Get premium membership and access revision papers with marking schemes, video lessons and live classes.

Processing. Please wait.

Use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs:use and abuse of alcohol and its effects.

Answer Text:
Use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs
Use and abuse of alcohol and its effects.
-In traditional African communities alcohol is used for various purposes for example, as medicine and for entertainment during ceremonies like initiation and marriage.
-It is also given to visitors as a sign of hospitality.
-In contemporary society, alcohol is used for both medicinal and social purposes.
-Alcohol is said to enhance digestion and to act as an antiseptic.
-Like drugs, once a person gets into the habit of taking alcohol, there is the tendency
of wanting more and thus getting drunk.
-Today alcohol has been abused rather than being used for intended purpose.
-Other effects of alcohol abuse are:
-Alcohol abuse leads to unruly behavior like being drunk and disorderly and thus committing crimes like robbery and violence.
-Alcohol makes people vulnerable to risky behavior.
-Alcohol destroys brain cells and that is why alcoholics are unable to concentrate and perform their tasks properly.
-In the case of an expectant mother who is an alcoholic, the health of the unborn child is endangered, she and he may be born with certain deformities.
-Alcoholism can also lead to family break-ups.
-A person who drinks excessively is likely to be careless.
-A drunkard is likely to be lax, produce poor quality work, report to work late, lack concentration and become unco-operative at his or her places of work.
-A person’s health begins to deteriorate because alcoholics lose their appetite for food.
-People are likely to squander family earnings to satisfy their desires for alcohol.