Alcohol is a Deadly Danger to Society

AIOPZ

Pan-Islamist
The Deadliest Drug
Opioids are taking the news headlines by storm, and rightfully so, as we are living amongst a deadly opioid overdose epidemic here in the U.S. People are dying from prescription pills every day, and we cannot do enough to reduce the number of these deaths. However, what we don’t hear enough about is alcohol and how deadly it is. Alcohol is the most socially acceptable drug on the market and the most easily accessible. Even with this knowledge, the general public still has a tendency to believe alcohol is ok, not dangerous, and an acceptable form of relaxation. Science tells us something different. Alcohol is the deadliest drug of all. Let’s look at why this is true.

Alcohol kills more people than all other drugs combined.
Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has reported that alcohol causes 88,000 deaths each year. Alcohol has shortened the lifespan of those 88,000 human beings by 30 years. All other drugs combined only cause 30,000 deaths a year. Alcohol is not only harmful to the individual, but it’s also harmful to society as a whole. Its negative effects are wide-ranging and can result in injuries, car accidents, violence, and sexual assault. Even with knowing this, alcohol is still more common than other drugs, and alcohol distributors and bartenders are not looked at like drug dealers who sell heroin and cocaine. Alcohol is different than other illicit substances that we know can cause overdose deaths because alcohol can also kill people slowly by deteriorating the body.

Alcohol is three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco.
The-Deadliest-Drug--300x225.jpeg
According to a study released in 2010 by a group of British scientists, alcohol was rated the most harmful drug overall and almost three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco. In comparison, ecstasy was only one eighth as harmful as alcohol. This ranking encouraged the scientists to say that aggressively targeting the harms of alcohol is a necessary public health strategy. They also mentioned that the current drug classifications had little to do with the relation to the evidence of harm. Just because cocaine and heroin are illegal doesn’t make them more dangerous. The World Health Organization estimates risks linked to alcohol cause 2.5 million deaths worldwide each year from heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides, and cancer. On the scale given by the scientists, alcohol received a score of 72 out of 100. Heroin received a 55, while crack received a 54.

Alcohol is more easily accessible than most other drugs.
Even though it is the deadliest drug, alcohol is legal in the U.S. and Britain, as well as many other countries around the world. As we can see from this study and alcohol’s far-reaching effects, legal substances cause just as much damage, or more, than illegal substances. This might be in part because of how easy it is to access alcohol. Most people don’t even call alcohol a drug because of its acceptance and accessibility in our society. Did you know that more people enter treatment facilities for alcohol misuse than any other drug? According to Psychology Today, only 50 percent of Americans drink. Of that 50 percent, the majority of alcohol is consumed by the top 10 percent. Those heavy drinkers consume about 73 drinks per week. This means that Big Alcohol must sell to heavy, problematic drinkers. Their target market is a group of people are sick and suffering. This is no different from regular drug dealers who depend on consumers to buy their products.

Alcohol directly causes a variety of diseases.
Last year, we learned that alcohol is the direct cause of 7 forms of cancer. Even light to moderate drinkers are at risk. The study, published in the journal Addiction, provided evidence that alcohol is the direct cause of breast, liver, colon, esophagus, and other types of cancer. The researchers also mentioned that there is growing evidence, though not conclusive yet, that alcohol also causes skin, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Alcohol also causes fatty liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and alcohol hepatitis. These conditions can kill drinkers slowly and over many years. Heavy drinking can weaken the heart and affect how oxygen and nutrients are delivered to certain organs in your body. Prolonged and excessive alcohol use can also interfere with brain function and structure. Not to mention the secondhand events that occur like car accidents, DUI’s, drunken injuries, toxic relationships, and destruction of property.

The truth is alcohol is the deadliest drug and the research and statistics prove this. In a country that is focusing solely on the current opioid epidemic, these facts are a good reminder that alcohol is deadlier and more socially acceptable than other drugs. Next time someone tries to justify drinking alcohol, remember it causes cancer and other diseases, it’s three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco, and it causes more deaths than all other drugs combined. We shouldn’t just accept alcohol was a part of life; we should talk about just how deadly it is.


https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/why-alcohol-is-the-deadliest-drug/[URL]https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/why-alcohol-is-the-deadliest-drug/[/URL]
 

Ras

It's all so tiresome
VIP
Heard alcohol goes really well with a dash of low IQ.

Maybe we should introduce it in Somalia. Celebratory eugenics.
 

AIOPZ

Pan-Islamist
Yet all the countries where alcohol is legal are doing better than all countries where it's illegal LMAO!



Alcohol is a toxin that kills cells such as microorganisms, which is why we use it to preserve food and sterilise skin, needles etc. Alcohol kills humans too. A dose only four times as high as the amount that would make blood levels exceed drink-driving limits in the UK can kill. The toxicity of alcohol is worsened because in order for it to be cleared from the body it has to be metabolised to acetaldehyde, an even more toxic substance. Any food or drink contaminated with the amount of acetaldehyde that a unit of alcohol produces would be immediately banned as having an unacceptable health risk.

• Although most people do not become addicted to alcohol on their first drink, a small proportion do. As a clinical psychiatrist who has worked with alcoholics for more than 30 years, I have seen many people who have experienced a strong liking of alcohol from their very first exposure and then gone on to become addicted to it. We cannot at present predict who these people will be, so any exposure to alcohol runs the risk of producing addiction in some users.

• The supposed cardiovascular benefits of a low level of alcohol intake in some middle-aged men cannot be taken as proof that alcohol is beneficial. To do that one would need a randomised trial where part of this group drink no alcohol, others drink in small amounts and others more heavily. Until this experiment has been done we don't have proof that alcohol has health benefits. A recent example of where an epidemiological association was found not to be true when tested properly was hormone replacement therapy. Population observations suggested that HRT was beneficial for post-menopausal women, but when controlled trials were conducted it was found to cause more harm than good.

• For all other diseases associated with alcohol there is no evidence of any benefit of low alcohol intake – the risks of accidents, cancer, ulcers etc rise inexorably with intake.

Hopefully these observations will help bring some honesty to the debate about alcohol, which kills up to 40,000 people a year in the UK and over 2.25 million worldwide in the latest 2011 WHO report.

We must not allow apologists for this toxic industry to pull the wool over our eyes with their myth of a safe alcohol dose, however appealing it might be to all us so-called "safe" drinkers. Remember these words of a man whose great family wealth and influence was built on illegal alcohol:

"The great enemy of the truth, is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." John F Kennedy




https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/mar/07/safe-level-alcohol-consumption
 
Alcohol is a toxin that kills cells such as microorganisms, which is why we use it to preserve food and sterilise skin, needles etc. Alcohol kills humans too. A dose only four times as high as the amount that would make blood levels exceed drink-driving limits in the UK can kill. The toxicity of alcohol is worsened because in order for it to be cleared from the body it has to be metabolised to acetaldehyde, an even more toxic substance. Any food or drink contaminated with the amount of acetaldehyde that a unit of alcohol produces would be immediately banned as having an unacceptable health risk.

• Although most people do not become addicted to alcohol on their first drink, a small proportion do. As a clinical psychiatrist who has worked with alcoholics for more than 30 years, I have seen many people who have experienced a strong liking of alcohol from their very first exposure and then gone on to become addicted to it. We cannot at present predict who these people will be, so any exposure to alcohol runs the risk of producing addiction in some users.

• The supposed cardiovascular benefits of a low level of alcohol intake in some middle-aged men cannot be taken as proof that alcohol is beneficial. To do that one would need a randomised trial where part of this group drink no alcohol, others drink in small amounts and others more heavily. Until this experiment has been done we don't have proof that alcohol has health benefits. A recent example of where an epidemiological association was found not to be true when tested properly was hormone replacement therapy. Population observations suggested that HRT was beneficial for post-menopausal women, but when controlled trials were conducted it was found to cause more harm than good.

• For all other diseases associated with alcohol there is no evidence of any benefit of low alcohol intake – the risks of accidents, cancer, ulcers etc rise inexorably with intake.

Hopefully these observations will help bring some honesty to the debate about alcohol, which kills up to 40,000 people a year in the UK and over 2.25 million worldwide in the latest 2011 WHO report.

We must not allow apologists for this toxic industry to pull the wool over our eyes with their myth of a safe alcohol dose, however appealing it might be to all us so-called "safe" drinkers. Remember these words of a man whose great family wealth and influence was built on illegal alcohol:

"The great enemy of the truth, is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." John F Kennedy




https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/mar/07/safe-level-alcohol-consumption
Cars accidents is one of the leading causes of death. Are cars a danger to society? Should we ban them as well?

And yeah let's ban alcohol everywhere, we all remember how well that turned out for America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States
 

Ras

It's all so tiresome
VIP
Yet all the countries where alcohol is legal are doing better than all countries where it's illegal LMAO!

Alcohol kills of bacteria. This includes non contributing members of society.

Khat isn't lethal enough.

Every gallon of Hennessy we import to Somalia we gain a point in IQ.
 
Yet all the countries where alcohol is legal are doing better than all countries where it's illegal LMAO!
Are you implying there's a correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and the economic growth of a nation?

"Cars accidents is one of the leading causes of death. Are cars a danger to society?"

Cars are proximate causes of accidents. But that's not what cars were made for while alcohol is a drug intended to f*ck you up. I'm not making any normative claims based on the negative side effect of alcohol, but comparing cars and alcohol is stupid.
 
I agree alcohol is a deadly danger to society, I remember a classmate of mine in middle school died including his whole family because a drunk driver hit their car.
It weirds me out when people even try these drugs that every doctor tells them is not ok. It’s like finding out someone is addicted to pain but is trying to cut themselves just enough that it doesn’t kill them but is enough that it gives them that rush that they want. Which is just ridiculous to a sane person but to an insane person it makes all the sense in this world.
 

Tukraq

VIP
I agree alcohol is a deadly danger to society, I remember a classmate of mine in middle school died including his whole family because a drunk driver hit their car.
It weirds me out when people even try these drugs that every doctor tells them is not ok. It’s like finding out someone is addicted to pain but is trying to cut themselves just enough that it doesn’t kill them but is enough that it gives them that rush that they want. Which is just ridiculous to a sane person but to an insane person it makes all the sense in this world.
no doctors say alcohol isn't okay tbh, just not safe for driving of course
 
no doctors say alcohol isn't okay tbh, just not safe for driving of course
I think most doctors tell you shouldn’t drink too much, however, experts says that no amount of drinking is healthy or good for you. And if drinking decreases your mortality and makes you more prone to tuberculosis and other alcohol related diseases. Then, I think most doctors would tell you it’s not ok. Personally, I have never seen a doctor that told me alcohol is good for you health wise‍
https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/5376552/how-much-alcohol-to-drink-study/?amp=true
https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/alcohol/diseases-and-disorders/
 
Are you implying there's a correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and the economic growth of a nation?

"Cars accidents is one of the leading causes of death. Are cars a danger to society?"

Cars are proximate causes of accidents. But that's not what cars were made for while alcohol is a drug intended to f*ck you up. I'm not making any normative claims based on the negative side effect of alcohol, but comparing cars and alcohol is stupid.
Alcohol is not made to "f*ck you up." Alcohol is used for stress relief and curbing social anxiety. If some people use it irresponsibly to get "fucked up" to the point of stupor then that's their problem.

By "doing better" I was also speaking in terms of the level of human rights and education. So yes, there in fact seems to be a correlation between alcohol consumed and the success of a nation, although obviously alcohol consumption is not the causation of that trend. It's simply a byproduct of what I think is the true cause of this trend: valuing freedom and liberty of the individual.
 
Alcohol is not made to "f*ck you up." Alcohol is used for stress relief and curbing social anxiety. If some people use it irresponsibly to get "fucked up" to the point of stupor then that's their problem.

By "doing better" I was also speaking in terms of the level of human rights and education. So yes, there in fact seems to be a correlation between alcohol consumed and the success of a nation, although obviously alcohol consumption is not the causation of that trend. It's simply a byproduct of what I think is the true cause of this trend: valuing freedom and liberty of the individual.
Alcohol gives you more stress and anxiety because it changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain.

You made a correlative stance not indicative. Don't confuse the two. And even if you think it's an indication, there's no evidence for it. Link me a study for this stupid claim. Uganda has the highest consumption of alcohol in the world and is also one of the worst countries in the world in most aspects.

Alcohol has nothing to do with true freedom or liberty. It's a cultural practice of 10000 years of human consumption, and it evolved into being globally accepted through neoliberal marketing. You're all over the place and can't make an argument properly, mentioning "human rights" and "education," which has nothing to do with this issue.

East European countries consume more alcohol than West European ones, but in terms of economic growth, human capital, and overall 'freedom and liberty' they are way behind.

When we start to measure individual freedom based on the number of drugs it is allowed to consume, then we would end with something arbitrary unquantifiable. Plus its inherently culture-specific so to extrapolate that to other culturally distinct countries and make it some kind of informal way to measure growth is ridiculous.
 

Jiron

wanaag
NABADOON
VIP
Anything done excessively can be dangerous, specially alcohol. Please stay safe you'll, nothing better than being sober :)
 

AIOPZ

Pan-Islamist
@Raage

Countries with the highest alcohol consumption per capita:

upload_2019-8-13_18-3-0.png


Countries with the highest GDP per capita:

upload_2019-8-13_18-4-41.png


Countries with the highest liberty index:

upload_2019-8-13_18-6-35.png


And just to top it off, countries with the best education:

upload_2019-8-13_18-9-23.png


So your claim that alcohol has absolutely anything to do with the prosperity of a nation is, flatly to put it, completely false.

Alcohol is an incredibly harmful substance with zero ostensible benefits. The fact that countries in the West have even tried banning it but ultimately caved in just goes to show how addicted to alcohol we are as a society and how much work is needed to combat the narrative that alcohol is something harmless. Remember, at the end of the day, alcohol is a toxin.

Also, @ your claim that alcohol relieves stress, know this: the amount of energy it takes to metabolize large doses of alcohol causes more stress to the body, even if you feel relaxed.

EDIT: Also, the fact that you had to resort to "but it makes me feel good" as a key argument for the normalization of alcohol just shows how weak the argument for drinking is. So by your logic, are the negative implications of cigarettes any way minimalized because smokers enjoy a sense of relief when they smoke? Smh.
 
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Reign

Pro Women's Rights|Centrist
VIP
I think there’s a gene for alcoholism and majority of people who are alcoholics activate that gene.

Somalis can’t even handle khaat, how are they going to handle alcohol? They will become alcoholics. That stuff is poison, it should be banned.
 

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