Category: Alcohol

It is no secret that alcoholism is a problem in modern society. Some individuals are used to drinking alcoholic beverages for short-term stress reduction and well-being improvement. Nevertheless, one should remember that alcohol brings devastating effects on a drinkers body, in no way solving urgent concerns. Thus, temporary relief from a difficult situation will not solve a problem, this is a deceptive condition, and consequences can be unfortunate. In addition, alcoholism brings adverse effects on a persons life because drinking to get rid of some problems does not make them go away since one needs to deal with them. People have to deal with questions that bother them, heal and move on, or these issues will always be in the back of their minds.

Explanation

In most cases, alcohol is not an option because it makes people forget their troubles. In this case, alcohol is perceived as a medicine or, in other words, a placebo. It is about the same with problems  one can try to forget about troubles for a while. This is what alcohol is used for, but when intoxication passes, concerns often return to a greater extent  health, psyche, family, finances, and most unpleasant consequences. For instance, this happens to the characters in Son of a Trickster (Robinson). Jared, his parents, and others turn to drugs and alcohol to help them cope with their interpersonal issues but doing so only worsens matters (Robinson). Alcohol does not change anything and does not solve problems; it only temporarily disconnects from reality which Jared uses to stop his visions and temporarily distract from all the misery (Robinson). Drinking alcohol can cause a desire to drink, and saying that a person needs alcohol because of depression, can be a sign of alcoholism.

However, any issue has a solution, which should not be chemical. For instance, it is known that alcohol negatively affects the brains functioning. The matter begins to be perceived differently in the course of these changes. The trouble is that the brain resource will not last for a long time if the rethinking and devaluation of issues are carried out by drinking alcohol. For example, teenagers from Sober House strive to counteract the normalizing of excessive alcohol drinking in Indigenous communities to prevent these consequences (CBC Docs). Although Prince Albert is not unfamiliar with the adverse effects of excessive alcohol use, because so many local companies rely on alcohol sales and off-sales for income, alcohol is nevertheless easily accessible (CBC Docs). Adolescents think they can change the situation so that the next generation of Indigenous youth will have better circumstances than they did and can cope with difficulties without drinking (CBC Docs). Learning to do it naturally, through intellectual and psychological techniques, is helpful.

Alcohol does not solve problems but creates new ones, and some people need the help of specialists to understand this. Consequently, people should take responsibility for their actions and cope with accumulated difficulties. Indeed, doing this alone can be challenging, and there must be outside help. For example, in Sober House, people can enlist support and follow the path of real change for the better (CBC Docs). Moreover, using the example of Son of a Trickster, one can see how, gradually abandoning addictions, the novels hero has changed for the better (Robinson). Instead of washing down problems, he takes responsibility for paying bills, helps the elderly, and finds time even for those who once bullied him (Robinson). Hence, based on this example, one should understand that a drink would not solve any urgent problems, but only willpower and a firm grip allow avoiding unpleasant consequences.

Conclusion

Overall, it is necessary to state that alcohol consumption threatens human health and is only a temporary relief in the face of many life difficulties and obstacles. In this case, people should pull themselves together and start working on their shortcomings and problems without succumbing to the temptation. It will undoubtedly be complex and painstaking work that will bring concrete fruits and results from the fight against alcoholism and the desire to drown out troubles with a drink.

Works Cited

Robinson, Eden. Son of a Trickster. Knopf Canada, 2017.

No Alcohol Allowed: Teens Lead the Fight Against Alcoholism in Saskatchewan | Sober House. YouTube, uploaded by CBC Docs, Web.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a nonprofessional and apolitical community, which gathers members having problems with alcohol consumption worldwide and supplies them with mutual aid. The main aim of such a fellowship is to reject alcohol abuse and support each other in achieving sobriety. The main criteria for entering it are the determination to stick to a healthier lifestyle and stop drinking on a regular basis. I have attended one of the meetings of AA recently. This way, the purpose of this paper is to present my reflections on this regard.

First of all, the organization of meetings in accordance with modern technological development should be highlighted. It is possible to download a particular appliance titled Meeting Guide, which is available both for IOS and Android free of charge. It is a finder, which provides information on forthcoming meetings. The appliance is helpful in searching for members in particular areas and organizing a meeting between them. For this reason, I have not encountered any hardships in finding an appropriate option for me quickly.

Secondly, the event appeared to be very impressive to me. I appreciated the moment of sharing my problems and receiving understanding in response. There was no judgment and humiliation, which is extremely crucial in rejecting addictions. In addition, communication with members contributed to revealing more options for encouraging myself to stick to a better lifestyle every day.

Apart from the aforementioned benefits, the fact of anonymity was an unusual experience for me, which I enjoyed to a large extent. Such a rule stimulates to development of humility and prevents judging people for their financial level, range of achievements, and the number of children and wives (The perils of the limelight, 2020). This creates a very friendly and cozy atmosphere, which inspires me to communicate with people without any prejudices. In summary, the meeting was a remarkable event for me.

Reference

The perils of limelight. (2020). Web.

Introduction

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a disorder in an infant that develops during the pregnancy period of the mother due to exposure to alcohol. Fetal growth complications and brain impairment are some of the eminent effects linked to the condition. Though the difficulties triggered by the syndrome differ from one baby to another, its inherent contracted defects are irreversible. Pregnant mothers ought to know that during the prenatal period, there is no alcohol quantity considered to be safe for consumption as it risks the newborn from contracting fetal alcohol syndrome. Timely diagnosis aids in the moderation of intrinsic problems such as behavioral issues and learning challenges. The paper outlines the domains of child development and the negative effects of alcohol on the fetus. Finally, it discusses the physical and mental impact of fetal alcohol on an individual and how the fetus gets damaged by alcohol.

Domains of Child Development

Though growth in children occurs as a whole, the grouping of the developmental skills is accomplished by the establishment of diverse domains. Every domain is titled and relates to distinct arrayed skills (Keenan et al., 2016). Developmental disciplines are interrelated and intertwined in such a way that the growth of a child in a particular field affects the evolution in other progressive realms. However, the rating process of change differs across and within the spheres, despite the skills interrelation (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). The growth is often observed in a certain domain predominating over skills in other areas. The main domains of child development discussed below include cognitive development, social/emotional development, and physical development.

Cognitive Development

The domain encompasses the perception, thinking, and understanding of an individual through interaction with the world. Studies indulging in early intellectual growth have shown that developing minds become insightful, active, and competent at a very young age (Keenan et al., 2016). This includes the engagement of infants in spontaneous scrutiny of the consistencies in the perceived communication sounds as they learn to conceptualize a language. The basis for fundamental learning in toddlers is derived from the surrounding individuals behavior and engagements with the objects. The elucidation denotes that young children are highly receptive to learnings drawn from the words and actions of other persons.

The capability for collective responsiveness forms a beneficial foundation necessary for humans to accrue cultural knowledge. The children are able to react to cues such as child-oriented speech and eye contact, which transmit the adult communicative premeditations (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). The speech guides become more complex and sensitive when the adult dialog is directed to preschoolers (Keenan et al., 2016).

The phenomenon is essential because for young children to be prudent, they depend heavily on what they acquire from others during the preschool years. At that age, the child is able to make a distinction between grown-up orators with the ability to offer them authentic or unreliable information. This is because social communications and relationship correlations during cognitive progression conform to brain and mind growth.

Sometimes a child may experience challenges comprehending and executing simple directions. Recent research has shown that thoughts conceived by young children cannot be implicitly exhibited in their conduct (Libertus & Hauf, 2017).

The study further reveals that young children and newborns cannot demonstrate what they discern. The behavior is attributed to the restrictive nature in what they can perform, conflicting attentive demands, and ingenuous self-control. Consequently, developmental scientists are forced to employ sensible experiments in interpreting the childrens understanding and knowledge about the world. The researchers discover the cognitive developments by formulating study techniques that depend on coherent responses and disregarding any contending interferences (Keenan et al., 2016). The outcomes from these trials play a key role in elucidating the exponential growth in problem-solving, imitation, and dialectal learning in young children.

Social/Emotional Development

Social and emotional competence is a multidiscipline paradigm, which influences the capacity to comprehend and manage behavior and emotions. The construct also enables people in decision-making for goal accomplishment, as well as the establishment and conservation of beneficial relationships through the exhibition of empathy and feelings for others (Keenan et al., 2016). Socio-emotional development is categorized into five correlated aptitudes: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These elements of the social/emotional growth domain are crucial for the general and academic adjustment of the child during preschool years (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). The future mental well-being of a child in persevering distractions relies on the socio-emotional functions.

The deficiency in social skills and demanding conduct of the child instigate serious challenges when they try to cooperate with the teachers or to relate with their peers. When the resolution of the underlying behavior fails to be accomplished during the initial stages of schooling, the child suffers from persistent social/emotional challenges (Keenan et al., 2016). The socialization problems in the individual are often observed during adolescence and adulthood as they struggle to adapt to vocational and educational adaptations (OConnor et al., 2016). Therefore, emergent behavioral issues ought to be addressed early enough to avert further deterioration of the condition.

Strengthening of socio-emotional skills among young children is attainable through the implementation of numerous evidence-oriented strategies. The inherent approaches are designed to enhance the identification and understanding of the emotions of children (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). Simple emotion control approaches entail nurturing social analytical skills. Pro-social strategies involve coaching, role-playing, and modeling skills, as well as bolstering of ethically acceptable behavior (Keenan et al., 2016). On the verge of offering the children with daily socio-emotional elucidations, integrating such evidence-based schemes as part of the practices in classrooms is highly recommended.

Physical Development

Physical growth in young infants performs concurrently with cognitive development, and progression in either domain depends on the evolution of the other. Normal physical advancement in children assumes a predefined trajectory though there are distinctive differences for developmental rate amongst individuals (Keenan et al., 2016). The progression covers the growth of a healthy body with respect to the improvement of sensory systems such as hearing and eyesight. It also encompasses the building of the power to utilize the musculoskeletal mechanism of palpable motor skills that implicate the muscular bodys locomotion (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). Further, tolerable motor skills requiring precision and the regulated generation of voice sound are tackled. Motor and sensory growth are crucial for classroom and daily activities, which promote early learning, intellectual development, and educational feat.

Growth of fine and gross motor skills in young children occurs all through from birth to school readiness in subsequent stages of development. The maturation is exhibited by the ability to support their heads, crawling, standing, walking, fastening shoelaces, running, and writing (Keenan et al., 2016).

In establishing the interlinking of physical development and other domains, some studies have shown that learners exhibiting fine motor skills deficiencies record lower scores in language and math. Other research has also delineated the strong correlation between fine motor skills and imminent academic excellence. Some scientists have also ascertained that the learning process during motor and cognitive developments is controlled by an analogous neural system (Libertus & Hauf, 2017). Consequently, there is a need for a shift in school curricula to facilitate the inclusion of activities like physical education and arts, which emphasize fine motor skills.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most detrimental effect of maternal drinking during the perinatal period. The condition was first pronounced by Jones and Smith in the United States. For mothers drinking heavily during pregnancy, the newborns with the disorder were identified by unique facial abnormalities such as squeaky upper lip and short openings of eyelids (Kesmodel et al., 2019). Some children also had a smooth or flat fissure between the upper lip and the nose. The affected babies exhibited behavioral and cognitive problems as well as growth retardation.

In contrast to the newborns who have Down syndrome and demonstrate impairment in nearly all intellectual functionality aspects, fetal alcohol syndrome victims (FAS victims) perform well in linguistic assessments. Nevertheless, they face challenges while handling multifaceted dialectal tests, particularly the checks entailing practical language situations. The most outstanding anomalies are in attentional and arithmetic performance. A significant percentage of FAS cases have exhibited intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in the range of low to average, despite most of them being diagnosed with mental retardation. However, comparative low IQ tests are also exhibited in children who have not had any alcohol exposure.

Previous studies have demonstrated that children with FAS had similar scores in reading and IQ-related subjects. However, the performance was dismal in the calculation and particular alertness facets. The children were found to have a slow capability in coordinating, planning, and implementing apt responses in the behavioral feedback. The research has also revealed that children affected by FAS often suffer from deteriorated socio-emotional growth in comparison to their IQ scores. The concerned development in children encompasses personality, moral, emotional, and social progression.

Harmful Effects of Alcohol on a Fetus

Intake of any quantity of alcoholic drinks during the prenatal period can trigger severe health complications for the growing organs and brain of the baby. One of the underlying problems is the possibility of a pregnant mother to experience premature birth (Mamluk et al., 2020). The behavior may lead to the development of fetal brain loss during growth. Another harm to the baby is the likelihood of congenital disabilities, which alter the shape or functioning of at least one organ of the body. Such defects at birth may include hearing, vision, and heart problems.

Indulging in alcohol during pregnancy may also result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Babies who contract FASDs experience developmental and intellectual disabilities, thus the communication and learning challenges are in some people (Mamluk et al., 2020). The fetus with the condition exhibits lifetime delays and problems in physical growth. Babies with FASDs often find it difficult to socialize with others and to be watchful of themselves. Finally, prenatal alcohol drinking may lead to the delivery of newborns with low birth weight (LBW). In the worst cases, alcohol consumption during pregnancy causes miscarriage or even stillbirth.

How Alcohol Damages the Fetus

When a pregnant mother drinks, the consumed alcohol flows to the unborn baby via the placenta and the umbilical cord. The phenomenon implies that the fetus consumes the alcohol and keeps it from attaining normal growth (ONeil, 2018). During the embryonic stage, alcohol introduces developmental malformations, which yield birth deficiencies and pregnancy arrest in case of critical growth deviations. Additionally, maternal alcohol consumption during this stage may inhibit proper blastocyst implantation in the uterine walls (ONeil, 2018). This raises the probability of early cessation of the pregnancy due to damage of the cell lineage.

During the fetal stage, alcohol-prompted injury to the neural crest cells induces lethal facial abnormalities in the minor. Alcohol hampers the production, transmission, and arrangement of progenitor cells during cardiac development, thus resulting in valve-shaping anomalies and ventricular and atrial complications, which risk future heart attacks during adulthood (ONeil, 2018). Compromising the developmental cycle also causes other damages such as morphological abnormalities, hypoplasia of the optic nerve, and reduced brain white matter.

Negative Effects of Fetal Alcohol on an Individual

Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) find its application where the mother had heavy drinking during pregnancy, and the child shows some of the FAS characteristics. The precise interpretation of FAE is established through a discussion of its three manifestations. First, partial FAS relates to children with excessive prenatal alcohol exposure and gives disclosure of some neurodevelopmental disorders and alcohol-linked facial dysmorphology traits (Kesmodel et al., 2019).

Second, alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) refer to children with confirmed contact to undue perinatal alcohol and exhibit at least one congenital deformity such as ocular, cardiac, auditory, or renal. Lastly, Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) is characterized by quantifiable neurobehavioral abnormalities due to prolonged heavy-alcohol exposure during pregnancy (Mattson et al., 2019). The ensuing section gives an in-depth delineation of the behavioral and cognitive culminations emanating from prenatal alcoholic vulnerability.

Reduced Intellectual Flexibility

Intellectual flexibility denotes the capacity in an individual to attend simultaneously to several tasks and be able to adjust his or her attention to a particular undertaking. Children with FAS are associated with lowered cognitive flexibility, especially in verbal proficiency tests where they are required to name many words from a specified set (Tsang et al., 2016). These tests are essential in gauging the intellectual flexibility of children as they entail monitoring the retrieved information from the indelible memory for correspondence with the suggested instructions. Lowered mental suppleness amongst FAS children has been witnessed in design fluency assessment, where the child is required to join the dots while alternating between successive letters and numbers. Similar results have also been observed in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, which requires the child to sort the cards based on number, shape, or color on the card (Furtado & Roriz, 2016).

The test results have exhibited that FAS children accomplish the predetermined trials but continue with the previous feedback, even with the modification and change of the criterion. The deduction is a clear indication that the FAE or FAS suffer from inadequacy of cognitive flexibility.

Diminished Sustained Alertness

Unrelenting alertness denotes the ability to maintain focus and alertness over a stretch of time, often gauged by predetermined vigilance. Prevailing research shows that during the attentiveness tasks for constant performance checks, children suffering from FAE or FAS exhibited slower response time in identifying the targeted stimulus (Baeza-Velasco et al., 2018). In tasks that demand active information processing, FAE or FAS patients and children often demonstrate a deficiency in concentration and elevated rates of inconsistencies. One such study found out that an increment in alcohol exposure during pregnancy resulted in inferior performance. The poor reaction duration was perceived during the undertaking of successive tasks and intellectual capacity assessment through timed reading. The deficiency in sustained attention amongst FAS children has also been associated with the inhibition of response and strong recollection of information, leading to impaired execution of functions.

Hyperactivity and Reduced Attention

Hyperactivity has been established in most FAS or FAE children whenever the mothers of the victims pursue prenatal care. However, recent research has shown that impulsivity is one of the least appalling complications among those reported by FAS children guardians (Baeza-Velasco et al., 2018). Scholars submit that there is a high likelihood of having FAS victims from patients from psychiatric and medical referrals drawn from families living in unstable family settings due to alcohol, which necessitates hyperactivity.

The deduced impulsivity is associated with environmental and social dynamics like post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and co-existing disposition complications (Baeza-Velasco et al., 2018). Additionally, FAS children have also been linked with slow responsiveness and reaction, in comparison to the majority of those children without prior confirmed exposure to alcohol. Subsequently, the FAS victims who are hyperactive and less attentive frequently get referred for medication due to their disruptive behavior in school and family settings.

Deficiency in Resolute Awareness

Several studies involving FAE and FAS victims have demonstrated that the patients have a substantial shortfall in the ability to uphold their consciousness in the presence of an obstacle. Deterioration in awareness amongst children is often aggravated by escalating the subjection to prenatal alcohol, even with lower exposure levels related to ARND (McLaughlin et al., 2019). Nevertheless, research has also established that despite the FAS experiencing more inferior resolute awareness, the performance of the victims is usually superior in comparison to children sustaining attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Consequently, the severity of the unyielding responsiveness due to perinatal alcohol vulnerability is gentle compared to ADHD restraints.

Memory and Learning Impairment

Prevailing studies have established that FAS victims exhibit greater concern regarding memory and learning defacement in comparison to those patients without a history of alcohol susceptibility during pregnancy. Other explorations have shown that though non-retarded grown-ups diagnosed with FAS experienced challenges in memorizing word listing, they struggled slightly in recalling what they had gained. Further research indicates that FAS children evaluated on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) experienced the problem of forgetting fresh information than retrieving the reserved data gathered previously (Agnihotri et al., 2018).

Some studies have postulated that short-term memory remains unaffected by alcohol exposure during pregnancy at birth. However, it leads to the awful functioning of the visual expectancy paradigm. Nevertheless, intensified exposure to perinatal alcohol results in less efficient and slower processing of information for children between six and twelve months of infancy.

In addition, poor performance is observed in alcohol-exposed children when prompted to remember a list of names which they had previously seen. However, when served with clues and multiple choices, there was a noticeable improvement in performance. This clearly illustrates that despite remembrance and reservation memory being intact, memory and learning deficiency is connected to alcohol exposure during pregnancy (Agnihotri et al., 2018). In other instances, FAS children learn manual execution of some pre-designated sequence but fail to remember the sequence verbally. Therefore, exposure to alcohol influences the declarative memory, while the procedural memory remains relatively unaffected.

Other research revealed that the verbal IQ for children who had cases of alcohol exposure had substantially lesser IQ, particularly in the domain of interpersonal capabilities. However, the IQ scores improved with the gradual growth of the affected children. The disposition outlines that relationship issues, and social acumen in FAS are not reverberations of their rational restraints (Agnihotri et al., 2018). Some exemplars have also noted that standard IQ scores in FAS children may be achieved by the age of six, implying that the condition does not deteriorate as the child approaches adulthood. Noteworthy, by that age, the FAS children become affectionate, communicative, and approachable.

Personality inventory for children (PIC) has also linked the FAS children with delinquency and mental retardation. PIC notes that such children have a high probability of resisting requests and limitations by those in authority, disregarding feelings and rights of others, as well as some antisocial conducts (Agnihotri et al., 2018). Moreover, FAS adults are likely to victims of wrongdoing and involvement in sexually absurd actions due to their extreme aggression levels.

Poor Planning

Children diagnosed with FAS perform dismally in assessments such as progressive planning tests, stepping stone-maze, and Ravens standard progressive matrices. The tests are employed to evaluate the ability of a child to utilize feedback to locate an invisible route and determining the appropriate patterns for insertion in space-cut blanks (Gill & Thompson-Hodgetts, 2018). The tests are suitable for measuring complex organization, problem analysis capability, strategy formulation, and performance monitoring. Studies have set forth that children with FAS at intensities matching the ARND levels due to prenatal alcohol subjection get frequently identified with poor planning during the assessments. In contrast with ADHD, the seriousness of anomalies attributed to deplorable planning are higher for children with FAE or FAS.

Socio-Emotional Anomalies

Exposure to prenatal alcohol leads to augmented levels of moodiness during the early stages of life. The character imparts behavioral issues and weaker maternal affection during childhood (Richards et al., 2020). Some teacher-based studies have revealed that prenatally alcohol-exposed children were more violent and less social in the class. The effects depicted that the prenatal susceptibility to alcohol may have impacted the socio-emotional growth as it is independent of the social setting of child-nurturing.

Behavioral scale results from parents with FAE and FAS minors showed that most adolescents had limited socialization and poor interpersonal skills. Other peculiar observations amongst the victims were deprived reactions to social cues and negligence of consequences emanating from their actions (Singh et al., 2018). Due to their daily lifestyle and communication skills, the FAS childrens IQ score often falls short by some points from the projected IQ for children in a similar age-group.

Conclusion

The literature review has outlined social/emotional, physical, and cognitive as the domains of child development and delineated their interrelation with each other. Environmental and sociocultural experiences have also been described as influencers of infant growth. Further, prenatal alcohol exposure has been linked with a unique deficiency in intellectual patterns. The traits are predominant in arithmetic, organization, feedback modification skills, and mental flexibility. Alcohol-exposed victims exhibit more impairment in amassing of fresh learning as opposed to withholding and repossession of previously acquired information.

Insufficiency of socio-emotional skills amongst FAS children gets more conspicuous as they grow up. The effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol have been shown to be severe, leading to deficits in interpersonal skills and social perception as well as antisocial behavior amongst FAS patients.

References

Agnihotri, S., Subramaniapillai, S., Keightley, M., Rasmussen, C., Cameron, D., Ryan, J., & Rovet, J. (2018). Everyday memory difficulties in children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 22(7), 462-469. Web.

Baeza-Velasco, C., Sinibaldi, L., & Castori, M. (2018). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, joint hypermobility-related disorders and pain: Expanding body-mind connections to the developmental age. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 10(3), 163-175. Web.

Furtado, E., & Roriz, S. (2016). Inattention and impulsivity associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in a prospective cohort study with 11-years-old Brazilian children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 25(12), 1327-1335. Web.

Gill, K., & Thompson-Hodgetts, S. (2018). Self-regulation in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A concept analysis. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 11(3), 329-345. Web.

Keenan, T., Evans, S., & Crowley, K. (2016). An introduction to child development (3^rd ed.). Sage.

Kesmodel, U., Nygaard, S., Mortensen, E., Bertrand, J., Denny, C., Glidewell, A., & Astley Hemingway, S. (2019). Are lowtomoderate average alcohol consumption and isolated episodes of binge drinking in early pregnancy associated with facial features related to fetal alcohol syndrome in 5yearold children? Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43(6), 1199-1212. Web.

Libertus, K., & Hauf, P. (2017). Editorial: Motor skills and their foundational role for perceptual, social, and cognitive development. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. Web.

Mamluk, L., Jones, T., Ijaz, S., Edwards, H., Savovi, J., & Leach, V. et al. (2020). Evidence of detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on offspring birthweight and neurodevelopment from a systematic review of quasi-experimental studies. International Journal of Epidemiology, 49(6), 1972-1995. Web.

Mattson, S., Bernes, G., & Doyle, L. (2019). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A review of the neurobehavioral deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43(6), 1046-1062. Web.

McLaughlin, S., Thorne, J., Jirikowic, T., Waddington, T., Lee, A., & Astley Hemingway, S. (2019). Listening difficulties in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: More than a problem of audibility. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 62(5), 1532-1548.

OConnor, M., Quattlebaum, J., Castañeda, M., & Dipple, K. (2016). Alcohol intervention for adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Project step up, a treatment development study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 40(8), 1744-1751. Web.

ONeil, E. (2018). Developmental timeline of alcohol-induced birth defects. The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Embryo.

Singh, N., McCann, H., Weber, M., Gonzalez, S., & Alzate, M. (2018). Adolescent screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use: An application for school social workers. Children & Schools, 40(4), 249-252. Web.

Richards, T., Bertrand, J., Newburg-Rinn, S., McCann, H., Morehouse, E., & Ingoldsby, E. (2020). Children prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs: What the literature tells us about child welfare information sources, policies, and practices to identify and care for children. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1-24.

Tsang, T., Lucas, B., Carmichael Olson, H., Pinto, R., & Elliott, E. (2016). Prenatal alcohol exposure, FASD, and child behavior: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 137(3), e20152542. Web.

The health of the nation is one of the major concerns of any state. Healthy populations guarantee the ability of a country to evolve and move towards the achievement of new goals. However, today the situation remains complex because of multiple problems and health issues linked to the environmental or other epidemiological factors. Fort this reason, it is vital to select strategies to reduce the incidence and the number of undesired behaviors and promote the health of the population. It can be achieved by the comprehensive analysis of problematic areas via statistical and epidemiological tools to offer recommendations and strategies. For this reason, the problems of alcohol abuse and tobacco use are selected for the research as the nagging problems of contemporary society.

The choice of problematic areas is justified by several factors. First of all, regardless of multiple efforts, the problem of alcohol use remains topical nowadays. Statistics show that alcoholism is the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death globally (WHO, 2018). Moreover, 40% of all hospital beds across the state are used to provide care to patients who suffer from the negative effects caused by alcohol abuse (Sudhinaraset et al., 2016). Another dangerous factor is that many young people face a high risk of becoming alcohol addicted, which means that there is a serious threat to the nations health in the future (WHO, 2018). The given factors evidence the need for the intervention and the use of strategies that will help to promote the positive shift towards the reduced number of addicted people.

As for tobacco use, the situation is also complex. WHO (2020) reports that about 8 million people die from smoking every year. Tobacco is a major cause of the emergence and development of multiple complications such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension (WHO, 2020). At the same time, smoking can also be dangerous to people who surround addicted people, or second-hand smokers, as they also face the high risk of acquiring and developing multiple health diseases (Mwenda et al., 2018). Although there are numerous regulations and prohibitions to protect populations from tobacco use, the number of smokers remains high, as about 34.2 million adults in the USA have the given addiction (Mwenda et al., 2018). For this reason, there is a need for effective measures to solve the problem.

Research works focused on alcohol abuse traditionally outline some important descriptive characteristics. First, a higher percentage of addicted people is observed in low-income communities or problematic families, as alcoholism is viewed as a way to escape reality and avoid solving the nagging problem (Sudhinaraset et al., 2016). Men consume more alcohol than women, which means that this type of abuse is related to gender, as heavy drinking behaviors are also prevalent among males (Sudhinaraset et al., 2016). Among ethnic groups, Whites have higher drinking rates than other ones (Sudhinaraset et al., 2016). Moreover, there is a relationship between alcohol abuse and social determinants of health as individuals with better support have a lower risk of engaging in abusive behaviors (Sudhinaraset et al., 2016).

Speaking about tobacco use, several factors should be considered. First, individuals from low-level communities or families belong to group risks (Mwenda et al., 2018). Statistics show that 80% of tobacco users live in low and middle-income groups characterized by the heavy burden of tobacco-related illnesses and complications (Mwenda et al., 2018). Additionally, there mean age of tobacco use initiation is 16 years for women and 19 years for men (Mwenda et al., 2018). Smoking is also associated with people with no or middle education, while tobacco use rates among university graduates are low (Mwenda et al., 2018). In such a way, descriptive characteristics of tobacco and alcohol use are similar, which means that it is possible to offer practical and universal solutions.

The selected groups can be studied by applying several epidemiological tools. The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol uses in various groups is analyzed by using statistical data and its following organization in graphs and charts (Aschengrau & Seage, 2018). Second, the incidence is a potent epidemiological tool used to analyze the selected groups (Aschengrau & Seage, 2018). Building an epidemic curve can help to visualize the current situation in various groups and trace the development of the problem and monitor how many strategies affect it. Risk ratios can be useful for outlining groups that face the biggest chance of developing dependence or undesired behaviors (Aschengrau & Seage, 2018). Finally, mapping is a tool that helps to investigate the current epidemiologic situation and conclude about the need for particular interventions.

The significant scope of the problem means that there is a need for improvement. It can be achieved by improving the well-being of risk groups and educating them about risks associated with the given behaviors. Second, young people start to smoke and drink early, which means that it is vital to provide them with assistance and recommendations on how to avoid engaging in these addictive behaviors and remain healthy. Third, it is essential to outline the adverse effects of both smoking and alcohol use and diseases that can precondition the critical deterioration in the quality of life and early death. The given measures might help to improve the situation, which is nowadays described as a pandemic.

References

Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G. (2018). Essentials of epidemiology in public health (4^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mwenda, V., Gathecha, G., Kendagor, A., Kibachio, J., & Macharia, E. (2018). Characteristics and factors associated with tobacco use: findings of Kenya Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 16(1). Web.

Sudhinaraset, M., Wigglesworth, C., & Takeuchi, D. (2016). Social and cultural contexts of alcohol use. Influences in a socialecological framework. Alcohol Research. Current Review, 38(1), 35-45. Web.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Alcohol. World Health Organization. Web.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Tobacco. World Health Organization. Web.

People consume alcohol for different reasons such as when they want to celebrate their achievements while others drink to forget about their problems. Whatever the reason, the alcohol that they hold dearly has side effects on their health, and women especially those who are expectant are the ones who are at great risk compared to their male counterparts. This paper will shed light on the effects of alcohol on expectant women.

According to Hendrick (2006), when women consume alcohol the nature of their body makes them more vulnerable to effects than men because they have less water in their bodies hence the alcohol that they take remains highly concentrated. Alcohol is very addictive hence when a woman who is used to it becomes pregnant, she finds it very difficult to quit. But she can quit for the sake of her babys health because alcohol has many effects on the unborn child.

During pregnancy, the child inside the womb of a woman obtains food from the mother through the placenta hence when an expectant mother takes alcohol the baby will probably consume the equally dangerous residue. First and foremost, over-consumption can lead to the termination of the pregnancy and the possible death of the mother.

Women who indulge in alcohol have little time for eating and by doing so they are not only starving themselves but also the baby in their womb. This is why such women give birth to children who are so tiny. In such a case the woman is forcing her unborn baby to take alcohol without knowing it. During pregnancy, the babys growth is gradual and that is when the body organs begin to be formed and laid out. If a pregnant woman takes alcohol the organs may not be formed normally because the body cells of that baby will misbehave and hence make the organs to be disturbed, and may cause others to stop functioning (SAMHSA, 2007). This explains why such women give birth to babies with heart problems. If you ask them what they think about the causes of such disorders, they will tell you that maybe they have been bewitched while they are the ones responsible for causing such disorders to their innocent babies.

Tucker (2007) argues that taking alcohol during pregnancy can cause the brain of the unborn baby to be damaged and this might affect the childs learning. Children who are born by alcoholic mothers may have deformed ribs or even bent spinal cord. Although this could be caused by abnormal behaviour of cells that is induced by alcohol, the mothers too can cause it by being irresponsible in how they move about because when they are drunk they are very clumsy and tend to fall quite often. Moreover, some engage in physical fights and when they are kicked and punched on their belly areas the impact could affect the unborn child.

Exposing the unborn baby to alcohol may cause it to develop kidney problems. This is because the system that is supposed to get rid of toxic waste is not fully operational until they are born. When adults take alcohol they urinate more often to free their body system from excessive water that is contained in alcohol but this is not possible for the unborn babies and that is why they are born with funny-looking faces.

If a pregnant woman tries to quit drinking she may experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms which are also dangerous. The symptoms include headaches and hallucinations among others. In such a case the lady should be put under a rehabilitation program because if she has been drinking alcohol for many years it is not easy for her to quit with severe side effects, thus she requires professional assistance. SAMHSA (2007) outlines that pregnant women should moderate their drinking habits if they cannot stop the practice. Women should cautiously reflect on the risks of drinking alcohol and the consequences of such a habit, with the aim of alcohol withdrawal. In essence, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are among the various reasons why pregnant women should avoid drinking.

Therefore, governments should establish awareness programs to sensitize women about the effects of alcohol on their unborn babies. This is because many child mortality cases are believed to have been caused by alcohol. The media is the best tool for hosting such campaigns. Besides, legislators should enact laws that prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol by pregnant women.

References

Hendrick, C.V. (2006). Psychiatric Disorders in Pregnancy and the Postpartum: Principles and Treatment, New Jersey: Humana Press.

Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2007). Effects of Alcohol on Women. U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Web.

Tucker, S.B. (2007). Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Physiology: A Clinical Perspective. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier.

Introduction

Tobacco and alcohol are both legal substances, which people purchase without restraints after they reach adulthood. Different countries have divergent rules regarding these products. However, most state laws do not prohibit the advertisement of tobacco and alcohol because they are legal to purchase. Some producers argue that people decide voluntarily to start consuming cigarettes or alcohol. It is an essential problem because promoting such chemicals potentially causes many health and psychological problems. One of the most vulnerable target groups among cigarettes and alcohol advertisements is teenagers. Underage tobacco and alcohol use is a significant public health problem. It can lead to several diseases in the future like impotence, lung cancer, and heart diseases.

There is a public dispute concerning advertisements for smoking and drinking in their influence on potential consumers. Corporate advertisement is the nature of business, especially in America. The main problem with promotions is showing only the favorable side, leaving concerns for health in the shadows. New techniques and media translation had developed to deliver the product favorably in the eyes of the targeted group (Weitzman and Lee 97). The government should regulate the corporate advertisement of tobacco and alcohol because of the public exposure of cigarette and alcohol advertisements to teenagers, the positive representation of these substances, and the high correlation with their use. Although tobacco and alcohol are legal substances, their advertisement should be regulated because it is closely associated with teenage smoking and drinking, wrong perception, and smoking initiation.

Teenage Smoking and Drinking

The dispute about advertisements concerns the possibility of teenagers being exposed to the promotion of smoking and alcohol. The targeting of youth was persistent even though the law existed regarding that issue of 1998: Master Settlement Agreement (Weitzman and Lee 97). This law placed some limitations on the advertisement of cigarettes. The argument of producers stands on the fact that cigarettes and alcohol are legal; therefore, as other products, they are allowed to be advertised. Although cigarettes and alcohol are legal substances, unlike heroin or any other drug, they are potentially dangerous. They both have negative societal impacts on personality, and it is evident that most people irresponsibly use them.

Tremendous pressure stands on teenagers since they are not experienced enough to decide for themselves. Tobacco and alcohol producers target teenagers because teenagers are three times more responsive than adults (Weitzman and Lee 98). Therefore, the danger stands not in legal permission to advertise the product but as a potential threat to youth health.

Use of Mascots and Popular Culture in Advertisements

Tobacco and alcohol producers argue that children and teenagers depend on their parents; therefore, they cannot influence the youth. Moreover, most people understand the dangers of excessive smoking and drinking. On the contrary, the period of childhood and adolescence is a critical time for identity formation. Some brands of tobacco companies rely on images that coincide with the interests or topics that are important to the young audience. It is controversial because it attracts teenagers based on their coming-of-age period. For example, tobacco companies usually have themes of independence from parents and athleticism (Weitzman and Lee 98). Alcohol is generally used in social acceptability, sexuality, and popularity. Some products in higher price ranges rely on feelings of wealth, influence, and adventurousness to fulfill adolescent aspirations.

Producers would provide warnings in the films and advertisements, but it is not enough to alert the young population about potential dangers. The tobacco industry has been arguably one of the most popular sponsors of Hollywood filmmakers since the 1970s. Subtle advertisements in the background or the use of a particular brand are potent forms of promotion; around 80% of movies include the portrayal of tobacco use (Weitzman and Lee 99). The strong and consistent exposure can create a powerful depiction of smoking as a convenient style of life. Although most films have viewer discretion before the beginning, it is not as strong as the imagery in the movie.

Tobacco and alcohol companies argue that advertisements and mascots are used to establish brand loyalty among smokers and drinkers rather than attract new customers. However, there is a high dependence between preferences gained with the help of advertisement and higher product consumption rates (Weitzman and Lee 98). Moreover, people try substances with existing tastes, and brand switching is infrequent. It depends on the first experience of the smoker or drinker. Therefore, the producers argument does not fit into reality.

Relationships between Advertisement and Initiation of Tobacco and Alcohol Use

There is a proven correlation between exposure to advertisements and consumption of cigarettes and smoking. Although tobacco and alcohol producers would argue that the advert aims to establish brand loyalty for the current customers, many new smokers are coming from the promotion itself. National Cancer Institute Monograph provided the report in 2012 concluding the existing evidence on causal relationships between cigarette advertisements and the beginning of smoking in the age group of juveniles (Weitzman and Lee 98). Therefore, open access to the products, advertising to the underage group, and targeting the youth can lead to adolescent tobacco use.

Conclusion

The use of smoke and alcohol at a young age can result in permanent structural changes in the organism. Therefore, it is essential to control and regulate the advertisement of cigarettes and alcohol producers. Both smoking and drinking are legal, and selling is available, but these facts cannot justify the positive promotion of abusive substances on TV and the Internet. Even though some people have chosen this path voluntarily, most abusers are initiated with the help of wrong role models, promotions, and peer pressure. Knowledge of brands, positive representation of smoking and drinking alcohol, and exposure to false associations indicate that commercial advertisement directly influences the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol.

Work Cited

Weitzman, Michael, and Lily Lee. Similarities between Alcohol and Tobacco Advertising Exposure and Adolescent Use of Each of These Substances. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Supplement, s19, 2020, 97-105.

Identification of the Argument

Laurel Ives is a chief editor of national news-making brands. She has sound knowledge of healthcare and is experienced in working for BBC Health and Telegraph medical care division. She published an article No Alcohol Safe to Drink, Global Study Confirms for BBC Health, dated August 24, 2018. The article by Laurel Ives deals with modern issues of alcohol consumption. The paper has been analyzed according to Damers Code of Intellectual Conduct.

The main idea of Laurel Ives is that there can not be a healthy glass of wine and a moderate level of alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, this argument might not be strong due to the burden-of-proof principle. At the beginning of her article, Laurel Ives (2018) discusses matters of common knowledge that have already been known for ages. She starts her main arguments with whether moderate drinking is quite risky. The issue is that dozens of researchers can easily prove it. Moreover, comparing health indicators of non-drinkers and alcohol-addicted people can be considered slightly irrelevant. It would be more significant to start an article with some opinions that drinking is a problem regardless of the scope of addiction.

Analysis of the Flaw in the Argument

Laurel Ives argues that some researchers consider alcohol to have a protective effect in some special conditions. This argument might not be effective because there is no safe amount of alcohol. There is a level of consumption at which the risk would be low, but there are no clear values for such doses because the evidence suggests that it is safer not to drink at all. Alcohol is closely associated with about 60 different diseases. In almost all of these cases, there is a direct relationship between the dose and the bodys response; in other words, the more a person drinks, the higher the risk of getting sick.

Scientific research does show that middle-aged and older people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol are at a lower risk of developing coronary conditions. At the same time, physical activity and a healthy diet will bring more benefits to an older person than drinking alcohol. Laurel Ives cites the Global Burden of Disease study, highlighting a difference in drinking addictions between men and women. It would be reasonable to add that alcohol consumption is associated with more significant health risks for women than for men due for solid reasons. Alcohol does much harm to women. Since the water level in female bodies is higher than in males, the concentration of alcohol and the degree of its toxicity will be higher. What is more, a womans body produces fewer enzymes that break down alcohol, so it takes longer for alcohol to be eliminated from the body.

A Discussion of How Effective the Argument is and How to Improve it

Recommended alcohol consumption limits cited by Laurel Ives can be ambiguously perceived. The matter is that different ideas about restricted alcohol intake led to some confusion in talking about the benefits and harms of moderate drinking. Any attempts to find out which drinks are better for health and worse have not presented convincing results. It would be of great importance if the article contained some details that positive effects disappear with an increase in the amount of alcohol. With more intensive alcohol consumption, the association with positive health indicators is lost, and a negative correlation begins to be noted: the more a person drinks, the worse his health is.

The article by Ives could have a more significant deal with the fact that physicians are reluctant to advise patients to consume alcohol for healthy matters deliberately. The position of the World Health Organization (2022) is not completely clear. Most of the worlds recommendations say that if a person does not drink, he should not start doing that, even for health reasons (WHO, 2022). It is familiar that doctors equate the effect of alcohol with a slow poison: the decay products of alcohol destroy the body in the truest sense of the word. The author should also insist on the fact that it is necessary to be aware of the seriousness of the situation and exclude alcohol consumption. The best prevention of the habit of drinking is a complete rejection thereof. Those who never got drunk have never regretted it. Millions of drinkers bitterly regret and repent of their addiction, but this repentance is often useless for them. The burden article should state that a person must fully understand what the use of alcohol is fraught with, and then the desire to drink will likely disappear.

References

Ives, L. (2018). No alcohol safe to drink, global study confirms. BBC. Web.

World Health Organization. How can I drink alcohol safely?. Web.

Introduction

The price of goods and services is one of the factors that the consumers consider before making decisions on what they need to purchase.The law of demand shows how demand of a commodity changes as own price changes. Price elasticity of demand is an indicator of the rate at which the demand of a commodity would increase as price falls and vice versa.

The price elasticity of demand of a commodity could be influenced by several factors like the amount of substitute goods available in the market where the good is sold. Substitutes are those commodities which can be used to serve the same needs. Other factors include time period, the degree of luxury and necessities or the time period that might influence the consumers preferences and taste. Change in income or price of a related commodity also affects the demand of a product (McConnell, 2007).

This essay is a presentation concerning the facts about price elasticity of demand and the key issues that relate to it. For instance, the case to determine as to whether mentally ill persons have a perfectly inelastic demand for alcohol and cigarettes, whether alcohol consumption tends to rise in bad times, the effects of taxes on cigarettes, on alcohol consumption and the cross elasticity of demand of the two products. It also determine, whether binge drinking, which is common among college students is sensitive to alcohol prices as well as the conclusions and recommendations concerning the issues.

Mentally ill persons and alcohol and cigarettes consumption

It has been noted that many persons who are mentally ill consumes cigarettes and alcohol in order to continue financing their addiction. Mentally ill persons have both perfectly elastic demand as well as perfectly inelastic demand as far as cigarettes and alcohol is concerned. All factors held constant, an increase in price cigarette taxes will imply an increase in alcohol consumption.

Mentally ill persons have a perfectly elastic demand for cigarettes and alcohol in that they tends to switch to the consumption of substitutes once the price rises of either cigarettes or alcohol rises. They are thus responsiveness as far as price is concerned and so they will be forced to either change to a substitute or quit the consumption of alcohol or cigarettes altogether. Mentally ill persons have the capability of quitting the consumption because theyre not conscious of what they really require for consumption and may be they only consumes the product once they sees others doing so.

Perfectly elastic demand refers to a situation whereby the quantity demanded is responsive with regards to price changes i.e. the consumers attempt to switch to close substitutes once they face a price increase. The mentally ill persons consumption of drugs and cigarettes depends on the availability of substitutes, how well the substitute can be used to replace the service or good being considered. For mentally ill persons, alcohol is the main substitute for cigarettes and therefore, they will switch to the consumption of cigarettes once the alcohol prices increases (Hubbard, & Obrien 27)

The price tends to be perfectly inelastic for mentally ill persons as they consider both the alcohol and cigarettes as necessities to the mentally ill persons. This is because the habitual forming of these products will have a greater level of elasticity. In this case however, the mentally ill persons regard alcohol and cigarettes as necessities and so their main concern being addiction, they will appreciate either product that is readily available to them without necessarily defining the product. They will thus try everything including stealing money or borrowing from friends and other family members in order to buy the cigarettes and alcohol in an effort to satisfy their addiction (Arnold 12).

As mental illness affects the consumption level of the addictive goods such as cigarettes and alcohol the research by Cook, Philip & Moore, 2001 shows that mentally ill persons are price responsive and recommends that higher taxes should be imposed since the consumption rate will reduce.

Alcohol consumption and bad time

Alcohol consumption depends on the various moods of the people as well as the economic conditions.According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, alcohol is considered as an inferior commodity as well as a normal good. An inferior product refers to a commodity whose quantity demanded is usually negatively related to the level of income. Alcohol is an inferior commodity because its consumption tends to increase in bad times because many people regards alcohol as means to relief their stress. During Such bad times as death of a loved one or any other situation where people are filled with grief, consumption of alcohol rises because people wish to forget about their sorrows (Ruhm 16).

During such times as the economic recession, there are many job losses across the country and so the consumers disposable incomes hence forcing them to cater for the current situations and save the little amount at their disposal so as not to lack the basic things. The demand for alcohol therefore decreases. The basic necessities such as food, clothing, education, health and shelter are given priority and alcohol is considered as a luxurious commodity (Baumol & Blinder 18).

On the other hand during harsh economic times, some people decides to consume alcohol so as to not to come into terms with the worsening economic conditions. They thus seek some relief in and this reflects that alcohol is an inferior commodity. Economic depression usually leads to psychological depression among people making them unhappy and to drink more alcohol. A person who is having financial burden may opt to join his or her friends in a drinking joint and take alcohol so as to get rid of stress (Frank 36).

Thus alcohol is considered as a normal good because when the income rises, many people seems to visit their usual drinking places they considers drinking as their alternative leisure activity as a result of the availability of the disposable income. People also tends to alter their behavior of alcohol consumption in that they tends to take more alcohol change their type of alcohol as a result of increase in their income (Ruhm 14).

Effects of cigarette taxes and smuggling on the consumption of alcohol

Many countries impose higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products so as to discourage the consumption of the same and also to help balance their budgetary deficits. An increase in cigarette taxes denotes a lower propensity to smoke and the higher propensity of an individual to quit or to reduce smoking. Cigarette smokers tend to resort to alcohol consumption or other alternatives following the increase in cigarette smoking instead of totally quitting smoking. When the taxes for cigarettes increases, consumers may totally or partly move their demand to the less taxed products in this case being the beer so as to counter the effects associated with the same.

Smuggling of cigarettes on the other hand leads to a reduction in the quantity demanded for alcohol. Despite the fact that smuggling is illegal, consumers will opt to buy cigarettes at lower prices and thus the consumption of alcohol will be greatly reduced because the consumers will have exhausted their disposable income with buying the cheap commodity i.e. the smuggled cigarettes. Cigarettes usually have an associated appeal to the potential smugglers due to the fact that the taxes contribute a higher portion of their prices and therefore making them to be very profitable for smuggling.

On the other hand, lowering the taxes on cigarettes will mean that consumers will opt to consume cigarettes and not consider much to consume alcohol. Thus the demand for cigarettes and alcohol with reference to taxes and smuggling is perfectly elastic in that it is responsive to the change of price and the change in quantity demanded for a close substitute (Ruhm 42).

Unfortunately, whenever there is a rise in taxes, an incentive for evading the taxes arises and so the evasion of the excise taxes on commodities by way of circumventing the control of borders amounts to smuggling. Therefore, goods are usually smuggled in order to evade the rules that prohibit their sale. Cigarettes are usually very appealing to the smugglers because their taxes counts more as far as their prices are concerned. Smugglers also have the effect of reducing the minimum revenue that results from cigarette taxes because an increase in tax rates results to a correspondent increase in smuggling rate and vice versa.

Elasticity between cigarettes and alcohol consumption

Both alcohol and cigarettes consumption decisions is usually addictive and not independent on the past choices. Cigarettes and alcohol are close substitutes due to their addictive nature and so they have cross elasticity relationship. Cross price elasticity of demand refers to the percentage ratio of a change in quantity demanded of a good x as a result of a change in price of a good Y.The cross elasticity between alcohol and cigarettes will be represented as; percentage change in quantity of Alcohol (Qa) divided by the percentage change in price of cigarettes (Pc). Thus cross elasticity of demand with regards to cigarette prices PQa/Qa÷Pc/Pc

Whether them cross elasticity of price is either positive or negative is dependent on whether the products are substitutes or compliments (Sean 17). Substitute products are those products that can be used to replace another e.g. beer and cigarette whereas compliment products are those products that must be use together e.g. pen and ink. Thus a price increase in cigarettes implies that consumers will shy away from buying the same and opt for alcohol as both commodities can be used in place of each other. The cross price elasticity for these two products will be positive because a rise in alcohol prices will make consumers to substitute with cigarettes and vice versa.

Binge drinking and alcohol prices

College students are regarded as the greatest consumers of excessive alcohol commonly referred to as outlets are usually licensed to operate near campuses. It is a major concern among the parents due to the effects of excessive drinking such as violence, injuries, deaths, car accidents, theft and vandalism among others.Binge drinking among college students is as a result of peer pressure, lack of proper parental guidance, excess pocket money, lack of alternative leisure activity, curiosity and experimentation e.t.c.

Over the past two decades ,there has been significant progress that has been done in an effort tom reduce the abuse of alcohol among college students and alcohol prices have been considered as an important factor for eradicating this vice and its consequences( Sloman 18).

Binge drinking among the college students is sensitive to alcohol prices in that binge drinking tends to rise as a result of reduction in alcohol prices. This is due to the fact when alcohol prices are reduced, the students will have excess cash to buy beer. Also, the students are generally considered to have low income and so they are very sensitive to alcohol prices and therefore a price drop will allow them a greater consumption. The reverse also holds true in that an increase in that as alcohol prices goes up, excessive consumption among the students will reduce because they will have low cash at their disposal for buying beer at large amount. As the affordability for cash declines, students also tends to change their drinking venue and thus they shifts from consuming alcohol in bars and other related premises to drinking the same at home usually sharing with their parents (McEachern 23).

Alcohol producers dont have the capacity to raise the prices of alcohol so as to curtail excessive drinking by college students as they usually have little influence concerning the final price which the final consumer pays because pricing itself involves a number of players such as the government, retailers, and hospitality sectors among others. Although both male and female students are relatively inelastic with regards to binge drinking, female students are usually responsive to an increase in alcohol prices as compared to their male counterparts because males are participates in alcohol consumption severally as compared to females and thus developing addiction (Francis 1).

Binge drinking is rapidly increasing among college students rendering colleges to be polarized between abstainers and heavy drinkers and so, the government needs to come up with a policy that is aimed at increasing the tax for alcohol and also impose heavy measures on those sellers who sell alcohol below the set prices. When there is an increase in prices of alcohol, those students who are considered as heavy drinkers tends to shift the demand of alcohol to less expensive alcohol that may be of low quality and hence risking their lives due to the consumption of alcohol that do not meet the required standard (Arnold 12).

Conclusion

Mentally ill persons have the infinity ability of switching to the alternatives once the price increases by being perfectly elastic as far as the demand for alcohol and cigarettes is concerned and hence they would stop consuming the cigarettes and alcohol completely and this has the effect of lowering the quantity demanded. This will in turn render firms not to pass on taxes by increasing the prices and so the firms not have an alternative but to pay the costs by themselves.

There are reductions and increases in the consumption of alcohol as well as cigarettes in bad times such as during recession but the demand is usually for a given period of time after which the demand resumes its normal curve. Such expectations such as house price increases e.t.c.also have the effect of lowering the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes up to a given period of time.

.As long as other factors remains constant, the consumption of alcohol will not be affected by a mere change in price and so there is need for a holistic attack on binge drinking if the vice is to be eradicated completely. The abusive behavior among chronic problem drinkers will not be eradicated the same way as for the responsible consumers and indeed, the moderate and light drinkers are the ones who are most price sensitive while on the other hand, the heavy drinkers are considered as the least responsive as far as taxation and pricing of alcohol is concerned (Gartner 9).

Recommendations

The treatment of the mental illness should also be subsidized so that many people can receive treatment and this will reduce the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol as well.

For such college students who are addicted to alcohol consumption, the intervention methods should be used in an effort to discourage them from binge drinking and such methods include proper parental guidance, providing them with alternative leisure activity, introduction of drug and alcohol awareness campaigns in schools and the introduction of rehabilitation centers among others. According to Cook & Moore (1), advertising of alcohol should also be aimed at educating people on responsible drinking habits and should disclose all the adverse effects associated with binge drinking.

Works Cited

Arnord, Roger. Economics. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008.

Baumol, William & Blinder, Alan. Economics: Principles and policy. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008.

Cook, Philip & Moore, Michael. Alcohol. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2010. Web.

Francis, David R. Higher Alcohol Prices May Lower Spousal Abuse. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2010.

Frank, Robert. Principles of economics. New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 2007.

Gartney, James. Economics: Private and Public Choice. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008.

Hubbard, Glenn & Obrien, Patrick. Economics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008.

McEachern, William. Economics: A contemporary Introduction. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008.

McConnell, Campbell. Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Ruhm, Christopher. Does drinking really decreases in bad times? US: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2001.

Sean, Connolly. Alcohol: Black Rabbit Books. New York: Cengage Learning, 2006.

Sloman, John. Economics: Financial Times. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006.

Alcohol (ethanol) is a chemical generated from the fermentation of yeast (alcohol.org.nz,2022) that is used to make wine, beer, and many kinds of spirits. When used in excessive doses, alcohol is categorized as a depressant drug that affects the nervous system. Alcohol, when used in proportion, can serve as a stimulator, causing sensations of relaxation, talkativeness, and exhilaration.

Fermented products (foundation for drug-free world,2006) have been used for millennia, dating back to Egyptian civilization; and are often made from fresh grapes, apples, honey, and grain. Alcohol was extensively utilized in the 1600s amid remedies such as sterile usage, but by the mid-eighteenth century, inexpensive forms of spirits had overflowed markets, resulting in mass distribution. From prohibition to a dramatic push for sales in the USA in 1920, attitudes regarding the use of alcohol shifted, and by 1933, the commerce of alcohol had become a global business.

Benefits

Medical experts claim (mayoclinic,2021) that there is evidence of alcohol’s possible advantages when drunk in moderation. However, a person’s health, such as food, activity, and habits, can all have a role. Adults with regular alcohol use can have one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for males (see appendix 1). According to statistics, alcohol use may minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, as well as the likelihood of getting diabetic (see appendix 1).

Besides the civilization of alcohol and its extensive use in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, additional reasons people drink alcohol (Antonia, abbey. r,2022) have been related to the release of stress and societal factors. During festivities, social drinking (Jarrett, c.2017) has been employed as a means of socializing with classmates, friends, and family. According to psychologists, individuals use alcohol to help them reduce inhibition and improve their mood. Alcohol’s public perception and societal advantages have been linked to individuals feeling more connected to one another. Researchers did a study (Fairbairn, c.2013) in which they recorded a group of strangers chatting and contrasted those who had consumed alcohol to those who had not. Alcohol lowered anxiety issues and facilitated communication among the applicants, according to the findings. There are approximately 602,000 indicated alcohol consumers (alcoholchanges.uk,2022). Popular sporting events, eating, nightclubs, and bars are just a handful of the popular areas where people consume alcohol. Depending on age, gender, social class, and culture, each social circle has a unique viewpoint toward alcohol.

After a busy day, it is well-recognized that a glass of wine (hockey,2022) helps individuals rest and unwind. Self-medicating with alcohol can alleviate stress and depression symptoms for a short time. The stressor in the brain linked with inhibition is dampened by this depressive medication action. According to experts, brain function is the reason why people may feel calm or think they have had better sleep after alcohol (see appendix 1). Alcohol reduces serotonin levels and increases the calming hormone GABA, simulating the effects of a good night’s sleep.

Health risks

Excessive (binger) drinking can be a sign of alcoholism (cdc.gov.2021) in those who drink more than the daily recommended amount. Addiction and dependency, which may lead to poverty, mental health concerns, and trauma, are some of the immediate consequences of alcohol consumption. People who use alcohol are more likely to commit violence, which is one of the highest rates of crime. According to (alcoholchanges.org,2022), 39 percent of persons in Wales suffered maltreatment as a result of antisocial behavior associated with alcoholism in 2019. Alcohol decreases inhibition in the brain, leading to illogical decision-making, which increases the chance of developing STDs and transferring them through unprotected sex. Because an individual who drinks alcohol might lose awareness of self-control, alcohol has been expected to induce multiple road deaths as a consequence of driving while intoxicated. Alcohol can impede driving habits and the potential to make judgments, resulting in accidents and, in the worst situation, death. According to data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov,2019), between 210 and 250 persons were murdered due to drunk driving in 2019.

Health hazards in the long-term (cdc.gov,2021) of heavy alcohol use may lead to a wide range of medical problems, like hypertension, heart problems, prostate cancer, decreased immunity, and intestinal issues, to mention a few (see appendix 1). Excess alcohol intake can impair the body’s normal restorative process during sleep, by diverting the attention away from mending vital organs and cells and toward purging the body of toxins. Excessive alcohol use can also have a serious effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol can impede the uptake of some vitamins, such as folate and thiamine, in the small intestine. Alcohol use can potentially contribute to a ‘leaky gut’ by increasing membrane absorption. Toxins and germs can flow more readily from the stomach into the circulatory system because of this leading to issues with vital organs in the body. Alcohol is restricted in expecting mothers in gestation (cdc.gov,2021) owing to many health concerns and hazards to the infant. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDS) are a range of illnesses that can impair the fetus before birth (see appendix 1).

Alcohol abuse can cause troubles with cognitive and psychological consequences (cdc.gov,2021) throughout time, such as sadness and rage. Social issues such as broken families, job-related troubles, and joblessness may be a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Individuals struggling with depression (galbicsek, c,2021) are twice as probable to turn to alcohol for stress, tension, and restlessness alleviation. If alcohol use is not controlled, it may create a vicious cycle in which people develop dependent on it. This can induce cognitive deficits, which can lead to severe depression or psychotic episodes.

Alcohol has been a problem in our society for a long time and it will continue to be a problem unless we address it, and teach others the real dangers of drinking alcohol. There are people dying because they don’t know the real dangers that can come from extreme consumption of alcohol. I don’t see why we shouldn’t just go out of our way and teach people about alcohol and its effects that come with it.

Drinking alcohol can be very harmful to your body and it can even change the way others see you. Alcohol can impair your brain which can lead to bad decisions and potentially life-threatening judgment. “Oxford University did a study on 424 men and 103 women. Over a period of thirty years, the participants answered detailed questions. At the end of the study, the team analyzed the answers that the participants gave and they found that their hippocampus (which is the area of the brain that stores your memory) had shrunk and as a result, this affected their ability to remember. The researchers also noticed that the participants parietal and occipital lobes cells decreased. This wasn’t good because when your parietal and occipital lobes go down it can cause some of the most important parts of your brain to become much weaker. For example, your vision and awareness, and this can cause DUIs and other alcohol-related accidents” (Beverly Merz, Harvard Women’s Health Watch).

So, when people know that alcohol is dangerous what causes them to continue drinking. As many of us know alcohol along with other drugs cause our brain to release a chemical that makes us confident and impairs our judgment. People use alcohol over and over because they are addicted to the freeing sensation that it releases. Alcohol can also change who you are. When someone drinks too much alcohol can release the chemical that makes the person feel good and that can cause the person to become aggressive. When that person becomes aggressive it is not good because they can’t control their aggression as they would normally be able to without alcohol. Many alcohol-related abuse scenarios are because the consumer can’t control their anger and that can lead to many serious violent situations. When you have too much to drink and you start acting out towards others they will notice and you might even start losing your friends because who really wants to hang out with an aggressive and potentially violent person.

After looking into the bad things that come out of excessive drinking, I am not at all opposed to making others aware of the bad effects. I hope that this essay can possibly one day help someone.

In conclusion, we need to be willing to encourage others to look into the bad outcomes of alcohol. Just think of the potential impact that we can make on the world by helping others with alcohol addiction and abuse.