Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, and Smoking

From songs, to movies, to real life situations, problems of alcohol abuse, drug
abuse, and smoking has been evident in society. The generation is succumb to these
substances because of peer pressure and because its what everyone does--- but why?
Why are these substances addicting? Alcohol for one thing, is poison. In order to ingest
alcohol and survive, your body must alter itself significantly. Specifically, as learned in
our Health classes in school, you brain and liver undergo changes when you consume
alcohol. These organs adapt to the toxins to keep us alive.
You may have heard that drinking alcohol helps you to loosen up, talk to people,
and make new friends. It makes you more comfortable in your surroundings. People still
drink it besides the fact that they know that alcohol can make you have less control over
what you do. This can effect to dangerous situations but with the right limitations, this
can be avoided. Drinking in moderation is usually harmless but then getting drunk
regularly and binge drinking is a different story. It can be a cause of having serious
physical, social and academic problems and if this substance is abused, it can cause shortterm and long-term damage to your body. One very fatal problem with the body that
involves drinking alcohol is Cirrhosis. According to the Liver Foundation (2010),
Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most serious type of alcohol-induced liver disease, and is the
leading cause of death among constant alcoholic drinkers. With a lot of alcohol taken
in, the liver is overworked and it keeps replacing normal liver tissue with scar tissue. Not
only can it damage your liver but as well as your brain, heart, and stomach. The safest
way, really, is to try to avoid alcohol. If youre at a party with alcohol, drink soda! Simple
ways like that!

Another problem with society and alcohol abuse is the law is being broken. In the
Philippines, it's not legal to drink before you're 18 but still, people under this certain
abuse the substance. Drinking and driving is also being done these days and when these
so called accidents happen, it would be a miracle for the passengers and the drivers
involved in the vehicle to be alive. This dangerous act can cause to car accidents that can
kill a number of people and the sight of it as if bloodshed had happened, is not pretty. The
healthy choice is, as much as possible, to avoid drinking alcohol for its effects are really
not worth just having a comfortable time during a party.
Smoking is very common among teenagers and adults these days. People who
smoke usually look haggard and stressed. Imagine if you smoke, your teeth and
fingernails turn yellow due to the stain caused by nicotine; you would have foul smelling
breath and hair fall. Even skin aging problems are very evident in smokers physical
appearance. This list of negative effects go on but no matter how much it can affect the
physical appearance, people still give in to this habit. If problems start occurring in the
outside looks, the of course, there is something worse inside. Like alcohol, smoking can
be a cause of serious problems pertaining to the organs. It increases your risk of lung
cancer and heart diseases. Shortness of breath because of blocked arteries and more
coughs and colds are some effects of smoking and if addiction occurs, the problems can
be fatal. What makes smoking addictive is, of course, the nicotine. According to the
American Heart Association (2010):
Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate and the
flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. The smoke

includes carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can
carry. This, combined with the nicotine effects, creates an imbalance between the
demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood can supply.
With these said, the more you smoke, the more your brain becomes used to the nicotine
and you may become dependent on it.
For some people, smoking can be a stress reliever but studies show that smoking
doesnt calm you down. Its simply that nicotine cravings make you feel stressed and
anxious so when you have a cigarette, you feel temporarily calm. Smoking, you may
think would make you look cool, but if you consider more than just how it would make
you look then keep in mind that smoking has harmful effects that can end up claiming
your life. Quitting, for frequent smokers, may be quite difficult to do but if the effects on
the internal organs should be enough to convince them to stop. You know what they say,
each stick takes away 3 minutes of your life.
For sure most of you have heard about cocaine, heroine, and marijuana--- all these
are very harmful drugs. For some countries, some certain drugs are legal but for the
Philippines, you get caught, you go to jail. Drugs are illegal for a reason. It risks to your
mental and physical health and they arent a one time thing; once you try it, you could get
hooked and addicted. Addiction can have disastrous effects on health, social life, and
studies. Drug Addiction is an increasing epidemic spreading throughout the World.
According to Melissa Smith (2010):
Addiction is a complex disorder and People who are addicted feel an
overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol, even in the face of

negative consequences. This self-destructive behavior can be hard to understand.

Why continue doing something thats hurting you? Why is it so hard to stop?
The answer lies in the brain. Repeated drug use alters the braincausing
long-lasting changes to the way it looks and functions. These brain changes
interfere with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment, control your
behavior, and feel normal without drugs. These changes are also responsible, in
large part, for the drug cravings and compulsion to use that make addiction so
powerful.
Many people use drugs in order to escape physical and emotional discomfort.
People addicted to drugs make them feel better for a while, but it really does backfire.
Drug use simply takes away the symptoms instead of actually treating the problem. Take
the drug away and the problem is still there, whether it be low self-esteem, anxiety,
loneliness, etc. In addition, if drug abuse is prolonged it eventually brings its own
multitude of problems, including abnormal daily functioning. The problems that drug
abuse brings whether it is psychological, physical, or social consequences become worse
than the original problem users probably were trying to avoid.

Taking drugs can be dangerous not only because of its impact they have on your body but
they can also limit your ability to set limits, be aware of your environment, and realize
when you are in danger. According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

An estimated 10 million people age 12 and older reported driving under

the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to being surveyed. This
corresponds to 4 percent of the population age 12 and older, similar to the rate in
2007 (4.2 percent), but lower than the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). In 2008, the rate
was highest among young adults age 18 to 25 (12.3 percent).
Like alcohol, car crashes can also be a result of drugs---that is if you drive
drugged. One study found that about 34 percent of motor vehicle crash victims admitted
to a Maryland trauma center tested positive for drugs. In fact, the majority of studies
among similar populations have found higher prevalence rates of alcohol compared with
drug use.

For some, the fine line between use and abuse of all 3 of these substances is not
clear. Some would experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally. Others will
develop a dependency or addiction, often moving on to more dangerous drugs and
causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others. Clever ones learn how to
resist them. So which one are you? Are you hooked or not?