InsightsandAdvice.com

Alcohol is considered public enemy number 1 by many analysts because it claims at lease 100,000 lives a year. (This is about five times as many deaths as all illegal drugs combined.) Here are some scary yet interesting facts about alcohol.

DOLLARS SPENT ANNUALLY ON ALCOHOL:

• More than 86 billion dollars are spent annually on alcoholic beverages.
• About 116 billion, yes billion, dollars are spent every year for the damages to society such as divorce courts, lost work, health care, and premature deaths to name a few.
• Adding it all up the total yearly cost of alcoholic beverages is $202,000,000,000.

EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL:

Each of the following has roughly 1/2 an ounce (15 grams) of pure alcohol.

• 1.5 oz. of 80 proof liquor
• 12 oz. of beer
• 5 oz. of table wine

DRINKING EFFECTS THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM.

• Esophageal varices
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Acute pancreatitis
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Chronic pancreatitis
• Gastritis
• Peptic ulcer disease

DANGERS OF MODERATE ALCOHOL USAGE:

1. The risk of alcohol-related health problems is greatest among “heavy drinkers”.
2. Because “social drinkers” outnumber “heavy drinkers”, the majority of alcohol-related problems occur among “social drinkers.”
3. Heavy alcohol intoxication can produce serious adverse effects in individuals who otherwise file within the social norms of alcohol use.
4. Alcohol consumption use involves a continuous risk because information progressively grows on how alcohol is hazardous to your health.

LIGHT DRINKING EFFECTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:

• The body’s ability to fight bacteria and viruses is reduced by 67% after having only two drinks.

SIDE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL USE:

• High blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Stroke
• Elevated triglycerides
• Low blood sugar
• Impaired sexual functions
• Vitamin and mineral deficiency
• Ketoacidosis
• Chronic fatigue
• Gout
• Osteoporosis
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Body weight control
• Anemia
• Increased severity and duration of PMS
• Decreased number of blood platelets

HEAVY DRINKING IMPACTS THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM:

• Stupor and coma
• Decreased judgment, foresight, moral reasoning
• Cerebral atrophy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Cerebellar degeneration
• Accidents
• Physical dependence
• Accidents
• Homicide
• Suicide
• Seizures
• Delirium tremens (DT’s)

ABNORMALITIES RELATED TO PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE:

• Immune system impairment
• Vision problems
• Hyperactivity
• Hearing problems
• Learning difficulties
• Trouble breast feeding
• Genital abnormalities
• Skull and facial abnormalities
• Abnormal balance and coordination
• Mental retardation
• Growth deficiencies

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS TO TO ALCOHOL:

• “Alcohol consumption causes some of the world’s most serious health problems.”
• “Light drinking is unlikely to lower heart disease risk in people who are already taking other lifestyle precautions like exercising regularly, not smoking, and eating less fat.”
• “Drinking adversely affects a significant proportion of the populations, not just a minority of alcoholics or heavy drinkers.”
• The publicity given to the use of moderate amounts of alcohol for heart disease prevention is “not the result of rigorous scientific research, but is to a large extent inspired by commercial purposes.”
• “The less you drink is the better.”

PROHIBITION COMES TO A SMALL TOWN IN ALASKA:

(Here’s a very interesting example of what can happen when a “small” society goes without alcohol.)

• The small town of Barrow, Alaska with a population of 3,900 voted in 1994 to abolish the sale of alcohol.
• After doing so alcohol-related crime and accidents dropped by 70%!!!!
• Regarding acute health problems: Emergency room alcohol-related visits dropped from 188 per month to 23 per month in the first 30 days of prohibition.

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