Alcohol Addiction
It’s often said that those who don’t drink shouldn’t
start. For those who do, they should
drink in moderation. Some may tell you
how easy it is to become hooked on booze.
Alcoholism is addictive and may cause your life to end tragically. TV viewers have been shown the tragic loss of
some celebrities, politicians, rock stars, actors, and actresses to
addiction. Even if someone should survive
alcoholism it can still lead to impairment, violence, suicide, and criminal
activities. Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863), a Confederate
General during the American Civil War said, “I am more afraid of alcohol than
of all the bullets of the enemy.” He was
convinced that alcohol was bad for Americans.
Media Coverage
Alcohol in the media covered many topics:
• Debates about advertisements
• The number of liquor billboards in
poor neighborhoods
• The positive and negative effects on
life expectancy
• Drinking by military servicemen in
U.S. clubs
• Debates on the legal drinking age
• Self-regulation by the alcohol
industry
Bill Gates (b. 1955), a business magnate and philanthropist said,
“I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound
effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve
the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.” Mass media has such power to influence its
audience. Christians believe their bodies are holy
temples that are protected by God. It’s
always their goal of keeping their bodies pure, clean, and undefiled from
alcohol and drugs. Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), an English writer
and lexicographer said, “Promise, large promise, is the soul of an
advertisement.” Most people should have
discerning minds to know what ads are beneficial. It therefore best to select what’s uplifting in
advertising, and to help others to do the same.
Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol has caused numerous problems in people’s lives. Some however were able to seek treatment for
their addiction. Medical professionals
have described the impact of alcohol abuse on the American economy. A brand of alcohol was even named after the
renowned Indian chief Oglala Sioux, but several states have banned this liquor.
Before it was prohibited, liquor advertisement had become a
hot topic on TV. Driving while drunk had
become a major problem. In 1998, The New York Times reported the Senate’s
resistance to allow the liquor industry, and restaurants to establish a uniform
national standard for driving. There was a time too, when colleges played down
the use of alcohol in the lives of students.
This resulted in a number of alcohol-related deaths on campuses. To help this situation, first year college
students were encouraged to live in alcohol-free housing, participate in
booze-free events, and there was a ban on liquor at rush events for
fraternities and sororities. Afterwards,
several liquor marketers were willing to put statements on bottles attesting to
the potential benefits of drinking in moderation that met with the approval of
the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Tom Scholz (b. 1947), a rock musician and engineer said,
“Higher Power was the result of a personal experience: a friend of mine who
went through the process of addiction and recovery. It’s a very tough thing - very easy to become
addicted and very, very hard to become a recovering addict.” Scholz’s remarks shone a light on how serious
addiction could be, and the difficulty to beat this habit.
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