Alcohol

Research Paper of Psychoactive Substance (Alcohol)
The use of psychoactive drugs is a dangerous phenomenon worldwide. Psychoactive substances are drugs that alter the state of consciousness, perceptions, and moods by acting on the nervous system. The elements have been discovered to activate dopamine receptors in the reward pathway of the brain. Research has proved that the reaction
in the brain begins from the limbic system, specifically the ventral tegmental area (VTA) then to the prefrontal cortex the nucleus accumbens. Psychoactive drugs occur in various categories, though when abused they tend to have a severe health burden on the user and the society as a whole. The paper herein is a discussion on the use of alcohol in the United States of America (Boyer, Shannon, & Hibberd, 2005).
Alcohol Use in the United States
Famous for its stance on alcohol use in the Roaring Twenties with the enactment of the Volstead Act, which ushered in an era of Prohibition, America has had an uneasy relationship with alcohol. The Prohibition era resulted in the creation of speakeasies, which were secretly used by drinkers to illegally access alcoholic drinks despite the ban. Many years have since passed since the Prohibition on alcohol was lifted but the drinking habits of most Americans have not changed. America is the largest consumer of alcoholic drinks in the world. According to the National Center for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 86.6 per cent adult of Americans reported that they consumed alcohol at some point in their lives (Keyes, Grant & Hasin, 2008). In 2006, the Center for Disease Control reported that excessive alcohol consumption cost Americans $ 223.5 billion a year. The figures are easy to fathom, considering that America is the world leader in the consumption of Alcohol (Fig. 1)

Figure 1: Alcohol use in America.
The CDC further reports that between 2006 and 2010, 88 000 Americans have died from alcohol related complications (Danaei, et al., 2009). In the same period, alcohol shortened the lives of alcohol users by as much as 30 years. Standard alcoholic drinks in the United States contain 0.06 ounces/pure alcohol. The incidences of excessive drinking are on the rise in the United States. The CDC defines excessive drinking to mean drinking more than 5 drinks per occasion (men) and 4 drinks per person/per single occasion for women (Keyes, Grant & Hasin, 2008). Youth (ages 18-35) are the most common culprits of excessive drinking.
Americans spend a considerable amount of their incomes on alcohol (Fig. 2)

Figure 2: U.S. Expenditure on Alcohol.
16.6 million Adult Americans reported last month that they engaged in binge drinking at least once that month. Of these figures, 10.8 million were men and the rest comprising of women (Hingsan & Zha, 2009).  A survey conducted in 2013 revealed that 35.1 percent of teenagers aged 15 reported having drank an alcoholic beverage in their lifetime.  In the age group 12-20, 1.4 million Americans reported that they drink heavily. 59 percent of all college students reported that they drink or have drank an alcoholic beverage at some point in their lives (Danaei, et al., 2009; Hingsan & Zha, 2009).
The Impact of Alcohol use on American Society
After reviewing the statistics relating to the consumption of alcohol in the United States, it is time to analyze the effects of alcohol use and abuse on the American society. The analysis will consider the impact on the workforce, family and health.  The excessive use of alcohol is estimated to result in reduced workplace productivity. As high as 72 per cent of all costs associated with the impact of alcohol use on workers relate to shrinking workplace productivity among those who abuse alcohol (Bouchery, et al., 2011). Expenses incurred in treating and rehabilitating alcoholics translate into 11 percent of all costs associated with incidences of abuse. The law enforcement department as well as the criminal justice system in the United States incurs an additional 9 percent in costs handling alcohol related cases. Alcohol abuse accounts for 6 per cent of all the accidents caused by impaired driving on U.S. road and transport networks.
Costs associated with pain and sufferings are difficult to quantify. Alcohol abuse causes wanton destruction of the family structure and forces other people to adjust and accommodate alcoholics. Costs associated with the rehabilitation of alcoholics in the United States are rocketing, and The Economist Magazine estimates that the total costs associated with dealing with alcohol-related problems stands at between 50-100 billion dollars. Untreated addiction is estimated to cost the American economy $400 billion (Bouchery, et al., 2011). The CDC reports that alcohol is the third largest cause of all preventable deaths in America. The CDC is categorical that alcohol related accidents and incidents affect third parties in America in a lot of ways. Firearm injuries, domestic violence and sexual assault cases are all linked to alcohol abuse. Child violence cases are high among families that abuse alcohol. Other health related issues caused or exacerbated by alcohol abuse in America and indeed   globally include stillbirths, miscarriages and brain damage in those who abuse alcoholic drinks.  Health experts posit that as high as 4 percent of all cancer cases in the United States are associated with alcohol use and abuse (Danaei, et al., 2009).  According to the CDC, as much as 12 per cent of all pregnant women in the United States consume alcohol (Denny, Tsai, Floyd & Green, 2009). The impact to unborn babies is high. Unborn babies are highly susceptible to brain damage during pregnancy if they are exposed to drugs such as alcohol. According to estimates supplied by medical data in U.S. hospitals, 27 per cent of all trauma cases resulting from burns and other accidents have been linked to alcohol abuse. These burn victims are the subject of alcohol intervention programs.
In the year 2008, as much as 11 773 people were killed in road accidents linked to impaired driving as a result of alcohol use above the recommended limits (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup & Gerberding, 2004).  For a driver to be considered as driving when they have too much alcohol in their blood systems (set as .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or above).  As at 2009, more than 200000 people aged below 21 reports to emergency rooms in U.S. hospitals with complaints such as burns, injuries and other related accidents (DeWit, Adlaf, Offord & Ogborne, 2014).
The statistics on alcohol abuse in America are alarming and urgent interventions must be undertaken to redress the issue. The challenges presented by alcohol abuse are myriad and troubling. Solving them takes a village, that is, it is a concerted effort that must be all-inclusive and stakeholder-wide. The use of alcohol should be strictly regulated to prevent the increasing recruitment of young Americans into drug use. The statistics in youth consumption of alcohol are alarming, ditto the accidents related to alcohol abuse. A culture of responsibility needs to permeate the debate on alcohol consumption.




References
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