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In professional and research contexts, the term alcoholism is not currently favored, but rather alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or alcohol use disorder are used. [4] [2] Talbot (1989) observes that alcoholism in the classical disease model follows a progressive course: if people continue to drink, their condition will worsen.
Alcohol education is the planned provision of information and skills relevant to living in a world where alcohol is commonly misused. [3] WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, highlights the fact that alcohol will be a larger problem in later years, with estimates suggesting it will be the leading cause of disability and death.
Alcohol use is a major cause of preventable liver disease worldwide, and alcoholic liver disease is the main alcohol-related chronic medical illness. [6] Millions of people of all ages, from adolescents to the elderly, engage in unhealthy drinking. [7] In the United States, excessive alcohol use costs more than $249 billion annually. [8]
Younger people are “finding other ways to socialize that don’t center on alcohol,” Dick adds. “The internet has made it easier to find and connect with people who share interests and hobbies.
The word addiction is dated to the 17th century. [8] The consumption of addictive substances, such as alcohol, opioids and cocaine, is reportedly traceable to ancient Syria, China and South America. Some of those abusing narcotics were called opium and morphine "eaters", while the term drunkard referred to alcohol abusers.
Of all alcohol-attributable deaths, motor vehicle accidents account for 27.5% and alcoholic liver disease accounts for 25.2%. Alcohol-related fatal car accidents are three times more prevalent among Native Americans than in other ethnicities. Alcohol was shown to be a factor in 69% of all suicides of Native Americans between 1980 and 1998. [163]
Addiction is classified as a chronic brain disorder by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). [5] There are several reasons why people develop an addiction. A predisposition to the addictive qualities of substances may be inherited by some people, making it a genetic circumstance. Another cause for addictions could be the environment.
In pregnant women, alcohol is carried to all of the mother's organs and tissues, including the placenta, where it easily crosses through the membrane separating the maternal and fetal blood systems. When a pregnant woman drinks an alcoholic beverage, the concentration of alcohol in her unborn baby's bloodstream is the same level as her own.