Alcohol Control and Public Health: A Global Issue

Introduction:

Every year, the harmful use of alcohol is responsible for three million deaths and five percent of the global health burden. It can cause road traffic injuries, violence, abuse, and neglect. Further, alcohol abuse is implicated in diseases such as liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), heart disease, tuberculosis, and cancer. Moreover, it also leads to mental health issues such as alcohol dependence, depression, and suicide. Each circumstance is led by the excessive use of alcohol. When substance use begins to significantly interfere with a person’s life, it can cause them to develop an illness or miss important responsibilities. Hence, it can be rightly called a substance use disorder. Also called substance misuse, it affects millions of people every year. It is an issue with behavioral health, depicting how a person’s actions impact physical and mental well-being.

What Are the Effects of Alcohol on the Body?

It is wrong if a person thinks they are immune to alcohol effects if they do not feel anything after their first few sips. The substance takes some time to hold, but it starts to affect the body immediately. The buzz, slight headache, and hangover are common. However, regularly drinking alcohol can also end up affecting the body. These health effects show up quickly for those who binge drink but gradually for people who drink regularly. The body goes through the following conditions because of alcohol:

1. Short-term Effects

• Feeling giddy or euphoric (a state of ecstasy).

• Feeling relaxed or drowsy.

• Feeling impulsive.

• Frequent mood changes.

• Diarrhea.

• Slow or slurred speech.

• Headache.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Lack of coordination.

• Changes in perception, vision, and hearing.

• Trouble focusing.

• Inability to make decisions.

• Loss of consciousness.

• Gaps in memory, also called blackouts.

Some symptoms become less intense as one continues drinking, while others may become more pronounced. However, these effects are short-term and do not go away once the effect of alcohol wears off. One must note that it is the long-term effects of alcohol that pose a health risk.

1. Long-term Effects

• Insomnia and sleeping concerns.

• Anxiety and other persistent mood changes.

• Changes in appetite cause weight gain.

• Compromised immune system.

• Changes in sexual activity and function.

• Increased tension in personal relationships.

• Difficulty in focusing.

• Problems with concentrating and memory.

Some of the physical long-term effects of alcohol are:

• Inflammatory damage to the liver leads to liver disease and cirrhosis.

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and other digestive problems.

• Fluctuations in blood sugar.

• Damage to the central nervous system (CNS), possibly leading to permanent brain damage.

• Increased risk of heart-related diseases.

• Affecting sexual life by reducing libido.

• Reduced bone density.

• Alcohol can also cause long-term conditions such as alcohol-induced bipolar disorder and several psychotic and sleep disorders.

• Complete dependency on alcohol.

Why Is Alcohol Abuse a Public Health Concern?

Alcohol consumption and the associated problems have been familiar in human societies for a long time. The relationship between alcohol consumption and health outcomes is complex and multidimensional. Alcohol is related to more than 60 different medical conditions. Overall, four percent of the disease's global burden is attributable to alcohol, which accounts for death and disability worldwide similar to tobacco and hypertension. Different treatment research shows that early intervention in primary care is feasible and effective, and behavioral and pharmacological interventions are available to treat alcohol dependence. Despite the scientific advances, alcohol problems continue to challenge medicine and public health because population-based public health approaches are in favor of palliative than preventive approaches.

How to Tackle Exposure to Alcohol Use?

The government, including the state policies, plays a major role and can help limit exposure to alcohol use by implementing various methods, such as:

• Maintaining the monitoring of traditional media and using it for more robust standards.

• Collect and report alcohol company marketing expenditures annually.

• Tighten age verification on digital media sites.

• Develop a ‘no-buy’ list of programs where young people are overexposed to alcohol advertising.

• Restrict outdoor alcohol advertising in locations where children are present such as public transit, festivals, and celebrations in public venues and on billboards.

• Prohibition of outdoor alcohol advertising near schools, public playgrounds, and churches.

• Prohibition of alcohol advertising on state owned-property, including college campuses.

• Increase in alcohol taxes.

• States or communities can limit the days and hours in which alcohol can be sold or served.

How Can an Individual Contribute to the Prevention of Excessive Alcohol Use?

The prevention of alcohol use is first based on an individual level. It is because if one person decides to stop the excessive use of alcohol, it will positively impact society. The following points discuss the same.

• One can choose not to drink too much alcohol and help others not do it.

• One can check their drinking habits and learn more about the harmful effects of using alcohol.

• If someone chooses to drink alcohol, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that adults of legal drinking age can prefer not to drink, or to drink in moderation by limiting the intake to two drinks, or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women.

• One should try not to serve or provide alcohol to people under 21 years of age.

• Communicate with a healthcare provider if someone has a particular drinking behavior and request counseling if they drink excessively.

Conclusion:

Excessive alcohol use is becoming a rising concern from a health and global burden perspective. The government should implement strict policies surrounding the use and sale of alcohol. It is also important for every individual to discourage the use of alcohol by learning more about the damage that alcohol does to health.