Alcohol Abuse and Other Drug Addictions
INTRODUCTION
The makings and usage of alcoholic beverages in society have been around for thousands of years. Alcohol can be traced as far back to times of early China and Egypt, where basic resources and ingredients were used to construct alcoholic beverages. Ancient literature, however, warned of the dangers of the consumption of alcohol. Despite warning, the popularity of alcohol and other drugs rose well into the 19th and 20th century and has a prominent presence in today’s generation. Alcohol and the presence of other drugs have become a mainstay of our global culture and has been subject to massive substance abuse amongst people.
CHOOSING THE TOPIC
When choosing the topic, I wanted to choose something that was relevant to my life and environment. Considering that I am a college student and live on a large campus, it makes sense to write about something that is a constant and popular practice in student’s lives. The University of Illinois is known for its large Greek system and vibrant party atmosphere, so the issue of binge drinking and abusing drugs is a recurring issue here. This issue is not only confined to college campuses but more so across the globe which is another reason why I had become attracted to this particular subject.
DEFINING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Most people when defining substance abuse, usually only include drugs in that category; however, there are many other components that go under the umbrella of the term. That being said the abuse of alcohol or binge drinking is considered under that term and is arguably the most abused of the substances. It can be quite simply described as, “Substance abuse and dependence refer to any continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug (called drugs of abuse), or toxin.”
HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES
In college, the constant act of binge drinking can lead to damaging decisions and dangerous health complications. Students...