking the course believe alcohol has taken on an oversized role in socializing on campus, at the expense of other activities.

Because so much of college life today is based on drinking, if you say, one of the premises of the course is that media has caused this new acceptance of a moral standard that probably doesn't really work for these kids, can media also correct it?

Yes. Look at cigarettes. I mean, cigarettes for decades and decades were pushed on audiences as being socially desirable. And then that narrative has changed.

How many of you really didn't drink at all until you went to college?

There are no solid metrics for gauging the course's success in curbing alcohol abuse on campus. But if the student's final exam, in the form of a personal essay, is any indication, Professors Mandell and Venter are confident they're on the right track.

Ava Bidner:

So, as I started thinking about all those things, I realized that we really all do have a relationship with alcohol, whether your choice is one way or the other. And even just with my family and friends and all those different connections, I think it really does affect a lot of different parts of your lives, whether you realize it or not.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Mike Cerre in South Bend, Indiana.

Listen to this Segment

Watch the Full Episode

Support Provided By: Learn more

More Ways to Watch

• PBS iPhone App
• PBS iPad App

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Alcohol Use and Your Health
• Underage Drinking
• Publications
• About Surveys on Alcohol Use
• About Standard Drink Sizes
• CDC Alcohol Program
• Alcohol Outlet Density Measurement Tools
• Resources to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Use
• Alcohol Applications and Online Tools
• Funding to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Use
• Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) Application
• Check Your Drinking. Make a Plan to Drink Less.
• Controle su forma de beber. Haga un plan para beber menos.
• Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use in the United States
• Addressing Excessive Alcohol Use: State Fact Sheets

About Underage Drinking

• Alcohol is the most common drug used by younger than 21 in the United States.
• Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to develop certain physical and mental health conditions.

• These deaths, which could have been prevented, take the lives of young people too soon.
• Underage drinking cost the United States $24 billion in 2010 (the most recent year of data available). B 2

Effects of underage drinking

Alcohol is the most common drug that young people use in the United States. 3

Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to injuries and other health conditions. They're also more likely to experience social, academic, and legal issues.

Social, academic, and legal issues:

• More school absences.
• Lower grades.
• Drinking and driving, which puts the safety of those who drink—as well as those around them—at risk.
• Misusing prescription drugs or using illicit drugs—there can be serious health effects when using these drugs with alcohol .

Physical and mental conditions:

• Violence, including homicide, suicide, and sexual violence.
• Injuries including alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes , burns, falls, or drowning.
• Not growing as expected.
• Slower brain development—which may cause problems with memory.
• Protection includes using condoms or taking medicine to prevent STIs, HIV, or pregnancy.

Lastly, people who start drinking earlier in life have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life.

What the data show

Adult alcohol use can increase underage drinking.

Adolescents tend to drink if the adults around them drink or binge drink alcohol.

For example, a study showed that adolescents whose parents drank 5 or more days in a month were significantly more likely to drink alcohol than adolescents whose parents didn't drink. 4

Alcohol is the most common drug young people use

Also, 11% of high school students reported binge drinking during the past month. 3

In recent years:

• Alcohol use and binge drinking among high school students have generally decreased in recent decades. 5
• This is a shift from previous years when boys drank more than girls. 5

Some young people also report drinking and driving

• More than 1 in 10 high school students reported riding in the past month with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. 3
• About 5% of high school students who had driven in the past month said they drove after drinking alcohol. 3

Learn more about:

• How proven alcohol policies can prevent alcohol-related harms.
• This includes strategies that can support young people's development by reducing underage drinking.
• The alcohol policies in your state .
• During 2020-2021.
• These costs have likely increased because of factors like inflation and increased health care and public safety costs. However, this cost estimate still provides an idea of the minimum costs of underage drinking.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application. Accessed March 21, 2024. www.cdc.gov/ardi
• Sacks JJ, Gonzales KR, Bouchery EE, Tomedi LE, Brewer RD. 2010 national and state costs of excessive alcohol consumption. Am J Prev Med 2015; 49:e73–e79. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.05.031
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Accessed September 13, 2023. http://yrbs-explorer.services.cdc.gov/
• Bohm MK, Esser MB. Associations between parental drinking and alcohol use among their adolescent children: findings from a national survey of United States parent-child dyads. J Adolesc Health . 2023;73(5):961–964. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.05.028
• Hoots BE, Li J, Hertz MF, et al. Alcohol and other substance use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among high school students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR Suppl. 2023;72(Suppl 1):84–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a10

Alcohol Use

Excessive alcohol use can harm people who drink and those around them. You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life.

For Everyone

Public health.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption Essay

Introduction, nursing intervention.

Alcohol consumption can have various effects on the people who consume it. The effects may be social, psychological, physiological and medical. Some alcoholic brands (like wine) may have positive effects on our health while others (like spirits) may have negative effects. The duration in which a person consumes alcohol determines the intensity of the negative effects of alcohol on the person. One negative effect of alcohol is the damage of body organs like the liver and the colon, when consumed for a long period of time (Cooper, 2000).

Alcohol is categorized as a depressant due to its ability to slow down the nervous system thereby reducing sensitivity to pain through inducement of sleep like feeling. Some of the immediate impacts of alcohol misuse include lack or loss of one’s awareness, distortion of reality, loss of coordination of the brain activities and one’s motor skills (Toppness, 2011). When used for a long time, it leads to addiction, as well as social and economic irresponsibilities by the addicted individuals (Toppness, 2011).

Research has shown that alcohol consumption is a risk factor to colon cancer. However, the type of alcohol brand matters. While wine may have positive impacts in preventing colon cancer, hard liquor like spirits have been found to increase the chances of alcoholics developing colon cancer. Prolonged alcohol consumption also leads to colon irritation, which in turn leads to diarrhoea and constipation (Toppness, 2011). This can make the individuals lose their appetite and become malnourished. Such individuals may end up being socially and economically irresponsible, which may further lead to depression. The depressed individuals become prone to suicide because their thinking and reasoning becomes impaired, and to them, life loses meaning.

Patients who are addicted to alcohol consumption need to be shown love and care not rebuke and contempt. This is one aspect of the nursing profession and other professions like social work. We should show them love and care through talking to them in a courteous manner, and showing them that they are able to come out of their situation.

Many alcohol addicts have their symptoms as adaptive. This means that they develop or acquire some behaviour which helps them cope with the problems they are facing; one such behaviour is alcohol consumption, which later develops into alcohol misuse or abuse. For example, some may assume or think that other people hate them because they are poor or are of low social status. This is an external pressure to them, and in order for them to safeguard their ego, they engage in alcohol consumption in order to cope in staying with the people who hate them. Our intervention should therefore be centred on behaviour and attitude change.

We should show them that alcohol consumption is not the solution to their problems and help them gain the courage to face life the way it is. We should help them acquire new behaviours which are not depended on alcohol. For instance, they could be helped to boost their people’s skills, their confidence as well as improve on their hygiene, which would boost their self-esteem. These interventions could be done in a community setting or at their homes. In severe cases of addiction, they should be taken to rehabilitation, where they could be helped to recover from withdrawal symptoms.

Even though alcohol can have many negative effects on our bodies, it is a good component of our diet when used properly in the right quantities and frequencies. For instance, it makes our meals complete apart from being used as a social drink. Alcohol consumption therefore becomes dangerous to us and our bodies when we misuse it. Alcohol consumption is regarded as a risk factor in causing colon cancer because it causes diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon. The link is however not clearly established and therefore the need for more research to establish the relationship between alcohol consumption and colon cancer (Hales, 2008).

Cooper, D.B. (2000). Alcohol Use. Abingdon OX14 1AA: Radcliffe Publishing.

Hales, D. (2008). An Invitation to Health. New York: Cengage Learning.

Toppness, H. (2011). Alcohol Effects on the Colon. Web.

• Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Genes, and Immunosuppression
• The Cold Sensation in the Stomach: Causes and Treatment
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Crohn’s Disease
• Students’ Drinking and Partying: Ethics of the University’s War
• Alcoholic Anonymous: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Programs
• Alcohol or Substance Abuse: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
• Substance Use and Mental Disorders in Adolescence
• Methamphetamine Drug Crime Registration
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, March 26). Effects of Alcohol Consumption. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-alcohol-consumption/

"Effects of Alcohol Consumption." IvyPanda , 26 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-alcohol-consumption/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Effects of Alcohol Consumption'. 26 March.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Effects of Alcohol Consumption." March 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-alcohol-consumption/.

1. IvyPanda . "Effects of Alcohol Consumption." March 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-alcohol-consumption/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Effects of Alcohol Consumption." March 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effects-of-alcohol-consumption/.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Alcohol

Essays on Alcohol

Persuasive essay on lowering the drinking age, alcohol: informative speech, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Alcohol Should Be Banned

The effects of alcohol consumption in college students, relax without drinking alcohol, alcohol a nectar of the gods, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Jane and Sam-a Case of Prenatal Alcohol Consumption

The effects of alcohol-related content of social media on society, alcohol-related liver disease (arld) - illnesses and conditions, alcohol addiction in the drunkard novel, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

The Specific Tax on Alcoholic Drinks

Underage drinking and the need to rise the drinking age, lowering the drinking age to prevent underage drinking, impact of exposure to promotional content featuring alcoholic beverages, alcohol and how it can help the medical economy, alcohol consumption and why it should not be available after 11pm, alcohol and placebo: the role of expectations and social influence, why alcohol advertisement should be banned, drug & alcohol treatment in america (on the example of arkansas), mandatory sentencing - judicial response to alcohol‐fuelled violence, a history of the world in a glass: the superiority of spirits, alcohol issues in the christening novel, what you need to know about cognac vs armagnac, intrinsic viscosity: chain linkage in polyvinyl alcohol, the acetic acid stress response in yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation, analysis of liquor prohibition in bihar, india, alcohol law: the us's national drinking age demonstration, a personal account of attending an alcoholic anonymous program gathering, alcohol consumption and maternal deaths from induced abortions in ghana, diagnostic criteria for alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol is a chemical substance derived from the fermentation or distillation of various fruits, grains, or other natural sources. It is commonly consumed in the form of alcoholic beverages and is known for its psychoactive effects. Alcohol, specifically ethanol, acts as a central nervous system depressant, affecting brain function and altering behavior.

The origin and history of alcohol can be traced back to ancient civilizations. The earliest evidence of alcohol production dates back to around 7000 to 6600 BCE in China, where fermented beverages made from rice, honey, and fruit were consumed. Similarly, in the Middle East, evidence of alcoholic beverages made from barley dates back to around 5400 to 5000 BCE. Throughout history, alcohol has played a significant role in various cultures and societies. It was often associated with religious rituals, social gatherings, and medicinal purposes. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans had a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, and the art of brewing and distillation spread through trade routes. During the Middle Ages, monasteries in Europe became centers of brewing and distillation, and the production of alcoholic beverages became more organized. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Industrial Revolution led to the mass production of alcohol, contributing to social issues related to alcohol abuse.

Alcohol has both short-term and long-term effects on the body and mind. In the short term, alcohol acts as a depressant, slowing down the central nervous system and affecting coordination, judgment, and reaction time. It can cause relaxation, euphoria, and lowered inhibitions. However, excessive consumption can lead to negative effects such as impaired judgment, blurred vision, slurred speech, and increased risk-taking behavior. Long-term alcohol use can have detrimental effects on various organs and systems. Prolonged heavy drinking can damage the liver, leading to conditions such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. It can also weaken the immune system, increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and contribute to the development of certain types of cancer. Alcohol misuse and addiction can have profound social and psychological consequences. It can strain relationships, lead to financial difficulties, and contribute to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of accidents, injuries, and even fatalities. It is important to note that moderate alcohol consumption can have some potential health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease. However, these potential benefits must be balanced with the risks and individual circumstances, and it is always advisable to consume alcohol responsibly and in moderation.

Public opinion about alcohol varies greatly depending on cultural, social, and individual factors. It is a complex and multifaceted topic that elicits diverse perspectives. Some individuals and societies view alcohol consumption as an acceptable and enjoyable part of social gatherings and celebrations. They may see it as a way to relax, socialize, and enhance the enjoyment of certain experiences. In these contexts, alcohol is often seen as a normal and integral aspect of everyday life. On the other hand, there are those who hold more cautious or negative views towards alcohol. They may emphasize the potential risks and harms associated with its use, such as addiction, health problems, and impaired judgment. Concerns about alcohol-related accidents, violence, and addiction can shape public opinion and lead to stricter regulations and policies. Public opinion on alcohol is also influenced by cultural and religious beliefs, as well as personal experiences and values. Some individuals may have witnessed the negative consequences of alcohol misuse and therefore hold more critical views. Others may have positive associations with alcohol and view it as a benign or enjoyable substance when consumed responsibly.

Alcohol is a frequently depicted substance in various forms of media, including movies, television shows, music, and advertising. Its portrayal in media can range from positive and glamorous to negative and cautionary, reflecting the diverse perspectives and attitudes towards alcohol. In some media representations, alcohol is shown as a symbol of sophistication, celebration, and socializing. It is often associated with luxury and enjoyment, depicted in glamorous settings where characters are seen drinking champagne, cocktails, or wine. This positive representation can be found in movies like "The Great Gatsby" and TV shows like "Mad Men," where characters are shown indulging in alcohol as a part of their lifestyle. However, media also portrays the negative consequences and risks associated with alcohol consumption. Films like "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Flight" depict the destructive effects of alcohol addiction, showcasing the devastating impact it can have on individuals and their relationships. Such portrayals serve as cautionary tales and highlight the potential dangers of excessive alcohol use. Furthermore, there are public service announcements and campaigns that aim to raise awareness about responsible drinking and the harmful effects of alcohol abuse. These messages often depict the negative consequences of alcohol-related accidents, impaired judgment, and addiction.

1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol is responsible for more than 3 million deaths worldwide each year. This includes deaths from alcohol-related diseases, accidents, and violence. It is a significant public health concern that requires attention and prevention efforts. 2. A study published in the journal Addiction revealed that alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for disease burden and premature death globally. It ranked as the seventh leading risk factor for both death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2016, highlighting the significant impact of alcohol on population health. 3. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that alcohol-related problems cost the United States economy an estimated $249 billion in 2010. These costs include healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs associated with alcohol-related incidents. This statistic emphasizes the economic burden of alcohol misuse on society.

Alcohol is an important topic to explore in an essay due to its widespread use and the complex implications it has on individuals, society, and public health. Understanding the various aspects of alcohol, including its history, effects, public opinion, and representation in media, can provide valuable insights into its impact on individuals and communities. By delving into the history of alcohol, one can examine its cultural, social, and economic significance throughout different time periods and regions. Exploring the effects of alcohol on the human body and mind helps shed light on the risks and potential consequences associated with its consumption. Analyzing public opinion allows for an understanding of societal attitudes, perceptions, and debates surrounding alcohol use and abuse. Furthermore, the representation of alcohol in media and popular culture plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions and behaviors. Investigating how alcohol is portrayed in films, advertisements, and literature can reveal underlying messages and narratives about its consumption.

1. Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for use in primary care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization. 2. Dawson, D. A., Goldstein, R. B., Saha, T. D., & Grant, B. F. (2015). Changes in alcohol consumption: United States, 2001–2002 to 2012–2013. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 148, 56–61. 3. Grant, B. F., & Dawson, D. A. (2017). Alcohol and drug use disorder: Diagnostic criteria for use in general health care settings. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 4. Gual, A., Segura, L., Contel, M., & Heather, N. (2013). AUDIT-3 and AUDIT-4: Effectiveness of two short forms of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 48(5), 565–565. 5. Koob, G. F., & Volkow, N. D. (2010). Neurocircuitry of addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35(1), 217–238. 6. Rehm, J., Mathers, C., Popova, S., Thavorncharoensap, M., Teerawattananon, Y., & Patra, J. (2009). Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. The Lancet, 373(9682), 2223–2233. 7. Roerecke, M., & Rehm, J. (2010). Alcohol consumption, drinking patterns, and ischemic heart disease: A narrative review of meta-analyses and a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of heavy drinking occasions on risk for moderate drinkers. BMC Medicine, 8(1), 1–23. 8. Room, R., Babor, T., & Rehm, J. (2005). Alcohol and public health. The Lancet, 365(9458), 519–530. 9. Schuckit, M. A. (2014). Alcohol-use disorders. The Lancet, 383(9929), 988–998. 10. World Health Organization. (2018). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organization.

Relevant topics

• Career Goals
• Personal Strengths
• Childhood Memories

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free