Subject 26

Alcoholism is a major problem that affects both adults and children in today’s society.
Mention two causes of this problem and two possible solutions.

When people want to celebrate an important event – like marriage, graduation, passing
an exam or their birthdays, they always have a bottle of something on the table – champagne,
wine, whiskey, beer – anything that could make people feel good and cheer them up. When
you are in the middle of such an event, it is customary to put a smile on your face, wish all the
best to the host, raise the glass and empty it. Some people stick to the formal aspect of such
a ritual, others simply enjoy the drink, while others drink themselves into oblivion.
The third category of drinkers is the focus of this topic – those people who cannot stop
after a couple of glasses, the ones to whom the drink seems to be as vital as oxygen and
seems to have become the reason to live another day. These are the extreme symptoms of a
person’s dependence on alcohol, but until drinking becomes a problem, it all starts in a soft,
playful manner. People with no history of alcohol consumption at first may start relying on
alcohol as a means of social interaction, for fear of alienation and neglect when they find
themselves in a group of people who enjoy the sense of euphoria given by alcohol. Teenagers
and adolescents don’t have the ability to resist alcohol if offered to them and, in time, this
social and alcohol dependence becomes a habit and eventually a disease.
Besides this “green” category of people who start drinking at an early age, not being
aware of the devastating consequences drinking may have on them, there is another category
of people to whom alcohol is a substitute for life. The poor ones – the people who don’t have
a roof above their heads, the unemployed, the ones who don’t have the support, love and
affection of a family, the ones suffering from a terrible disease, the ones who have suicidal
thoughts. In one word - the ones who cannot fight against the hardships of life and try to find
something that might help them forget about all their troubles. That handy something is a
glass of alcohol. After drinking something, the problems seem to have gone away and the
personality of the alcoholic can exhibit a radical change – from depression to exuberance,
from melancholy to being talkative, from passive to agitated. Sometimes they can become
aggressive, they may fall asleep, they might start crying or singing and dancing. The sad part
is that, when they wake up the next morning they realize that the situation hasn’t changed, the
only new thing is the hangover that reminds them about how much they have drunk.
 To make things worse, drinking has a negative impact on the health of the alcoholic
people. Severe diseases affect the major internal organs – the heart, the brain, the nervous
system, the liver or the kidneys. Drinking may ruin family lives, drinking being one of the
causes of domestic violence and child abuse. The professional abilities and skills can be also
affected by alcohol consumption and the alcoholic may even lose the job as a result of a
decrease in competence and proficiency at work. Alcoholics start losing their friends as
alcohol becomes a major focus of their lives. Not to mention the fact that innocent people can
suffer or even lose their lives if drunk drivers are irresponsible enough to insist on driving in
spite of the high level of alcohol in their blood.
Speaking about solutions, there are many things to be done: encourage abstinence,
lead a healthy social life, read about alcoholism and its effects, look around and see the ugly
face of alcoholism. This is the prevention stage. If things have already got out of control, the
people around the alcoholic have a huge responsibility. They have to help the alcoholic to get
the right medication, to accept a detoxification program run by medical institutions, to get
involved in the psychotherapy forms that usually follow such cures. Support, affection and
care are of major importance to such people. If a divorce occurs in such a tough period in an
alcoholic’s life, if he loses his job or his house, such terrible events added to his chronic
health problem may lead to a tragic end.
Apart from the family members that must get involved and must be part of the solution,
the local and national authorities should also issue laws and regulations regarding alcohol
consumption. Press campaigns against heavy drinking should create a sense of awareness
that might have a positive effect on the weak ones who can’t say ‘no’ when they are offered a
drink. Strong will and motivation are key words in the process getting back on track. After all,
alcohol abuse can be overcome with the possibility to live a normal life. I’ll drink to that!