Jorge Turcios
Soc. 360
Professor Williams
30 April 2012
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Alcohol Blog
What is alcohol?
Dictionary. com
defines alcohol as, “Also, called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, ethanol,
fermentation alcohol. A colorless, limpid, volatile, flammable, water-miscible
liquid C 2 H 5 OH, having an etherlike odor and
pungent, burning taste, the intoxicating principle of fermented liquors, produced
by yeast fermentation of certain carbohydrates, as grains, molasses, starch, or
sugar, or obtained synthetically by hydration of ethylene or as a by-product of
certain hydrocarbon syntheses: used chiefly as a solvent I the extraction of
specific substances, in beverages, medicines, organic synthesis, lotions,
tonics, colognes, rubbing compounds, as an automobile radiator antifreeze, and
as a rocket fuel” (Dictionary. com)
Alcohol
History
Alcohol, like every other drug in the United States, has
had its ups and downs. Alcohol has gone from being illegal to being legal. Alcohol was prohibited during 1919 to 1933,
as it was mandated in the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Many rules
and regulations were enforced by federal and states laws that criminalized the
use and the sale of alcohol. This ended via the ratification on December 5,
1933 and the repeal of the Twenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
(Wikipedia.com). There was always controversy around the legalization of
alcohol: society believes that by criminalizing and prohibiting the use of alcohol
citizens would be protected. The prohibition of alcohol was the moral thing to
do according to the views of a society that was influences by rich, white, and
males.
In 1784 a person who drank too much
or became physically impaired or who could not make rational decisions do
to alcohol abuse was seen as deviant.
With the influence of popular opinion, society was able to label a non-existing
disease. Therefore, many groups emerged in order to “help” those individuals
that were “sick” with alcoholism and needed treatment.
Benjamin Rush, an educated,
political figure was against the sale of alcohol. He saw alcohol as something
evil for the body and the mind. However, all his effort for stopping the sales
of alcohol was useless because alcohol became legal. After legalization, the
use of alcohol consumption decreased. But, the stigma and the labels of someone
that drinks too much still exist.
Now the use of alcohol is very common
in bars all around the country. After it became legal many places adapted to sell
the product. I am going to explore how
American society sees, dehumanizes, and rejects those individuals that drink at
home alone, in comparison to the ones that go out and have a few drinks with
friend and family. What society calls these types of individuals respectively
“lonely drinker” and the “social drinkers.”
After a quick introduction to
alcohol and its history, the question is, how society can draw the line on how
much alcohol a person can consume before he or she is label alcoholic? According
to Mayo Clinic, alcoholism is defines as, “A chronic disease in which
your body becomes dependent on alcohol” (2010). In the other hand,
MediceNet.com, define alcoholism as, “Alcohol
abuse is a disease that is characterized by the sufferer having a pattern of
drinking excessively despite the negative effects of alcohol on the
individual's work, medical, legal, educational, and/or social life” (2012). As
professor Williams mentioned in class, for the most part, when an individual
becomes disable, or incapable to contribute to society, he or she is seen as
deviant. Most people that drink heavily cannot perform or maintain a job
because their addiction produces a negative impact in their body, physically
and mentally; consequently, they struggle to maintain a job. Society criticizes
the actions of those individuals that drink too much without knowing that
alcoholism is a disease. In order for someone to function, they need undergo to
treatment, to be able to function as “normal.” If a person has total control of
alcohol of his or her consumption and can perform, maintain, and support
him/her self, it is more acceptable by society. However, if a person consumes
alcohol and he or she gets intoxicated and cannot perform a job, then society
sees it as a problem.
Treatment for Alcoholism
For the most part,
there are not special pills that can cure alcoholism, but there are a few drugs
that can help reduce the craving for alcohol. Also, there are special supports
groups that can help people deal with the struggles by walking them to a few
steps through a program that provides moral support to its members; a good
example is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This organization has helped millions of
people with their drinking problems. As part of their program men and women
share their stories and that helps to provide support to other members that are
in the same situation. AA’s mission statement defines itself as, “ A fellowship of men and women who share
their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their
common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism” (AA.org). This is
not the only organization available to help individuals who are suffering from
this disease.
Scenario
If
a person goes out with a friend to a bar and gets really drunk and acts stupid,
others seen his or her actions as “normal” because this person is intoxicated, and
it is the alcohol that is making him or her act that way. On the other hand, if
a person drinks at home alone and gets really drunk and passes out, then this
person can be seen as deviant because of the idea that society has created
regarding drinking alone; it is not socially acceptable, and alcoholism becomes
the master status of the individual.
Furthermore,
having one or two drinks during dinner is acceptable, but if a person drinks a
whole bottle of wine at dinner, then it is consider deviant. Once again,
society draws the line between what is consider normal and deviant.
Money
The
Government makes a lot of money by taxing alcohol, even though alcohol consumption
can be accounted for many fatal accidents. According to The Safety and Consumer
Protection Agency, from Wisconsin, “Alcohol related crashes killed 238…and injured
nearly 4000 in 2009.” The reason I report this is because Wisconsin has the highest
rates of drunk driving in the nation, therefore those numbers are important if
we consider the whole nation numbers and the negative influences of alcohol.
Also,
the New York Times reports that, “The
nation’s states and local governments take in $17 billion a year from alcohol
taxes” (2011). This money is received, and yet there are not many programs that
support rehab and counseling for people that want to stop drinking
In
conclusion, to be able to help individuals trying to be successful in stopping
the addiction of alcoholism, society needs to change the way laws are made. Lawmakers
need to take into consideration many factors that can lead a person down the
road of alcoholism. If the system is set up to oppress and create labels, we are
always going to have a society that reacts negatively to anyone’s actions see
many actions or they will always being seen as deviant.
Work
Cited
“Alcohol."
Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random
House, Inc. 01 May. 2012. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alcohol>.
“Alcoholism.” MediceNet.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 27
Apr. 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340>
“Alcoholism.” Mayo Clinic. n.p. 06 May. 2010.
Web. 30 Apr. 2012. http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_abuse_and_alcoholism/article.hp.asp.
Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholic Anonymous World
Services Inc. n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash.
Severson, Kim. “States Putting Hopes in ‘Bottoms Up’
to Help the Bottom Line.” New York Times.
28 Sep. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.
Wikipedia.com. 27 May 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States
Severson, Kim. “States Putting Hopes in ‘Bottoms Up’
to Help the Bottom Line.” New York Times.
28 Sep. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.
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