The positive social effects and negative social and physical effects of alcohol

This essay will review both the positive social effects and negative social and physical effects of alcohol. The debate over alcohol consumption in communities around the world has existed as long as there has been alcohol to drink. Alcohol has improved social functions; community economics through tourism and business and in moderation can enhance many situations in society. Alcohol has been one of the main problems of today’s generation. By contrast if over indulged and abused the same product can also harm societies, families, communities and do physical harm.Do people have drinking problems? Does a person love drinking? How does it make a person feel; good, bad, hyperactive, happy or sad? Are people addicted to drinking? Do people think that drinking is good or bad and what are the benefits of it? Alcohol has played an important role in our lives. Many people and especially teenagers drink a lot. They go to parties with their friends just to drink. They do not know what ar e its benefits and causes they are just going to drink and that drinking makes them feel good and look unique in front of their friends.They drink alcohol as if they are smoking cigarettes. In this essay I shall explain what the positives and negatives points are and also explain how alcohol is affecting our lives and the society. â€Å"Alcohol has played an important role in religion and adulation. Alcohol is a product that has provided a variety of functions for people. Historically, alcoholic beverages have served as sources of needed nutrients and have been widely used for their medicinal, antiseptic, and analgesic properties.The role of such beverages as thirst quenchers is obvious and they play an important role in enhancing the enjoyment and quality of life (David J. n. d. )†. Alcohol can facilitate relaxation, provide pleasure, enjoyment and increase the pleasure of eating and drinking. Alcohol has proven to be beneficial in several society settings. While drinking al cohol many people find it bringing enjoyment especially when drinking and dancing. Alcohol brings enjoyment, relaxing moments, hyperactive, and drinkers sometimes feel a little less than in control while drinking.By comparison some of the negative effects caused by alcohol is a person inability to control the amount a person drinking after starting, a person may have little if no control over the quantity a person drink, no matter how much a person try to limit a themselves from drinking it won’t happen. When a person tries to stop drinking some symptoms may occur to that person’s body after repeated exposure, these may include: racing heart, sweating, lack of proper sleep, inability to drive, anxiety, nausea and more dangerous problems.A person can put a person themselves in dangerous situation when a person drinks a lot this situation such as drinking and driving. Some people develop a lack of social ethics while drinking that their friends find it hard to tolerant. A person may can blackout and have a very bad hangover when a person drink a lot. Hangovers can cause a person to stop working, not concentrate on what a person have and should do. Drinking early or alone can also cause problems because there won’t be anyone to help that person should they falls ill. These are some other negative effects that drinking can lead to (About. om 2013). Underage boys and girls nowadays go out drinking with their friends but most of these children don’t know what problems can cause them later on if they get caught. In some countries in their laws drinking is not acceptable unless a person 21+, because at that age a person are mature enough to understand the causes of drinking and what problems it can lead a person to. For example in the United Arab Emirates, drinking is only acceptable to those who are 21+ and if a person get caught drinking a person get to go to jail and have problems with the law.Many children are arrested each year in the UAE on drinking infractions, 15 years old boys caught drinking in public parks and beaches along the Cornish, caught try to get into bars and drink and their lack of social considerations prevail and they are caught because think that drinking is good for their age and that they want to live their lives as adults. Children with this age do not understand the lasting effects alcohol can cause. The body of a 15 year old teenager cannot tolerate alcohol because it’s very strong and it can cause the stomach problems, blackout, hangovers and many other future mental and physical problems.In other countries it not against the law such as Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and many others it’s not against the law even if a teenager goes in to a bar to drink its fine they won’t have any problems because it is not against the laws. Some countries it’s against the laws and religion. â€Å"In many Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, a recent study by The Economist shows that alcohol might be an increasingly strong foe. Alcohol sales in the Middle East grew 72 percent between 2001 and 2011, despite the beverage being forbidden in Islam.While some Muslim scholars permit alcohol provided it is not made from grapes or dates, as those are specifically mentioned in the Quran, most do not. Many Muslims countries permit alcohol intake by tourists and non-Muslims, some countries make it legal for everyone and others enforce severe punishments; in Iran, for example, the sentence for Muslims caught imbibing is 80 lashes (Nuqudy 2012)†. These countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan drinking is against the laws and against the religion and its forbidden to drink alcohol and if anyone does they will be punished by the law.The question here was asked should Islam become more tolerant to alcohol. Well this quote explains the question; â€Å"The religion of Islam has long recognized the difference between the  "ideal† and the â€Å"reality†. The â€Å"ideal† is represented in the religious teachings in the Qur’an and the exemplary life of Muhammad (Sunna). The â€Å"reality† is the everyday life of countless Muslims over the last fourteen centuries who met the â€Å"ideal† to a greater or lesser degree, or not at all. There is no â€Å"original sin† in Islam and human beings fail to reach the â€Å"ideal† because of weakness and forgetfulness of Allah (God).Muslims, therefore, as per the examples cited in The Economist's article may well have consumed alcohol down through the centuries and may continue to do so in contemporary Muslim societies but this has nothing whatsoever to do with Islam, other than the fact that are engaged in a haram (forbidden) activity (Fairobserver 2013)†. Some countries follow only the law, rules and regulations and some countries follow their religion before there rules and regulations. However in all the countries drinking is forbidden in Ramadan and who is caught drinking in Ramadan will be punished by the laws of the country.In Quran it’s written â€Å"in surah 2, verse 219 of the Quran, it is stated that alcohol, like gambling, can have certain benefits, but â€Å"their sin is greater than their benefit. † In surah 5, verses 90 and 91, drinking is again linked with gambling, and the passages state that Satan uses intoxicants to instill hatred between people and distract them from remembering God. Surah 4, verse 43 also states that it is forbidden to pray while intoxicated (Michael Brenner n. d. ). † In this part it clearly explains that their sins with be greater than their benefits and that drinking is against the religion and linking with gambling. Scientific arguments for prohibition include the links between alcohol abuse and liver disease, cancer and numerous other health problems. The social arguments include the lowering of inhibitions and all the problems that come with it such as domestic violence, the spread of disease and crime (Michael Brenner n. d. )†. As we have said in the paragraph above that Alcohol is illegal in more religiously conformist Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran, but it is legal in other Muslim-majority countries such as Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey.However, There are also benefits for women and men who devour a huge amount of alcohol which can include the following: â€Å"Lowers the risk of developing stomach ulcers, because alcohol may destroy Helicobacter pylori infection which causes ulcers, reduces the risk of a female developing heart disease, and leg pains, alcohol raises HDL (good) cholesterol levels which prevents plaques from forming and causing blood clots, possible bone protection, silicon which is found in beer, is associated with an improvement of bone density in males and females, lowers the risk of gallstones, reduces the risk of age-related cognitive decline a nd can reduce plaque build-ups which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, reduces the risk of diabetes, lowers the risk of stroke, and reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack (Fenton 2009)†. These are great benefits of drinking for those women and men who consume larger amounts of alcohol. However drinking for old women and men can cause many bad consequences such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure and many other problems can be caused for heavy drinkers in this age. â€Å"Over the past ten years, liquor sales in the Middle East have shot up 72% compared to the average global rise of 30%.Statistics indicate a surprising but clear spike in alcohol consumption in the Muslim-dominated region. Between 2001 and 2011, liquor sales there shot up 72%, according to London-based market research company IWSR. This is an astonishing surge, considering that the average global rise during the same period was 30%. Sample these figures: In Abu Dhabi, liquor sales are growing 28% a year, according to the Financial Times (FT). An increase in alcohol purchases has also been noted in Qatar and Lebanon, not to mention ‘party central’ Dubai, which has comfortably returned to its pre-recession annual sales growth of 26%. Sales at the Dubai Airport alone, reports FT, touched a record $1. 4 billion in 2010 (Thomas White 2012)†. The United Arab Emirates, which includes â€Å"party capital of the Arabian Peninsula† Dubai, is returning to its 2006-2008 trend of 26 percent annual growth in booze sales, which dropped off during the 2009 recession. In Emirate city Abu Dhabi, sales are â€Å"growing at 28 per cent a year. † Dubai's airport alone registered a record $1. 4 billion in 2010 sales. Alcohol industry pros also project increases in Qatar and Lebanon. Karr also notes that much of the liquor imported to the Middle East ends up moving to black markets in countries where it is banned. â€Å"Industry insiders esti mate that more than a half of the alcohol sold to traders in these emirates ends up being smuggled into Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. In Saudi Arabia, a â€Å"standard bottle of whiskey† can go for $150. Still, that's better than China, where producers ask up to $2,700 for a fancy bottle of Scotch (Fisher 2011)†. If we count the millions or billions that these countries make out of drinking it won’t be enough because alcohol has become one of the very huge businesses that people can actually work on it and they will get money and be very rich. In Dubai some people deliver alcohol to homes, just call them anytime and tell them what drinks a person want, when and where and they shall delivers it to a person’s home. Rather than going to drink outside and paying more just call these people who deliver drinks and a person will get them on time.Other problems are students drinking alcohol before going to university and some actually drink in university which is a bad behavior and it is a huge problem because these students have no idea what they are causing themselves in many problems. â€Å"The call to consider reducing the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 could spur some valuable discussion, but alone won't solve the college student alcohol problem, According to University Dean of the IU School of Education Gerardo Gonzalez, an internationally recognized expert on alcohol and drug education. More than 100 college and university chancellors and presidents have signed a public statement stating that the current legal drinking age of 21 hasn't worked (NewInfo 2008)†.Teenagers and many boys and girls drink a lot and they think this will make them feel better but it won’t make them feel better forever. Alcohol has become one of the biggest successful businesses all over the world because people will never stop drinking, no matter how much a person does and how many laws there are in place. Drinking is illegal and forbidden in many countries due to the laws and religion and that each country and place differs from one another. In closing and to sum up this essay, the use of alcohol to enhance personal enjoyment and as a method of increasing community revenues make the age old custom of consumption traditionally and fundamentally accepted in many different societies.As such the debate over the use and misuse of alcohol has continued as has it’s stigma as both a sign of maturity and a problem for many sectors of society. Alcohol has effects the society and has affected us in many different ways. This paper has helped establish some of the many arguments for and against the consumption of alcohol; it is up to the reader to determine which side of the argument to champion. 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