Don’t booze yourself into oblivion!

People drink for different reasons, especially when it comes to celebrating achievements, certain personal milestones such as birthdays, and social occasions such as naming ceremonies, house-warming, etc.

For some people, a day is not deemed complete until they knock back a few bottles as a form of unwinding after a busy day at work. Such passions are usually indulged in with friends and associates.

For some still, drinking is an important part of culture that must be upheld. Elders who hold to the dictates of cultures and traditions tend to use alcoholic beverages a lot, whether when praying, pouring libations or generally entertaining friends.

For such elders, drinking serves as a way of getting close to the ancestors whose spirits are usually invoked to accept the drink offerings poured in libations to them. Such activities tend to be on a regular basis.

For yet other people, drinking provides a coping mechanism for life’s challenges. They drink to “escape” the harsh realities of their existence. For this people, drinking to a stupor is it. They can’t seem to stop, because then they would have to confront their demons without the assistance usually provided by the bottles!

In some cases, young people and some delinquent adults engage in speed drinking. This involves drinking rapidly and competitively, leading to consumption of large amounts of alcohol in short time, often with a sudden onset of intoxication well beyond what was expected.

Not young people’s problem

The problem of drinking cuts across the age brackets, with experts reporting that more young people are getting caught in the habit.

According to America-based National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 2003, the average age of first use of alcohol was about 14, compared to about 17 1/2 in 1965.

The scientists warn that people who had their first drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to also report meeting the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.

“In fact, new research shows that the serious drinking problems (including what is called alcoholism) typically associated with middle age actually begin to appear much earlier during young adulthood and even adolescence,” they say.

The World Health Organisation has more to say in this regard. A scary statistics released by the global body in Geneva on Monday laments that alcohol currently kills 3.3 million people worldwide each year, more than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence combined. It notes that alcohol consumption is on the rise.

In general, WHO warns, alcohol causes one in 20 deaths globally every year, and this include deaths through drunk driving, alcohol-fuelled violence and alcohol-related diseases.

“This actually translates into one death every 10 seconds,” says the WHO’s Head of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department, Shekhar Saxena.

The global health body notes grimly that as people’s wealth increases, so also does the likelihood of alcohol intake and, eventually, abuse.

Alcohol-fuelled diseases

The Global Status Report On Alcohol And Health 2014 states, “Alcohol consumption can not only lead to dependence but also increases people’s risk of developing more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers.

“In addition, harmful drinking can lead to violence and injuries and make people more susceptible to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia.”

Experts warn that long-term health consequences for heavy drinking are real. According to nutritionist, Dr. Phillip Iriagbe, heavy drinking increases the risks of liver disease, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, stroke, bleeding from the stomach, sexually transmitted infections, several types of cancer and problems managing diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions.

Again, experts at the NIAAA warn that certain patterns or situations in which you drink may put you at significant risk. “Aside from long-term consequences that might develop, there may be more immediate costs you face,” they note.

Iriagbe warns that certain health conditions such as peptic ulcer, hepatitis, clinical depression or anxiety are worsened by drinking alcohol; advising patients in this category to steer clear of the bottle.

He also notes that some people indulge in harmful drinking, which is the continued use of alcohol despite negative consequences such as problems in relationships, work, school, finances, mood and health.

And, would you know, alcohol is a factor in about 60 per cent of fatal burn injuries, drowning, and homicides.

“It also constitutes 50 per cent of sexual assaults and severe trauma injuries; and 40 per cent of fatal motor vehicle crashes, suicides, and fatal falls,” the NIAAA researchers intone.

Physicians warn that the more alcohol you take, the more likely you are to become dependent on it as time goes on.  “Alcohol increasingly takes over your life, with more money and time spent on alcohol use, as well as recovery from it.

“You may drink every night before falling asleep. You rely on alcohol as part of socialising. You may drive under its influence, while you may have lost relationships because of your drinking habits,” the experts note.

The bottom line: seek help if you fit into any of these casts and wean yourself of alcohol. You will not only stay healthy, the probability of living to full age is also there.