Alcohol plays a major role in society today

WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMA

Alcohol plays a  major role in society today.  It is constantly being ....... in our minds through advertisements, whether its commercials or billboards, holidays, or even just at the popular social scene.  Alcohol is consumed for many purposes, such as celebrations, to increase romance, out of boredom, or a way to relax.  Alcohol is a drug that is depended upon by the majority of our society.  Nonetheless, alcohol has very damaging effects, not only does it cause  self-inflicted diseases resembling alcoholism or cirrhosis of the liver, but it harms unborn fetuses as well.  Many women drink alcohol when they do not even know that they are pregnant yet.  Alcohol can cause disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects.

      Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAS, is a congenital disorder which is characterized by a variety of physical and behavioral traits that result from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.  The term Fetal Alcohol Effects, FAE, indicates that alcohol is being considered as one of the possible causes of a patient's birth defects.  In other words, FAE is a less severe form of FAS.  Both FAS and FAE are the results of the use of teratogens, which are nongenetic influences that can potentially complicate fetal development.(Harris, p.85)

      FAS is due to the mother's consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.  Alcohol in the woman's bloodstream circulates to the fetus via the placenta.  There, the alcohol intrudes with the ability of the fetus to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen and nourishment for normal development in the brain and other body organs.  The critical time for alcohol teratogenicity is around the time of conception.

Effects of FAS/FAE

      Although alcohol is the only cause of FAS, there are unfortunately numerous effects.   Infants with FAS may have a weak sucking response and an irregular  sucking pattern early in life.  Some doctors describe them as distracted and fatigued when sucking.  Withdrawal symptoms such as prolonged twitching, jitteriness, sweating, and hyperactivity have also been reported in infants exhibited to alcohol before birth. (Timberlake and Birch, p.1)

      Prenatal alcohol exposure is one of the leading known causes of mental retardation in the United  States.  Mental retardation is usually mild to moderate, but occasionally it is severe.  Central nervous system handicaps are also present in children with FAS.  A small brain, learning disabilities, short attention span, hyperactivity in childhood, and poor body, hand, and finger coordination are examples of CNS handicaps.(NIAAA, p.1)  Mental handicaps and hyperactivity are probably the most debilitating aspects of FAS.(Streissguth, p.1)

      Children with FAS also suffer from facial abnormalities.  These abnormalities include: small eye openings, drooping eyelids, short upturned nose, thin upper lip, and low set or poorly formed ears. (NIAAA, p.1)  These facial patterns distinguish children with FAS/FAE from normal children, however they are not harshly  malformed.

      A more serious and life threatening symptom of  FAS is organ deformities.  This includes heart defects, heart murmurs, genital malformities, as well as urinary and kidney defects.  Abnormal thyroid functioning and a decrease in the effectiveness of the immune system are also present in infants exposed to alcohol.

      What about paternal alcohol consumption?   Alcohol may affect fetal development through a direct effect on the father's sperm or gonads.  Studies have shown that children with alcoholic fathers  often experience cognitive abilities and have a greater chance of being hyperactive.  These findings were found in adoption cases, where the biological father was an alcoholic and the child was raised by nonalcoholic parents.(Cicero,p.3)

      FAE is a broad term covering a wide range  of success levels, from mild learning disabilities to a less severe form of FAS.  FAE is much harder to detect than FAS and extremely difficult to diagnose at birth.   This is because FAE conditions begin to occur during school years.  These conditions include behavioral problems, short attention span, language difficulties, and hyperactivity. (Timberlake and Birch, p.1) 

Occurrence

      The number of new cases each year of FAS and FAE are significantly underreported, therefore it is difficult to obtain accurate findings.  "The incidence of FAS is estimated at 1-2 per 1,000 live births whereas FAE is estimated to occur in 3-5 per 1,000 live births."(Timberlake and Birch, p.2)  According to the Centers for Disease Control's(CDC), Birth Defects Monitoring Program (BDMP), "FAS is difficult to recognize in newborns for three reasons:  1)Facial stigmata of FAS are often subtle; 2)Some types of CNS deficits in infants are difficult to detect; 3)The birth weight of some affected infants is normal."(Abel and Sokol, p.1)  Symptoms become more noticeable with age.   According to statistics, 44% of chronic alcoholics have affected children:  50% of these children will be mentally retarded and 30% will have physical malformations. (Harris, p.98)  If a pregnant woman drinks 1-2 ounces of alcohol a day for the first three months of pregnancy, FAE will be present in 11% of the births.

Treatments

      There are many needs that call for attention with FAS/FAE.  Firstly, FAS/FAE patients typically have complex medical needs associated with their higher than average congenital anomalies.  Infants with FAS are at risk for CNS problems, therefore, they must be carefully watched. 

      Patients with FAS/FAE are placed in special education classes beginning in elementary school.  A child in a small class room may benefit highly if their is a lot of individual attention.  Even if it does not show an increase in the child's intellectual level, it may prevent further deterioration.  Many patients will reach an academic plateau in high school.  However, it is important that these patients still learn basic life skills, such as safety, money management, and interpersonal relating.  This is where the role of their family comes into play.  Patients with FAS/FAE are at a higher than average risk of sexual and physical abuse, as well as neglect.  They need loving, stable homes with open lines of communication to develop to their fullest potential.(Roots and Wings, p.2) 

      Most FAS/FAE patients will be unable to hold a regular job.  Many will also require sheltered living throughout their entire life.  More functional patients may be able to reside in half-way houses or group homes for developmentally disabled adults, if their own family is unable to give them the proper care and attention they need and deserve.

      An important person(s) to remember  when dealing with patients of FAS/FAE is the guardian.  This person assumes a responsibility much greater than that of a normal child.  The guardian must  remember  to keep a realistic view point.  They must have reasonable expectations of the child as well.  Because this job is so difficult, social services offer support to prevent the burnout of the guardian. 

Research Studies

      The key questions in FAS research include "How much is too much?", and "When is the fetus at the greatest risk?"(Ernhart, p.2)  A safe amount of drinking during pregnancy has not yet been determined, and all major authorities agree that women should not drink at all during pregnancy. (NIAAA, p.2)  The fetus seems to be at greatest risk during the first trimester. (Kids Health, p.2)   Much of the human research has been epidemiological and for obvious ethical reasons.  Human clinical studies investigating a dose response effect of alcohol during pregnancy are not possible.(Timberlake and Birch, p.2)

      The saddest part of this disease is that it is preventable.  FAS and FAE are the leading preventable causes of birth defects.  FAS accounts for about 4,000 new cases of preventable birth defects in the United States each year.  It has been estimated that the economic cost associated with FAS in the United States is $321 million each year.  A recent survey done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA), consisted of 23,000 men and women ages 18-44 to determine their perception of FAS.  Only 73% of the women and 55% of the men were familiar with the subject.   Even more  discouraging, most believed  FAS patients were born addicted to alcohol, but had no birth defects.  (Timberlake and Birch, p.3) 

      According to the CDC,  "FAS and other alcohol-related birth defects can be prevented  if women do not drink alcohol during pregnancy or if they use reliable birth control methods when they do not abstain from drinking."  Unfortunately women do not stop drinking until pregnancy   is confirmed.  By then the embryo/fetus has gone through several weeks of critical development.  The alcohol may have already done damage to the embryo/fetus.(NIAAA, p.2)  Pregnant women who drink heavily run a 40-50% risk of causing serious problems to the developing fetus. (Kids Health, p.2)

      Work has been done to develop innovative strategies to identify the women who are at a high risk of having a child with FAS or FAE.  Two strategies that are currently used, are to help educate these mothers about the threat alcohol has on their fetus, and to help them change their behavior.   Prenatal clinics offer screening , counseling and support services to help achieve abstinence, as well as case management  and follow-ups.  If these methods prove to be effective, they may be inserted into current health care systems. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, p. 2)    

      In order to reduce the amount children born with FAS/FAE, there must be an increase in the number of women who abstain from alcohol during their pregnancies.  To reach that goal further research needs to continue.  There must be an improvement in public health surveillance methods, a refinement in  methods used for identifying children who have been affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, a demonstration in the effectiveness of primary prevention programs, and an investigation on the effectiveness of secondary intervention strategies, such as foster-care placement and special education strategies.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, p.4)

      Not all women who drink during pregnancy will have an infant with FAS or FAE, but if there is a 40-50% risk of harming the fetus, why chance it?  Women should be more careful when drinking, because drinking often leads to sex even if it is not planned.  The best prevention for FAS/FAE is to either abstain from sexual intercourse while consuming alcohol, or abstain from alcohol while planning a pregnancy.  Therefore sexual partners should use birth control.   Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects are fully preventable and the responsibility lies within the role of being parents.

Alcohol is a widely used substance

ALCOHOL

      Alcohol is a widely used substance for both science and in technology.  Its name

comes from an Arabic word al-kuhl meaning " a powder for painting the eyes".  The term

was later applied to all compounds that contain alcoholic spirits.  

      To most people alcohol is considerd a downer that reduces activity in the nervous

system.  Some of the things alcohol effects you is, the alcohol intoxicated person exhibits

lose muscle tone, loss of fine moter coordination,and often has a staggering "drunken"

gait.  The eyes may appear somewhat "glossy" and pupils may be slow to respond to

stimulus. At high doses pupils may become constricted.  At intoxing doses, alcohol can

decrease heart rate, lower blood pressure and respiration rate, and result in decreased

reflex and slower reaction times.  Skin may be cool to touch but to the user may feel

warm or normal, profuse sweating may accompany alcohol use.  Loose muscle tone, lose

of fine motor coordination,odor of alcohol on the breath,and a stagging "drunken"gait.

      The effects of alcohol intoxication are greatly influenced by individual variations

among users. Some users may become intoxicated at a much lower Blood Alcohol

Concentration (BAC) level that I am about to show you.  Along with drinking their are

different levels to it:

0.02-0.03  BAC: No loss of coorination,slight euphoria and loss of shyness.  Depressant

effects are not apparent.

0.04-0.06 BAC: Feeling of well-being, relaxation, lower inhibitions, sensation of warmth.

Some minor impairment of reasoning and memory, lowering of caution.

0.07-0.09 BAC: Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing.

Judgement and self-control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired.

0.10-1.125 BAC: Signficant impairment of moter coordination and loss of good

judgement.  Speech may be slurred; balance, vision,reaction time and hearing will be

impaired.  (It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle at this level of intoxication.)

0.13-0.15 BAC: Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control.  BLurred vision

and major loss of balance. Euphoria is reduced and dysphoria beginning to appear.

0.16-0.20 BAC:  Dysphoria (anxiety,restlessness) predominates, nausea may appear.  The

drinker has the appearance of a "sloppy drunk."

0.25 BAC: Needs assistance in walking; total mental confusion. Dysphoia with nausea

and some vomiting.

0.30 BAC: Loss of consciousness.

0.40 BAC and up: Onset of coma,possible death due to respiratory arrest.     

     

      WHAT IS CONSIDERED A DRINK:

      A drink that contains a half-ounce of alcohol or more.  The amount you would

problibly find in a 12 ounce can of beer, 4 ounce glass of table wine, 1 ounce shot of

100% destilled spirits such as whiskey or vodka. Generally this is the amount of alcohol a

person can metabolize in about an hour.  But of course it also depends on other stuff.

      The way to see the amount of alcohol in someone is the Blood Alcohol Content.

The Blood Alcohol Content is measured in milligrams percent.

For example, a BAC of 10 means that one-tenth of 1% of your total blood content is

alcohol.This means that a BAC of 0.5 and below may give you a little buzz;a BAC of .50

or greater may cause death.

     

      Blood Alcohol Content depends on two things size,the bigger you are the more

blood you have to delute the alcohol, and it also depends on how fast you drink it, the

faster you drink the more your BAC goes up because your body doesn't have as long to

delute the alcohol.

BINGE DRINKING

           

      Drinking a lot of something at one time is not really good for your system, no

matter what it is.  Bringe drinking is drinking to get drunk, it is what a lot of college

people do.  Drinking at least five drinks all in one sitting.   When they do this the side

effects become more serious:  vomiting, dizziness, impaired mental capabilities,and

hangovers.  Those are only short term reactions, others things that binge drinking

influence are: athletic performence, poor grades,  sexual assault, fights, accidents,

drinking and driving, and other health risks.  If you think that not a lot of people do this ,

it is about 50% of collage men and 37% of collage women are classified as  binge

drinkers.  A recent study show that studnts spend about $5.5 billion dollare on alcohol

each year.  That is more than they spend on soda pop, tea, milk, juice, coffee, and books

combined.

      Some of the things that go along with drink are you are more open to getting

diseases like sexually transmitted deseases, cancer and a lot more.  But one that a lot die

from is alcohol poisoning.

      Most people think that you cant overdose on alcohol, but you can.  Binge drinking

may result in an overdose of alcohol, or alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is a

medical emergancy that requires immediate attention.  It's sometimes hard to tell if

someone has  passed out or is in a serious medical danger.  Here are some of the

symptoms:

-Does not respond to being talked to or shouted at

-Does not respond to being pinched,prodded or poked.

-Cannot stand up

-Will not wake up

-Slow labored or adnormal breathing

-Skin has a purple color

-Skin feels clammy

-Rapid pulse rate

-Irregular heart rythem

-Lowered blood pressure

Another common thing is choking to death on your own vomit after an alcohol overdose.

Death by asphyxiation occurs when alcohol depresses the body's reflexes to the point that

you cant vomit right. 

      Another thing that comes along with binge drinking is depression and suicide.

You get depressed so you drink and since alcohol is a depressant it brings you down even

more it brings you to the state of hopelessness.  The toxic effects of alcohol can

manipulate you brains neuro-transmitters, which are responsible for mood and

judgement.  This can plung you into deeper depression and bring thought about suicide.

It can also bring a cycle of drinking: the more you drink the more depressed you become,

and that makes you want to drink more.

Alcohol induced depression and hopelessness are characterized by self-pity, social

withdrawal, self reproah,a sence of guilt,and a retardation of normal mental processes.

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

FETAL ALCOHOL EFFECTS

      Fetal alcohol syndrome is a group of symptoms that  can effect an infant born to a

mother who drinks during her pregnancy.  The most serious is severe mental retardation.

Other effects are:

-mild to moderate mental retardation

-central nervous system problems

-small size,low birth weight or growth retardation

-facial or skull adnormalities such as: small head size, small eyes and/or short eye

openings, under-development of the upper lip with flat upper lip ridges, thin upper lip

and flat maxillary jaw area. 

Fetal alcohol effects are thought to be not as bad as Fetal syndrome. It may be something

like a history of prenatal alcohol exposure. Learning and behavior difficulties can be a

severe as FAs.  In both FAS and FAE, studies show a positive relationship between

degree of prenatal  alcohol exposure and physical birth defects, growth, brain and

behavioral deficiencies.  Some other things show that in not as severe cases of FAS may

deal with maturity, abnormalities of the upper lip and small eye openings, short

stuture,and small head continue.  Brain and behavioral deficits also continue including

lower IQ and a number of behavioral disorders.

Children with FAS and FAE are often described as hyperactive, disstactible, or

impulsive.  they often have short attention spans similar to attention deficit dirorder, but

with lower IQ's particularly in the FAS child.  In addition to attention deficits, problems

with judgement, comprehension, and abstract think are common.  Some new research

says that kids with FAS and FAE are more vulerable to alcohol exposure.

Another thing is newborns exposed to alcohol before birth may have a weak sucking

responce and irregular sucking patterns early in life.  Some describe them as easily

distracted and fatigued when sucking.  Sleep disturbance, and jitteriness have also been

reported in infants exposed to alcohol before birth.  Some studies also show that a higher

incidence of impaired vision and hearing, motor incoordination, and problem with

balance are possible attibuted to alcohol use by the mother before birth of the infant.

Fetal exposure to alcohol can also result in adnormal thyroid function and some decrease

in the immune system effectiveness.

      No one is sure the role alcohol plays on the fetus, some of the possiblities are:

-Acetaldehyde which is the primary product when alcohol is metabolized;

-fetal malnutrition especially if the mother is undernourished.  Even when she haseaten

the proper foods, the placenta may not beable to carry yhese vitamins, minerals and other

nutrients which are so important to the developing fetus;

-lack of oxygen due to less blood flow to the fetus through the placenta; and

-disturbance of prostaglandins which control normal blood flow to the placenta.

LIVER DISEASE

      You can not live with out your liver, it is the biggest organ in you body. Although

your organ is tough and meant for life it can easily be damaged by alcohol.

There are many types of liver disease shuch as:

-Viral hepatitis

-Cirrhosis

-Gallstones

-Alcohol-related liver disorders

-Cancer of the liver

But there are three types of diseases of the liver you can get from alcohol:

- Fatty Liver

-Alcoholic Hepatitis

-Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Fatty liver  this is the most common alcoholic-related liver disorder, causing enlargment

of the liver, abdominal discomfort and sometimes temporary jaundice and liver

malfunction.  Abinence from alcohol can bring complete reversal and cure without

leaving residual cirrhosis.

Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute illness often characterized by nausea, vomiting,abdominal

pain, fever, jaundice, enlarged and tender liver, and an elevation of the white blood cell

count.  Sometimes alcoholic hepatitis may be present without symptoms. Once it

develops, it progresses to cirrhosis if alcohol comsumption continnues.

Alcoholic cirrhosis is permanent scar tissue, called cirrhosis, forms when the liver cells

are damaged by alcohol or drugs.  Continued use of alcohol will cause additional scarring

and serious health problems.  Some people are more culnerable than others to this

disease, which occurs in 10% to 15% of prople who consume large amounts of alcohol

over a long period of time.

CANCER

UPPER DIGESTIVE TRACT

     

      The strongest link  with alcohol involves cancers of the upper digestive tract,

including:

-esophagus

-mouth

-pharynx

-larynx.

An estimated 75% of esophageal cancers in the United States are attributable to chronic,

exessive alcohol comsumption.  Nearly 50% of cancers of the mounth, pharynx and

larynx are associated with heavy drinking.  People who drink large amounts of alcohol

over time have an increased rick of these cancers, compared with abstainers.  If they

drink and smoke, the risk is even higher.

BREAST CANCER

      They say that woman's risk of developing breast cancer increases with alcohol

consumtion, as well as age.  Particularly vulnerable are women over 50 who have  been

heavy drinkers over a period of years,  their chances of developing breast cancer are up to

18 times greater than non-drinkers.  Research indicates that alcohol may play an indirect

role in this disease by increasing estrogen levels in premenopausal women, whinh in turn

may promote breast cancer.  Thus, for younger women to lessen their risk of breast

cancer, dont drink, or at least limit yourself to no more than one a day.

SKIN CANCER

      Reserchers say that women who average only two drinks a day, four days a week,

are 2 1/2 times more likelt to develop melanomia than women who dont drink.  Experts

recommend that women limit themselves to one drink a day, and men two drinks a day.

OTHER CANCERS

      Some studies have found a link between alcohol use and cancers of the:

-colon

-stomach

-pancreas

-lungs.

Although theres no evidence that alcohol itelf is a caracinogen, it has been associated

with suppression of the human immune system

Alcoholism

Alcoholism, chronic and usually progressive illness involving the excessive inappropriate ingestion of ethyl alcohol, whether in the form of familiar alcoholic beverages or as a constituent of other substances. Alcoholism is thought to arise from a combination of a wide range of physiological, psychological, social, and genetic factors. It is characterized by an emotional and often physical dependence on alcohol, and it frequently leads to brain damage or early death.

Some 10 percent of the adult drinkers in the United States are considered alcoholics or at least they experience drinking problems to some degree. More males than females are affected, but drinking among the young and among women is increasing. Consumption of alcohol is apparently on the rise in the United States, countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and many European nations. This is paralleled by growing evidence of increasing numbers of alcohol-related problems in other nations, including the Third World.

Development

Alcoholism, as opposed to merely excessive or irresponsible drinking, has been variously thought of as a symptom of psychological or social stress or as a learned, maladaptive coping behavior. More recently, and probably more accurately, it has come to be viewed as a complex disease entity in its own right. Alcoholism usually develops over a period of years. Early and subtle symptoms include placing excessive importance on the availability of alcohol. Ensuring this availability strongly influences the person's choice of associates or activities. Alcohol comes to be used more as a mood-changing drug than as a foodstuff or beverage served as a part of social custom or religious ritual.

Initially, the alcoholic may demonstrate a high tolerance to alcohol, consuming more and showing less adverse effects than others. Subsequently, however, the person begins to drink against his or her own best interests, as alcohol comes to assume more importance than personal relationships, work, reputation, or even physical health. The person commonly loses control over drinking and is increasingly unable to predict how much alcohol will be consumed on a given occasion or, if the person is currently abstaining, when the drinking will resume again. Physical addiction to the drug may occur, sometimes eventually leading to drinking around the clock to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Effects

Alcohol has direct toxic as well as sedative effects on the body, and failure to take care of nutritional and other physical needs during prolonged periods of excessive drinking may further complicate matters. Advanced cases often require hospitalization. The effects on major organ systems are cumulative and include a wide range of digestive-system disorders such as ulcers, inflammation of the pancreas, and cirrhosis of the liver. The central and peripheral nervous systems can be permanently damaged. Blackouts, hallucinations, and extreme tremors may occur. The latter symptoms are involved in the most serious alcohol withdrawal syndrome, delirium tremens, which can prove fatal despite prompt treatment. This is in contrast to withdrawal from narcotic drugs such as heroin, which, although distressful, rarely results in death. Recent evidence has shown that heavy-and even moderate-drinking during pregnancy can cause serious damage to the unborn child: physical or mental retardation or both; a rare but severe expression of this damage is known as fetal alcohol syndrome.

Treatment

Treatment of the illness increasingly recognizes alcoholism itself as the primary problem needing attention, rather than regarding it as always secondary to another, underlying problem. Specialized residential treatment facilities and separate units within general or psychiatric hospitals are rapidly increasing in number. As the public becomes more aware of the nature of alcoholism, the social stigma attached to it decreases, alcoholics and their families tend to conceal it less, and diagnosis is not delayed as long. Earlier and better treatment has led to encouragingly high recovery rates.

In addition to managing physical complications and withdrawal states, treatment involves individual counseling and group therapy techniques aimed at complete and comfortable abstinence from alcohol and other mood-changing drugs of addiction. Such abstinence, according to the best current evidence, is the desired goal, despite some highly controversial suggestions that a safe return to social drinking is possible. Addiction to other drugs, particularly to other tranquilizers and sedatives, poses a major hazard to alcoholics. Antabuse, a drug that produces a violent intolerance for alcohol as long as the substance remains in the body, is sometimes used after withdrawal. Alcoholics Anonymous, a support group commonly used for those undergoing other treatment, in many cases helps alcoholics to recover without recourse to formal treatment.

Despite these encouraging signs, estimates of the annual number of deaths related to excessive drinking exceed 97,000 in the United States alone. Economic costs related to alcoholism are at least $100 billion a year. Additional data are needed on various societal costs of alcoholism as well as on the costs of various modes of treatment compared with their actual results.

Against the legalization of drugs

Everyone agrees that something must be done about the tremendous physical and emotional health problems that drug abuse causes.  Concern about the abuse of drugs is so widespread that recent polls indicate it to be one of the most serious problems in today's world, threatening the security and freedom of whole nations. Politicians, health experts and much of the general public feel that no issue is more important than drug abuse. America's other pressing social problems- disease, poverty, child abuse and neglect, and corruption- often have a common element; that is drug abuse. The use of illegal drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroin and marijuana cause extensive harm to the body and brain. Yet, even after knowing this many people want illegal drugs to be legalized in every aspect. The last thing we need is a policy that makes widely available substances that impair memory, concentration and attention span; why in God's name foster the uses of drugs that make you stupid? The campaign for drug legalization is morally disgusting.The number of people who are addicted to illegal drugs or are users of these drugs is quite shocking. Drug abuse is clearly an injurious and sometimes fatal problem. The leaders of the international economic summit in Paris in July 1989 concluded that the devastating proportions of  the drug problem calls for decisive action. On September 5, 1989, President Bush called upon the United States to join in an all-out fight against drugs. The United States Congress reports an estimated 25 to 30 million addicts of illegal drugs worldwide. Not all users are addicts, but some of the 26 million regular users of illegal drugs in the United States are addicted. Reports of child abuse to New York social services tripled between 1986 and 1988 and most of the cases involved drug abuse. Approximately 35 percent of the inmates of state prison were under the influence of illegal drugs at the time they committed the crimes for which they are incarcerated. In some parts of the country, that percentage is as high as 75 to 80! Another fact that hits people hard is that out-right deaths from illegal drugs have quadrupled in the last ten years! The proportion of  19 to 22 year olds who were at risk from using illegal drugs rose from 44 percent in 1980 to 69 percent in 1987. Among 17-18 year olds the shift over the same interval was from 50 percent to 74 percent (Williams 226)! The abuse of illegal drugs is very threatening to America's future. These drugs are the cause of many problems and crimes. Among these many drug users exist some people who continue to resist drugs and have been called the real heroes of the drug war (Hyde, 372). Although, drug abuse is a serious and threatening problem today, it can be brought under control with acceptable means.

       

The use of illegal drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroin and marijuana have been proved to cause unbelievable damage and harm to the body and brain. As well as we know, AIDS is a deadly disease which people are very frightened of today. When parents bring a child into this world the main concern is that the

child be healthy. It is an impossible deed for a drug addict female to give birth to a healthy child. Babies who are born with the AIDS virus should thank their mothers who were drug addicts and brought them into this world to pay for their own mistakes! According to Patrick Emmet, author of Drugs in America, when cocaine is smoked, it is absorbed into the lungs and carried to the brain in about 8 seconds (152). It depresses the breathing center in the brain and increases the risk of death from heart failure or overdose. Doctors believe that when a pregnant woman uses crack, the drug can trigger spasms in the blood vessels of the fetus, restricting the supply of oxygen and nutrients, in turn causing problems in development. When a pregnant woman takes large doses of cocaine, the placenta may tear loose, killing the fetus and putting the mother's life in danger. Even one use of crack can cause serious damage to fetus or to a breast-fed baby. Heroin is another illegal drug that causes great harm and can be life-taking too. When heroin is used it reaches the brain via the bloodstream and is transformed into the depressant morphine. Heroin produces feelings of euphoria, mental confusion and drowsiness. In addiction to many other effects on the body, it depresses respiratory function (168). Thousands of heroin addicts die from overdoses each year.  Heroin users are also at great risk of getting AIDS from the used of unclean needles. An estimated 60 percent of heroin addicts in New York City carry the virus, and needle sharing among addicts represents a major potential route for the spreading of the AIDS virus. According to a National Research Council report in 1989, nearly 70 percent of the heterosexual adults infected with the AIDS virus got the virus through an intravenous connection. The U.S. Public Health service predicted about a threefold increase in the cumulative total of reported cases of AIDS among addicts between 1989 and 1991. When marijuana is smoked, about two thousand separate chemicals are produced, and many of the chemicals do not readily pass through the body. Some are stored in fatty tissues of the brain, lungs, and reproductive organs, where they remain for a long time. In a book titled, Drug Policy and Intellectuals, Stephen Thomas points out that one of the areas of great concern about the effect of smoking marijuana is the changes in the reproductive system (156).  Heavy marijuana smoking reduces the level of testosterone, the principal male hormone. It may delay sexual maturation in teenage boys and may possible reduce sperm counts. The use of marijuana also has negative effects on the menstrual cycle of females. Marijuana use during pregnancy increases the risk  of death of the fetus and of abnormal offspring. Some other effects of marijuana are sedation, depression, hormone changes and brain damage. It is certain that the smoking of marijuana leads to as much as a 50 percent short-term increase in heart rate and a possible decrease in blood supply to the heart. It is crystal clear that the use of these illegal drugs causes permanent and serious damage to the body, brain and to innocent babies. Sometimes this deadly "sickness" stops at distorting bodies and brains, but often goes to snatch the lives of their users (Thomas 189).

       

Richard Williams explains in his book, Illegalizing Drugs, that the use of illicit drugs causes the user to engage in violent acts. The need and craving of these drugs forces the user to commit crimes such as robbery or murder. They hurt themselves and innocent people usually become victims of such cases. These drugs are addictive which may cause brain damage in the habitual user, and may cause the user to engage in violence or self-destructive acts. Dealers arm themselves with automatic weapons to protect themselves (124). Even the drug abusers of the sixties had a slogan, Speed Kills. Young drug dealers have a good supply of guns, and they do not hesitate to use them. The streets of many inner cities are bloody battlegrounds where crack wars are fought. Bathrooms in shelters for the homeless are transformed into part-time crack houses. Thomas writes that crack pipes are hidden under mattresses next to the beds of people who are only down on their luck (125). Last year one residential area in New York, more than one hundred people were killed and most deaths were drug related. The use of illicit drugs alters the brain's thinking, acting and responding capacity, which results in violent and self-destructing acts. Innocent people are injured or killed simply in order to continue the distribution and the use of these isgusting and correctly illegal drugs (78).

     

After being altered with the effects of the use of illegal drugs on bodies, brains, societies and nations, some people are brave enough to come forward and campaign for the legalization of illicit drugs will reduce the number of addicts and users, crime and deaths (Hyde 29). I disagree with this theory because that is exactly what it is- a theory. Sure, we don't know what's going to happen in the future, but we can use our statistics and be somewhat logical. If illegal drugs were to be legalized, millions of Americans were to be enticed into addiction by legalization. The pushers would cut prices, making more money than ever from the ever-growing mass market. They would immediately increase the potency and variety beyond anything available at any government-approved narcotics counter. Crime would increase if these drugs were legalized. Crack produces paranoid violence. More permissiveness equals more use equals more violence. Alcohol which is now legal, but was once illegal is proof that after legalizing it more alcohol-related crimes and car accidents have occurred. Millions of people, including and increasing number of teenagers, are dependent on what has been called the most dangerous drug on earth: alcohol. Dr. Stephen Cohen writes in his book, The Alcoholism Problem,  "The harm that comes from Drug X (alcohol) is much greater than the harm from heroin from all respects" (151). Why should we believe that the legalization of illegal drugs will reduce the number of users of these drugs? Actually, it's quite logical these drugs would be easily available if legalized, and the number of users will increase because there won't be any breaking of laws that will end imprisonment. Illegal drugs should be kept illegal to secure the lives of those who are not addicts.

        

The drug problem in our nation today is overwhelming, but can be controlled by numerous strategies. Reducing the supply of  foreign that are causing serious problems in the Unites States is an important part on the war on drugs. Another way the drug problem could be controlled is if drug dealers were punished more severely. Whipping posts, the death penalty, and long jail sentences might be a start. The following suggestions were made at a meeting at a meeting of the Senate Committee Drugs and Crime

held on April 4, 1989, to reduce the drug problem: put more police on the streets, both to arrest drug dealers and to give people a visible sense of hope; increase the number of prosecutors so that arrests are meaningful: increase prison capacity, perhaps by using army bases  that are being phased out; increase drug education in schools; help the coast guard interdiction; and learn more about drugs from health authorities. No single strategy will win this war, but approach is aimed at preventing drug abuse, treating and rehabilitating a

lysergic acid diethlamide

LSD or lysergic acid diethlamide is a commonly used drug of

teens. LSD is a hallucinogenic drug which effects the nervous

system.  The drug is ingested in many different ways, absorbed

through the skin, taken orally or absorbed through the eye or ear.

This drug was originally developed by the government of the United

States as a treatment for psychological conditions such as

alcoholism and drug addiction.  In Canada, where experimentation

is not heavily restricted, LSD has been used to reduce the suffering

of terminally ill cancer patients.  The drug was tested for the effects

it would have on autistic children.    This drug induces a

physiological response that is consistent with that of a central

nervous system stimulant.  Little is known about the effects of LSD,

but what is known shows that it is harmful to the nervous system.

Physically, there is an increase in heart rate, an increase in blood

pressure, dilation of the pupils, and some facilitation of the spinal

reflexes.  

      Once ingested, LSD takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes to

fully onset and the effects last anywhere from six hours to four

days, depending on the dosage.  If taken in large enough amounts,

one can die of an overdose of LSD.  

      Psychologically, LSD has a tremendous effect on a person.

LSD is an unpredictable drug in which the effects are different each

time it is ingested.  A person under the influence of LSD ifs flooded

with visual experience, as much when the eyes are closed as when

open.  Light is greatly intensified; colors are vivid and seem to

glow; images are numerous and persistent, yielding a wide range of

illusions and hallucinations; details are sharp; perception of spaced

is enhanced; music may evoke visual expressions, and light may

give the impressions of sound.  Quite often, mood swings occur

with unpredictable actions of the person under the influence of the

drug.  A feeling of awareness of one's self is greatly enhanced.  The

lapse of time may slow down or time may pass faster than it literally

is.  A rare occurrence is a feeling of immortality.  This has been

documented in cases where individuals have jumped out of

buildings or jump in front of cars, perhaps to test the feeling of

invincibility.  

      Recent studies have begun to show that LSD may cause

chromosomal damage which could, in future generations, cause

deformation or genetic illnesses.  The studies, done on animals, do

not conclude that LSD could cause deformations, but the possibility

is present.

A Report on Pharmacists

Being a pharmacist is much harder than what you probably thought it was.  Pharmacists in a hospital have many, many responsibilities.  They must be very careful that they have measured the medication correctly, because one little mistake can be potentially fatal.

Pharmacists must know what many of the medications do, and if there are any side effects and incompatibilities with other medications the patient might be on.  For example, a person might be taking a medication for another problem, and if the physician and pharmacist don't notice that condition, the prescribed medication might cause a deadly interaction.  This does not happen with all drugs, but it happens with a few, and you certainly don't want a result like that.  The pharmacist must also make sure that the patient does not have any allergies against that type of medication.

Pharmacists should also know generic brands of medication that might save the patient's money.  They must know any differences between the brand name and the generic name, such as drug interactions, side effects, and how it should be taken.

Some responsibilities of the pharmacist include making intravenous solutions and operating the TPN, which takes intravenous solutions and adds vitamins such as amino acids.  They also refill storage bins in the Emergency Room, where doctors can get them if a patient needs them immediately.

Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr. Is the founder of Walgreens.  When he was twenty, he borrowed twenty dollars, and moved from Dixon, Illinois to Chicago.  Throughout pharmacy school, he worked for pharmacies in the day and went to school at night.  When the United States went to War with Spain in 1898, Walgreen was enlisted as a private.  There were many diseases in Cuba, and Walgreen fell sick.  The doctor was so sure that Walgreen was going to die, that he put Walgreen's name on the casualty list, and newspapers told of his death!

When Walgreen returned from the war, he worked as a pharmacist for a man by the name of Isaac W. Blood.  He later bought out Blood's pharmacy.  Customer service was very important to Walgreen.  Often, he would answer the phone himself, then tell the delivery boy what the prescription was and where to deliver it.  He would converse with the customer, so that usually the prescription would come before the customer had hung up the phone.

In 1909, he purchased one of the busiest pharmacies in Chicago with a partner, Arthur C. Thorsen.  He made attractive displays and showcased windows, which was much different that the other dull pharmacies.  He also started manufacturing his own medications, which ensured him high quality at an excellent price.  He later added various items that attracted business, such as an ice cream fountain, and during the winter time, they served sandwiches and soup.  Before 1916, each of Walgreen's seven stores operated independently, so Walgreen decided to make it more efficient, so in 1916, Walgreen merged all of his stores into one company, Walgreens.

A little rundown on Brew

Historically hops, yeast, malted barley, and water have all played the greatest and most important role in society.  For almost 8000 years these ingredients have been mixed and have been appreciated by all classes of society in almost all  civilizations.

      The old cliche ³accident is the mother of invention² is a phrase that definitely holds true in the world of beer.  The discovery was made way back when the Mediterranean region was the seat of civilization and barley flourished as a dietary staple.  The climate of the Mediterranean was perfect for the cultivation of barley, and was used as the primary ingredient in breads, cakes, and other common food products.  A farmer during this period discovered that if barley become wet, germinates, and eventually dried, the resulting barley would be sweeter and would not be as perishable as the original state of the barley.

      There is not any first hand knowledge on how beer was discovered, but we can imagine the incident step by step.  When the farmer discovered that his barley crop was wet, in order for him to salvage the crop, he probably spread it out to dry in the sun.  Chances are that germination had already begun, and the grain had therefore malted and developed a much sweeter taste.  The sweet result of what the farmer considered a disaster is now modern-day malted barley.  This malted barley gave a sweeter taste to breads, cakes, or anything which had previously been prepared with unmalted barley.  After a while when barley malt became a common ingredient it is thought that a loaf or bowl of this malt was accidentally left in the rain.  When wet, the dissolved starches and sugars in the malted barley became susceptible to wild yeast, which started spontaneous fermentation (5).  The discoverer of this new mix probably tasted it and realized how good it was.  Unbeknownst to this ancient farmer, he had brewed the first beer ever.

      Sumerian clay tablets dating from 6000 B.C. contain the first ever written recipes for beer.  The tablets also detail specific religious rituals that one had to perform before he could consume the beverage.  The Sumerians also left the first record of bureaucratic interference when their governments taxed and put tariffs on beer distribution.    

      Some anthropologists say that ancient strains of grain were not  really good for making bread.  Early wheat  made heavy, pasty dough.  Flour made from barley made crumbly, lousy bread. It was determined that humankind¹s first agricultural activity was growing barley.   Forty percent of the grain harvest in Sumeria was converted to ale.

      The laws pertaining to beer in ancient times were very strict.  The Code of Hammurrabi in Babylon proved to be more harsh than our laws today.  Establishments that sold beer receive special mention in those laws, codified in 1800 B.C.  Owners of beer parlors who overcharged customers were sentenced to death by drowning.  Those who failed to notify authorities of criminal elements in their establishments were also executed (1).  Many of the beer makers and bartenders in the ancient world  were women who sold ale under the supervision of the goddess Ninkasi, ³the lady who fills the mouth.²  These Babylonians brewed at least sixteen styles of beer with wheat and malted barley.

      Egyptians paid their workers with jugs of beer, and Ramses II was said to have consecrated over half a million jugs of it to the gods.  In the Nile region beer was flavored with lavender, date, cedar, nutmeg, sugar, and probably hops.

      The bible¹s references to unleavened bread suggest that the isolation and deliberate use of yeast was known at the time of Moses.  A professor even wrote that beer is mentioned in the book of Exodus as one of the unknown leavens, and when Moses told Jews to avoid leavened bread during Passover in Exodus 12, he also meant that they should avoid beer.  King David of the Jews was a brewer, and in early days of Christianity the Jews carried on the art of brewing and often introduced it to many other cultures.

      The classical Greeks and Romans learned the art of brewing from the Egyptians.  The word beer comes from the Latin ³bibere² meaning simply ³to drink.²  The Latin word for beer is ³cerevisia,² a composite of ³Ceres,² the goddess of agriculture, and ³vis,² Latin for ³strength.²

      Beer was carried by many barbarian tribes in Western and Northern Europe, and by the nineteenth century, hops was cultivated for brewing purposes in France and Germany.  Even though hops give beer is refreshing properties it was neglected by many countries for centuries.  Instead beers were flavored with woodruff, juniper, or grenadine, and can still be found in some European beers today.   

      In the Renaissance period brewing was mostly done by kings and monks.  Home brew was the drink of mostly lower classes.  It wasn¹t uncommon for children to drink beer on a daily basis.  The fermentation process was very useful to destroy many malignant microorganisms in the distinctly undrinkable waters of most villages (7).

      As the reformation came around, the church spent more time on religious matters than on brewing.  At this time commercial brewers started to pick up the slack and were licensed under kings, queens, dukes, and earls.  During this time queen Elizabeth I had a brew so strong that none of her servants could handle it, even though they received two gallons per day.

      The New World exploration began and Elizabeth oversaw that no ship left port without a large cargo of beer.  Beer provided a clean supply of water, some food value, and a good protection against scurvy, the lack of Vitamin C.  Another extraordinary example of beer¹s influence on history is the case of the Pilgrims.  They had first proposed to sail to Virginia but were forced to land at Cape Cod instead because they were running low on beer.  When the Pilgrims arrived they saw the the Indians too had discovered their own beer made of maize, rather than barley.  The Indians had learned the art of brewing from their Aztec and Mayan neighbors. 

      Beer was being brewed by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam as early as 1612.  Harvard College ran a brewhouse on campus in 1674, and the Harvard¹s first president was ousted because he failed to supply enough beer and food rations (5).  Beer was valued so high in the Colonial economy that Harvard students were allowed to pay school tuition in wheat and malted barley.  Students were rationed two pints of beer a day until the end of the 1700s when they stopped brewing.

      Many of the Statesmen had a love for beer.  William Penn had a malt house and a brewery on his estate in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  Samuel Adams had the same set-up in Massachusetts.  Benjamin Franklin kept very accurate records of his household expenses which allowed orders of twenty gallons of beer per month.  George Washington developed his own recipes for the beer and made thirty gallons of beer at a time.  Thomas Jefferson built his own brewery at Monticello in 1813 and maintained it until his death in 1826.  His beer was considered by many to be some of the best in the young country.

      In the 1800s a boom of breweries swept across the nation.  In 1810 there were 132 breweries in the United States.  By 1850 there were 431 breweries, and by 1860 there were 1,269 breweries.  New York and Pennsylvania dominated the industry, brewing eighty-five percent of the country¹s beer.

      During the mid-1800s, millions of immigrants were pouring into the United States from Europe.  Many of these new Americans bringing along their art and science of brewing lager beer.

      Lager is made with a different kind of yeast than ale.  They ferment at the bottom of the barrel and have a drier, cleaner finish than ales.  Lagers provide a clearer brew that is less prone to sour in the days before refrigerators.  But lagers needed to be stored for weeks, or even months, in cold caves where low temperatures helped mature the beer.

      The mid-nineteenth century brought the discovery of the refrigerator, allowing lagers to be made virtually everywhere.  Louis Pasteur¹s studies of yeast cultures and fermentation help brewers brew lagers on more of a scientific level in the united States.  He discovered the efficiency of heating liquids after they were packed in a bottle in order to prevent microbial contamination (5).  The process, called pasteurization, was discovered by Louis because he was trying to preserve beer- not, as most believe, milk.

      The lager-brewing breakthrough, coupled with a new wave of German immigration, produced a golden age of brewing in America.  Between 1870 and 1919 American brewers rivaled their European counterparts in both quality and quantity of beer products.  By 1890 there were seventy-four breweries clustered in Philadelphia alone, seventy-seven in New York City, and thirty-eight in Brooklyn.  This was not just an East Coast phenomenon either.  Chicago had forty-one breweries, Cincinnati, twenty-four, Buffalo, twenty, and St. Louis, twenty-nine.  Milwaukee was an important brewing center in the upper Midwest, and San Francisco, with twenty-six breweries, was the brewing capitol of the Pacific Coast.  This explosion of breweries gave beer drinkers a wide variety of beers to choose from.

      On July 1, 1919 the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect.  Know as prohibition, the law forbade the manufacture or sale of any beverage with more than one-half percent alcohol.

      Throughout the days of Prohibition, some breweries managed to stay in business selling soda water, ice cream, and malt beverages.  Others took advantage of gangsters and corruptible police officials to keep production going.  Many breweries survived prohibition by selling malt syrup, which works quite nicely for home brew.  Flavor, taste, and appeal do matter, but with thousands of breweries shutting their doors, quantity, rather than quality, became what really mattered.

      When Prohibition was repealed by the 19th Amendment in 1932, the entire face of the brewing industry had forever changed.

      The beer can was introduced in 1935, America entered a new era of brewing.  The can was lightweight, no deposit, no return container that could be shipped anywhere.  Radio, and later television, meant national advertising on a scale unheard of before.  Beer became a national product instead of a local one.  By 1940 there were over six hundred breweries nationwide.  By 1980 that number had dwindled to forty.

      The beer renaissance got its start in 1978 in the United States Congress.  That is when the lawmakers legalized beer making at home.  When Prohibition ended in 1933, Congress intended to legalize the home brewing of both wine and beer.  Homemade wine was legalized, but the stenographer¹s omission left the words ³and/or beer² out of the Federal register (1).  Home brewing of beer was technically illegal forty-seven years after Prohibition ended.  Jimmy Carter erased that glitch with the stroke of his pen in February 1979.  Now it is legal for every adult in a household to brew one hundred gallons of beer a year.  Today the the American Homebrewers Association counts twenty-seven thousand members, and their numbers are growing drastically.

      Now the microbrewery industry is in its second decade, and the number of breweries in America has jumped from eighty to almost five hundred in less than 10 years.  The microbreweries are doing great and are here to stay.  In 1992 sales for microbreweries have increased more than 44 percent.  In 1993 the story was quite the same when sales increased yet another 40 percent.

      Recently Becks beer has done some brewing experiments aboard the space shuttle to study zero gravity brewing.  So you can bet that by the time we take our vacation to the moon we will have a beer waiting for us there.

      Beer has been through a lot in its over 8000 years on this earth, and by the looks  of the beer market it may continue to be one of the oldest beverages in the world.