Uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages has a detrimental effect on the human body. Everyone knows this, but only a few consciously limit themselves in drinking alcohol. Doctors and scientists everywhere talk about the dangers of alcohol, give special lectures in schools, conduct diagnostics among the adult population, but this does not solve the problem. The harm of alcohol is so strong that it can lead to irreversible consequences.

How does alcohol affect your health?

Alcohol cannot be called harmless. Many doctors are convinced that the benefits of alcoholic drinks unjustifiably small compared to its harmfulness. A glass of dry red wine every day can reduce the risk hypertension. A glass of cognac can prevent a stroke. Periodic intake strong drinks cleans blood vessels and prevents the appearance cholesterol plaques. But uncontrolled reception leads to irreversible consequences.

The toxic effect of alcohol on the human body leads to irreversible changes in the liver, heart and brain. There are many reasons for drinking, and there are also many reasons to stop. Why don't people do this? Why don’t they drink alcoholic beverages only in small doses?

The answer lies in the chemistry of the body. Ethanol very quickly integrates into all metabolic processes of the body, like nicotine, and without this extraneous additive, uncomfortable sensations often arise in the form of an unhealthy need. These are the first signs of addiction, which must be treated and stopped. Bad habits can ruin your life very quickly. The scourge of alcoholism is known throughout the world.

It affects both the wealthy and the children of wealthy parents, the poor, the unjustly offended, and the successful. Alcoholic drinks will not provide answers to questions, but thanks to them, a person temporarily forgets the questions themselves and is able to relax and unwind. Sometimes, in moments of extreme stress, alcohol can be necessary and beneficial. But such cases and situations are extremely rare.

Harmfulness of alcohol to body systems and organs
Gastrointestinal tract	The walls of the small intestine are destroyed. Burns of the larynx and stomach are common. Ulcers develop in the stomach and... The system may not function properly. Food gets stale and begins to rot, decomposing
Heart and blood vessels	The walls of blood vessels become thinner. The heart muscle weakens. Arrhythmias and heart disease appear, and the risk of heart attacks and strokes increases in people
Nervous system	Brain cells are the most affected. Ethanol destroys adipose tissue nerve fiber sheaths. Lethargy appears, reactions decrease. A person loses memory and concentration, and cannot think sensibly and logically. Willpower drops to zero. A person is inert, subject to someone else's will. Neuropathies develop, leading to irreversible consequences
Liver	Cirrhosis and fatty liver are the most common complications among other complications. The organ can no longer perform its functions correctly. Lifespan shortens

Why is alcohol harmful? Ethanol easily penetrates the membrane of any cell. It can only split when combined with water. That’s why in the morning when you’re hungover you’re always so thirsty. Alcohol literally sucks you out of your cells. vitality in the form of a liquid, which is necessary for metabolic processes. Dehydration develops.

How does alcohol affect the body? Frequent consumption of alcohol leads to pathological addiction, which a person is unable to fight on his own. A doctor's help, medication and psychological counseling are required. Ethanol is integrated into metabolic processes very easily and quickly, after which the body feels the need for it. Alcoholism is a disease that involves the irresponsibility of the victim.

They talk about the dangers of alcohol at school, but teenagers stubbornly continue to succumb bad habit. There is no doubt that the family also has a role to play. Children often copy the behavior of their parents. And if adults drink beer every day, then a teenager with early years will follow their example.

Alcohol kills slowly but surely. Often, by the time people become aware of the problem, it is too late to change anything. Ethanol causes such harm to the body that it is impossible to fight it. Half of the liver has to be removed, as well as part of the intestines and stomach. Not to mention the high risk of cancer.

Statistics and facts

Craving for alcohol has dire consequences. In alcoholism, the victim’s unconscious approach to his own actions is scary. A person is not able to restrain himself and control his desires and actions.

Why alcohol is dangerous:

• 92% of all cases of violence occur while intoxicated.
• 85% of all first sexual experiences for teenagers occur in the state alcohol intoxication.
• 73% of unplanned pregnancies are caused by alcohol.
• Half of road accidents are caused by drunk drivers.
• Half of families break up because one of the spouses suffers from alcoholism.
• Half of all murders are committed while intoxicated.
• A quarter of suicide cases also occur due to this terrible disease.

The statistics are frightening. There is no other bad habit more harmful and worse than alcoholism. The drugs act quickly and are illegal. Nicotine addiction lends itself more easy treatment. It is alcoholism that brings the greatest destructive harm.

According to WHO, beer alcoholism is the most common in the world.

It is believed that a light alcoholic drink - beer - is less harmful to the body. But that's not true. A small percentage of ethanol in this drink smoothes out the bad impression. But it is beer alcoholism, according to WHO, that is most common in the world, especially among teenagers. The mind gradually becomes foggy. The effect of alcohol is not felt so clearly. And only in the morning a person realizes that yesterday he was not entirely adequate.

Harm to the female body

Women are especially susceptible to alcohol addiction. This is due to the characteristics of the body and hormonal levels. Women do not have the same power to resist bad habits as men. It is harder for them to fight the disease. What dose is safe for a woman? A glass of red wine on holiday will be beneficial. A glass of champagne will allow you to relax. But a bottle of martini, drunk between two and a friend, will undoubtedly affect your well-being.
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Doctors and biologists say that the female body has a certain supply of eggs, which remains unchanged throughout life. This means that any portion of alcohol will affect the egg, which in the future can become a full-fledged person. You can often see young girls with a bottle of beer in their hands. They seem like adults. In fact, it turns out that they are too young and stupid, short-sighted.

The harm of alcohol for women is contained in every serving of alcohol, because the toxic effect tends to accumulate. This primarily affects future offspring. And it doesn’t matter whether the girl quit drinking or not. What she has already drunk in her life is reflected in her children. And this fact is scary. The younger generation needs to be made aware of it. Perhaps then their actions will not be so irresponsible.

Harm to the male body

The harm from alcohol for men is primarily obvious when erectile dysfunction. This unpleasant disease. In men who abuse alcohol from an early age, this disease may appear relatively early - at 35 years of age. Often a man ignores such precedents, but over time the problem becomes more and more obvious. And then it’s too late to see a doctor.

Is a rare party with friends harmless, after which you need to rest for another day? Hardly. Even rare feasts can seriously impair function prostate gland. Alcohol is bad for reproduction. On average, a sperm matures in about forty days. This means that if you drink alcohol during this period, the risk for the unborn child to be born defective increases.

Regular consumption of beer reduces potency by 50%

Often men think that the health of the child depends entirely on the mother, who must lead correct image life without making such demands on oneself. Negligence leads to horrific consequences: developmental defects, heart defects, allergies - these are the few things that can appear in an unborn child. Alcohol is harmful to health, especially for men.

Due to the characteristics of male hormonal levels, men are much more likely than women to experience a lack of thiamine or B vitamins, which leads to polyneuropathy, which, in turn, can lead to irreversible changes in the body. The man is literally becoming stupid before our eyes. His mental abilities are deteriorating. Reactions decrease, speech becomes confused.

He doesn't take care of himself. The look becomes foggy and faded. Over time, in addition to prostate problems, ulcers may appear on the legs or arms. Even small dose harmful, not to mention regular consumption of alcohol. Large male body able to digest large volumes of alcohol, which reduces perception and dulls adequacy.

Impact on a teenager's body

Young developing organism needs vitamins and good nutrition, observing the daily routine. Instead, teenagers are finding ways to get their hands on beer or other alcoholic beverages. They drink alcohol at events, which is completely unacceptable. Drinking alcohol during adolescence is especially dangerous. The young organism is just beginning to mature and take shape. Hormones are produced unevenly, which causes emotional outbursts or depression. Exacerbating the situation with alcohol can lead to hormonal imbalance.

Why alcohol is harmful for teenagers:

• Inhibits growth processes.
• The growth of the neural network in the brain slows down.
• Puberty does not proceed correctly, which can later cause infertility.
• Hormonal dysfunctions.
• False habits and addictions are formed.
• Formation of an environment that leads to degradation.
• Lack of healthy interest in sports and achievements.
• Damage internal organs.

Is alcohol harmful for a teenager and to what extent? The consequences can be catastrophic. An incorrectly formed habit in youth can lead to a series of mistakes in adulthood.
Teenagers are not able to rationally assess the situation and take responsibility for their actions. Under the influence of alcohol, a teenager becomes uncontrollable. Cases of fights and injuries are becoming more frequent. Girls turn to doctors asking for an abortion.
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Parents and teachers should more carefully monitor their teenager’s moods and inclinations.

Alcohol is an insidious thing: on the one hand, a glass of beer is simply an irreplaceable cure for overexertion after a heavy working week. But on the other hand, this is an invisible, but quite noticeable blow to health, hitting the most vulnerable places in our body.

Read on in our article about seven reasons why you should give up alcoholic beverages and how they can harm your life.

1. Impact on the cardiovascular system. As soon as alcohol enters the body, the heart begins to increase in size (beer is especially insidious). Numerous scars appear on the tissues of the heart, which are the culprits of a heart attack and can lead to death.

2. Brain fog. It is not for nothing that alcohol is considered a type of narcotic substance: alcoholic drinks have a euphoric effect on the psyche, the duration of which is from an hour to an hour and a half. Soon after this the person falls into depressive state accompanied by aggression and attacks of panic. Reactions are reduced, and clear thinking in such a situation is out of the question. It is for this reason that, as we know, drivers should not drink: driving while intoxicated can result in the most disastrous outcome.

3. Destruction of brain cells. Even a small amount of alcohol (yes, half a glass of wine also applies here) destroys several thousand neurons without the possibility of recovery. The alcohol contained in alcoholic drinks provokes the gluing of erythrocytes - red blood cells: the latter clog microcapillaries, leading to the death of neurons from oxygen starvation. Cells that have fallen in an unequal battle with alcohol are excreted from the body in urine.

4. Development of chronic diseases. Doctors equate the effect of alcohol to a slow poison: the breakdown products of alcohol destroy the body in the literal sense of the word. A person who regularly drinks alcohol, over time, increasingly begins to feel unwell, his mental and physical activity decrease noticeably and are replaced by apathy. Long-term alcohol dependence is the key to the development of such dangerous chronic diseases as pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cirrhosis, heart attack and many others. insidious diseases. Not the most encouraging prospect, is it?

5. Bad heredity. Alcohol makes changes to the structure of the genetic code of DNA - it is this that contains information about a person and his descendants. Scientists have long come to the conclusion that 90% of children with mental retardation and congenital disabilities are born to people who abuse alcohol.

6. Indecent behavior. We are sure that you have seen more than once what a drunk person is like: alcohol affects the moral centers of the brain, and therefore his further behavior becomes completely unpredictable. IN best case scenario, it all ends with peaceful snoring in a secluded corner. At worst - uncontrolled aggression, outbursts of anger and other unpleasant things that a person would never allow himself to do when sober.

7. Hole in the budget. The prices for alcohol (especially good) are considerable, and regular drinking of your favorite alcoholic drinks often costs a pretty penny. In addition, people who have begun to become dependent on alcohol do not stop at one bottle: the more tipsy their head gets, the more drink they will buy. Even a banal watching of a football match is almost never complete without a few cans of beer - let alone a picnic with a group, fishing or a birthday party. If you calculate how much such leisure time costs, you will really want to put this money aside for more reasonable purposes (invest in travel or, for example, treat yourself to a new gadget).

As you can see, there are many reasons to touch alcohol as little as possible, or even give it up altogether. Yes, alcohol creates a relaxing effect. Yes, it liberates and removes internal clamps. But the harm that the body receives in parallel nullifies the already small benefits. In addition, you can relax in other ways - yoga, swimming, hot bath, sauna, massage or a leisurely walk in a calm green park are best helpers in this case. Take care of your own health now, and in the future you will have many times more chances to avoid a hospital bed and a host of other unpleasant “bonuses” acquired over years of drinking alcohol.

Created 09/25/2010

Alcoholism is a problem that affects different aspects of life. Alcohol also affects the body itself. Let's take a closer look at the harm that alcohol causes.

What are alcoholic drinks?

These are drinks that contain ethyl alcohol. There are 4 types of alcoholic drinks:

• beer contains 3-6% alcohol
• wine contains 12-14% alcohol
• fortified wine (port and others) due to the added alcohol has more high content alcohol - 18-20%
• strong alcoholic drinks (vodka, rum, whiskey and others) contain 40-50% alcohol.

Why do people drink alcohol?

People use alcohol to escape stress, loneliness, boredom, family troubles, illness, and aging. There is a traditional use of alcohol - from New Year's Eve to weddings and funerals.

When does a person usually try alcoholic drinks for the first time?

Most often in adolescence. In America, 37% of adolescents aged 12-17 regularly drink alcohol. A survey conducted in some educational institutions in Russia revealed that 3% of respondents began drinking alcoholic beverages at the age of 10, 3% at the age of 13, 88% at the age of 15, and 5% at the age of 17 and older.

According to statistics, 10% of those who try alcohol for the first time later turn out to be alcoholics. Think about it.

What happens to alcohol in the human body?

Unlike food, alcohol does not need to be digested. It is absorbed directly into the blood in the stomach and small intestine. Through the bloodstream, alcohol enters all organs and tissues, where it slows down the activity of processes in cells.

The bulk of alcohol is neutralized in the liver, and the remainder is excreted by the kidneys, lungs and sweat glands. The human body excretes an average of 7.4 - 14.8 ml of alcohol per hour.

What effect does alcohol have on the human body?

Alcohol destroys brain matter and aggravates age-related disorders of its blood supply.

Even a small amount of alcohol impairs peripheral vision, reaction speed (including to sound), the ability to perceive and process information, reason sensibly, and control oneself.

Alcohol abuse over a long period of time leads to damage to the nerves that control muscles, pain, temperature, pressure and orientation in space. In addition, long-term drunkenness leads to the development of Korsakoff's syndrome, when, as a result of the destruction of certain brain structures, a person loses the ability to master new material and almost does not remember recent events.

Alcohol abuse can also cause hallucinations.

Alcohol increases the likelihood of myocardial infarction. Moderate doses of alcohol do not help prevent heart attacks, as has now been established. The beneficial fraction of cholesterol contained in the blood - high-density lipoprotein HDL2 - protects against heart attack. The level of this fraction increases due to physical exercise, and not alcohol. On the contrary, alcoholic drinks lead to an increase in the content of the harmful fraction of cholesterol - HDLV lipoproteins, which can increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

Further, as a result chronic poisoning If the heart muscle is exposed to alcohol, it can no longer contract effectively, and heart failure develops. Arrhythmias and chest pain may occur as a result of insufficient blood flow to the heart.

Alcohol causes an increase blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke. Research has shown that young people healthy men systolic pressure(top number) increased significantly as the dose of alcohol consumed daily increased. A moderate drinker is three times more likely to have a stroke than a non-drinker.

Alcohol disrupts the processes of food digestion, absorption and absorption nutrients. It causes increased production of acidic gastric juice, which leads to gastritis - inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Gastritis is accompanied by pain, leading to ulcers and bleeding.

Alcohol causes inflammation of the pancreas; In this case, disturbances in the production of the hormone insulin may occur.

Drinking alcohol can cause varicose veins esophagus. With severe coughing or vomiting, they can burst, leading to bleeding, even death.

Since the liver plays the main role in neutralizing alcohol, the harm it causes to this organ is especially obvious. May occur:

• fatty degeneration of the liver due to the fact that the body uses alcohol calories as an energy source rather than its own fat reserves
• inflammation of the liver is accompanied by the death of liver cells and can cause jaundice. Without treatment, liver inflammation can lead to death or the development of cirrhosis of the liver.
• Liver cirrhosis occurs when liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue. Symptoms of the disease include weight loss, weakness, fatigue, and decreased sex drive. If you do not give up alcohol in time, the disease often becomes fatal. Men in Russia die from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver 4 times more often than women

Alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

The risk of esophageal cancer increases especially significantly when drinking alcohol in combination with smoking. Esophageal cancer progresses rapidly and is very rarely curable. Its signs are difficulty swallowing, a feeling of obstruction in the sternum.

It is known that not only esophageal cancer, but also cancer oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, stomach, liver, colon, as well as pancreatic, thyroid and breast cancer are more common in those who drink alcohol.

A person who abuses alcohol is more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Alcohol often contributes to obesity, since it is the most concentrated source of calories after fat. For example, one 237 ml can of imported beer contains 114 “empty” calories.

Drinking alcohol by a person taking medication may cause serious consequences. Alcohol interacts with many medications, enhancing their effect or, conversely, reducing their effectiveness. Among them are anticoagulants, barbiturates, antibiotics, salicylates, various psychotropic and other drugs. In combination with sleeping pills and tranquilizers, alcohol can even lead to death. Alcohol also prolongs the recovery period after anesthesia (narcosis).

Moderate doses of alcohol increase sexual desire in men, but at the same time reduce their ability to have sexual intercourse. In women, alcohol can worsen infertility and contribute to spontaneous miscarriages.

How does alcohol affect children?

Any amount of alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman can cause so-called alcohol syndrome fruit." This concept unites the group congenital anomalies such as small eyes, small skull size, defects of the face, ears, joints. Also characteristic low weight at birth, heart defects (heart disease), retarded physical growth and mental development. Such children cannot concentrate, are impulsive, hyperactive, and study poorly.

As for the consumption of alcohol by children themselves, it is especially destructive for them. For example, one 5-year-old boy died from just one glass of vodka, which he quietly took from the holiday table.

Often a teenager receives his first glass of alcohol from the hands of his parents. In Russia, sample studies among students showed that 29% of respondents had relatives who drank alcohol in their presence, and 24% of parents did not condemn their children for drinking alcohol. But in adolescents, alcoholism manifests itself much faster than in adults.

More negative consequences of drinking alcohol

Alcohol causes great damage to the economy due to a drop in labor productivity, absenteeism, and an increase in injuries.

Most serious crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. In Russia, according to selective data, violent death in 77% of cases occurred while intoxicated. Such serious crimes as mutilation of wife and children, as well as incest, are often consequences of alcohol intoxication.

Because alcohol depresses the central nervous system, negatively affecting common sense and perception, a person loses control over his actions. He becomes aggressive, his behavior goes beyond social boundaries. This leads to the destruction of family and relationships with others, and loss of work.

Alcohol consumption is associated with higher mortality from road traffic accidents, accidents and suicide.

Swedish studies National Institute roads and transport showed that even if 24 hours after drinking alcohol the level in the blood dropped to zero, the person drove the car much worse than before drinking alcohol.

In Russia, alcohol consumption is often the cause of many accidents, poisonings and injuries, which among all causes of death occupy 3rd place in men and 4th in women, second only to diseases of the circulatory system and cancer.

Respiratory arrest, coma and death can result from too much alcohol taken over a short period of time.

Can alcoholism be cured?

First of all, everything depends on the person himself, on his desire to change his life and give up alcohol. It happens that people quit drinking without anyone's help. But such cases are rare. Most often, the fight against alcoholism causes great difficulties, especially for women.

Now they offer many methods to combat alcoholism. Many promise to “cure alcoholism in one session,” which is in line with people’s desire to get quick results without special effort from their side. However, the very presence of an inexhaustible flow of such services casts doubt on their effectiveness; otherwise we wouldn't have a single alcoholic left.

Research by Russian scientists says that despite the variety of methods of anti-alcohol therapy, its effectiveness remains low. Abstinence from alcohol for more than 3-5 years occurs, according to various authors, only in 1-4% of cases, more than 1 year - 20-25% of cases. On average, abstinence from alcohol rarely exceeded 3-6 months, especially among women. The disadvantage of a number of methods, according to scientists, is the installation during “coding” certain period giving up alcohol and leaving the person with hope of the possibility of drinking small doses of alcohol in the future.

When you pick up a glass of alcohol, think about the harm you are doing to your body. Even if you do not have an alcohol addiction today, in the future you may not even notice how you will get used to alcohol and join the numerous ranks of people suffering from alcoholism. The words “this won’t happen to me...” are inappropriate here!

Alcohol is one of the most serious problems modern society. How do alcoholic drinks harm the body, and why is addiction to drinking dangerous not only for the alcoholic, but also for the people around him?

What harm does alcohol do to the body?

What is the main difference between alcoholic drinks and all others? They contain ethyl alcohol - in some places its concentration is greater, in others less, but even in low-alcohol beer this harmful component is certainly present.

Ethyl alcohol is a real poison for the body. Once in the stomach, an alcohol-containing drink immediately begins to be absorbed into the blood - and has a destructive effect on almost all systems, significantly slowing down their normal rhythm of activity. A considerable dose harmful substances in alcohol is neutralized by the liver, other toxins are gradually eliminated by the sweat glands, respiratory organs and kidneys. However, alcohol still manages to produce a negative effect, and the more often a person takes it, the more the body suffers from the effects of ethyl alcohol.

What negative effects does alcohol have on various internal organs?

• The liver is destroyed. It is the liver that has to take on the main burden of processing and neutralizing harmful substances contained in alcoholic beverages. Despite the fact that this internal organ has unique abilities for self-regeneration, regular excessive alcohol consumption leads to the fact that liver cells are replaced by useless fatty tissue - and at a certain point the process turns into cirrhosis. In other words, it becomes impossible to reverse liver degeneration.

• Brain cells are destroyed. No alcoholic is capable of intense and productive mental activity. In the initial stages of alcoholism, a person may think that alcoholic drinks help to reveal his creative and intellectual abilities - in a state of intoxication, non-standard ideas arise and self-confidence increases. However, this feeling is often completely false. In addition, with an increase in the amount of alcohol and an increase in alcohol dependence, even this goes away. An alcoholic is not capable of quickly perceiving new information, poorly assimilates fresh knowledge, and has poor memory.
• The body loses important vitamins and microelements. Most alcoholic drinks - especially beer - provoke hard work kidney The urge to urinate becomes more frequent, and along with the fluid, a lot of valuable elements and vitamins necessary for its full functioning are removed from the body.

• The condition of the heart and blood vessels worsens. Systematic intake of alcohol leads to increased cholesterol levels - accordingly, alcoholics often suffer from hypertension and are much more prone to strokes and heart attacks.
• The nervous system suffers. Even a one-time intake of alcohol has a strong impact on the speed of reaction and the adequacy of perception - vision and hearing deteriorate, mood rises for no reason, or aggression manifests itself. The actions of a tipsy person cannot be controlled by any means. logical explanations. Chronic alcoholism aggravates all these factors - nerve cells are destroyed more and more, so the emotional state is destabilized, coordination of movements is impaired even when sober, and muscle reaction worsens.

We have listed the main negative effects of alcohol on internal organs - but of course, the list is not limited to this. Alcohol negatively affects digestion, causes gastritis, ulcers, metabolic disorders, and leads to weight gain. excess weight. Chronic alcoholism negatively affects the sexual function of men and women, and of course, has a detrimental effect on the reproductive system.

Why is alcohol more harmful for women than for men?

• The female body processes alcohol much more slowly. This is due to the reduced content of a special enzyme - alcohol dehydrogenase. Toxic substances, present in alcoholic drinks, remain in the blood longer - accordingly, they manage to have a stronger effect on the cardiovascular system, liver, and brain.
• Most women have a more fragile physique and short stature - therefore, a small portion of alcohol, almost “invisible” to a man, has a noticeable effect on a woman’s behavior and well-being.
• Women are more susceptible to emotional overload and stress. Alcohol is usually consumed in a state of strong emotional elation or in deep sadness. Since women experience joy and depression more often and more vividly, they have reasons to drink alcohol much more often.

One of the main dangers hidden in female alcoholism is the destructive effect of alcoholic beverages on the reproductive system. Women who abuse alcohol often suffer from acquired infertility and gynecological disorders. In addition, mother's alcoholism is very dangerous for the unborn child - firstly, there is a high probability that the baby will be born with many serious illnesses. And secondly, the tendency to alcoholism can be inherited - statistics show that hereditary factor increases the risk of developing alcoholism by more than twenty percent.

Doctors confirm that alcohol addiction develops faster in women than in men. If representatives of the stronger sex take from seven to ten years to acquire a physiological dependence on alcohol, then for women this period is reduced - only three to five years of systematic drinking, and we can talk about a medical diagnosis. In addition, female alcoholism is characterized by a sharp transition immediately to the final stages.

Teenage alcoholism

In the last decade, teenage alcoholism has become an increasingly acute social problem. Despite the struggle carried out at the state level, children try alcoholic drinks in very early age- and face addiction even before adulthood.

Why is alcohol so attractive to teenagers?

• One of the reasons is the widespread mention of alcohol in television programs, feature films and popular literature. Children identify themselves with their favorite heroes, movie and show business stars - and copy their actions, without really realizing the harm they cause to their own body.
• The second reason is the desire to earn the respect of peers. Drinking alcohol is associated with "coolness" in certain teenage circles - a teenager who avoids alcohol can become an outcast among his own friends. At this stage, it is difficult for a child to understand that it is better to abandon such friendships for the benefit of his own health than to start drinking wine and beer just “for company.”

Meanwhile, the destructive effect of alcohol on a child’s body is simply colossal. The brain, nervous system and internal organs of a teenager are at the stage of development and growth - and alcoholic substances slow down and disrupt all these processes.

• Learning ability deteriorates. The child begins to lag behind in school and cannot remember new information and assimilate knowledge, loses motivation to learn - which means academic performance quickly drops, absenteeism increases, school ceases to seem like something important and becomes a boring and annoying chore.
• Are developing chronic diseases gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. The growth and development of bone and muscle tissue slows down - teenagers who drink alcohol quickly stop growing and have a weak physique.
• Since the most popular alcoholic drink among teenagers is beer, children begin to experience severe shortage vitamins and beneficial microelements that are simply excreted from the body along with alcohol. Flaw necessary substances leads to problems with skin, hair, teeth and nails.
• Defects of the heart, vascular and respiratory systems occur. Teenagers who drink suffer from shortness of breath and hypertension, and are prone to early heart attacks.
• And finally, alcoholic drinks are destructive for the unformed psyche of a teenager. Hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, aggression or tearfulness - childhood alcoholism leads to the fact that the teenager simply does not have time to find his own personality and completely dissolves in alcohol addiction.

Doctors and sociologists unanimously recommend that parents conduct educational conversations with their children on the topic of alcohol in a timely manner. There is no point in categorically prohibiting alcoholic beverages - however, it is necessary to calmly, thoroughly and clearly explain to the child exactly what dangers are hidden in beer, wine, cocktails and vodka. Trust between child and parents is very important aspect in the prevention of teenage alcoholism.

Of course, the teenager must be given positive example. Any conversations about the dangers of alcoholic beverages will have no effect if the parents themselves are accustomed to drinking alcohol every weekend right in front of the child.

And of course, it is categorically not recommended to teach children to drink alcohol on their own. Even half a glass of champagne on New Year's or a birthday at an early age can form completely wrong ideas about alcohol.

The harm of alcohol to others

We have established exactly what harm alcohol causes human health. It remains to figure out why alcoholism is not only a personal problem, but also a social one.

The fact is that any drinker is not in a vacuum - he is closely connected with his family, friends, and work colleagues. Addiction to alcohol has a detrimental effect not only on health, but also on relationships with others.

• Male and female alcoholism- one of the most common reasons which destroys families. Constant intoxication, outbursts of aggression, inability to earn money for the benefit of the family - all this leads to divorce. They especially suffer in similar situations children forced to watch their parents quarrel, endure screams, scandals, and sometimes even real beatings.
• Systematic drunkenness sooner or later leads to job loss. An employee who drinks is extremely unreliable - without a good reason, he can skip work, disrupt an important project, or make a serious mistake in business. No manager is ready to tolerate an alcoholic in a responsible position - drinking employees are fired after the first noticeable mistake.
• Alcohol intoxication contributes to increased aggression. On the street, in transport and in public places, those around them instinctively avoid drunk people - because they have absolutely no idea what could provoke their anger. Alcohol often causes fights, and even murders occur due to intoxication.

Finally, alcohol intoxication becomes a source of accidents. In a state of alcoholic intoxication, it is very easy to get hit by a car or a train, fall from a height or drown - often after an excessive dose of alcohol a person is eager to perform absolutely meaningless “feats” that are dangerous both for him and for others. It is incredibly risky to drive while drunk - in most cases it ends in an accident with serious consequences.

Summarizing all of the above, the most reasonable solution can be called a complete abstinence from alcohol. But even if this is impossible, alcohol should under no circumstances become an addiction - the less often it is used, the better for everyone.

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The most common manifestation of drug addiction is alcoholism.

Man began to produce and consume alcoholic beverages many centuries BC. Probably already in primitive society, fermented fruits and honey were consumed in order to achieve intoxication. With the development of agriculture and viticulture, wine production became widespread. Numerous historical studies show that wine was widespread among a variety of peoples of antiquity. In Ancient China, for example, alcoholic drinks were made from rice, in India - from millet, rice or barley, in Iran - from hemp. The Scythians received an intoxicating drink from mare's milk. The Egyptians were the first to learn how to brew beer. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, in honor of the grape harvest, festivals were held - bacchanalia (Bacchus is the god of winemaking), accompanied by revelry and drunken orgies, the name of which became a household word.

Alcoholic drinks quickly gained numerous adherents due to their ability to change mental condition a person, especially his mood, causing a variety of pleasant sensations, usually erroneous, i.e. illusions. After drinking alcohol, you feel better, melancholy and sadness are weakened, carefree and fun appear. A timid person becomes bold, a silent person becomes talkative, etc. The environment is perceived in a distorted light, the voice of reason is drowned out, a person ceases to be himself, very often his behavior becomes asocial. But all this does not last long, soon weakness throughout the body, weakness, drowsiness, and depressed mood appear.

Alcoholism concept

To date, there is no generally accepted definition of alcoholism. In everyday life, the term “alcoholism” means excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and is synonymous with the concept of drunkenness. According to the WHO definition, “alcoholism is any form of alcohol consumption that exceeds the traditional, socially accepted “food” norm or goes beyond the social habits of a given society.”

According to the definition accepted in medicine, “alcoholism is a disease defined by a pathological craving for alcoholic beverages (i.e., mental and physical dependence occurs), the development of withdrawal syndrome when stopping alcohol consumption, and in advanced cases, a violation of the internal organs, nervous system and mental degradation."

The term “chronic alcoholism” (“alcohol disease”) is more often used. It can be said that alcoholism - This is a set of pathological changes that occur in the body under the influence of prolonged excessive use of alcohol.

Alcoholism and drunkenness are different stages of alcohol abuse. Most often when we're talking about about alcohol abuse, they mean drunkenness. Drinking, in turn, is the cause of alcoholism.

Classification of alcoholic beverage consumption

Depending on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, the following groups of linden trees are distinguished (according to Yu. P. Lisitsyn):

• those who do not drink alcoholic beverages (convinced teetotalers);
• those who consume alcoholic beverages rarely (on holidays and family celebrations), on average no more than once a month, in non- large quantities(several glasses of wine or strong alcoholic drinks);
• those who drink alcohol moderately (1-3 times a month, but not more than once a week), in small quantities in socially justified cases (holidays, family traditions, meetings with friends), do not allow antisocial actions;
• alcohol abusers, which include: a) drunkards - those who drink alcohol frequently, several times a week, in large quantities, have no reason to drink social explanations(“for company”, “for no reason”, “wanted and drank”, etc.), alcoholic beverages are drunk in random places, while intoxicated, behavior is disrupted (conflicts in the family, absenteeism from work, violation of public order rules) , sometimes there may be an uncontrollable craving for alcohol; faces with initial signs alcoholism (mental dependence on drinking alcohol, loss of control over the amount drunk, increased tolerance to alcohol); b) persons with pronounced signs of alcoholism, when mental dependence is accompanied by physical dependence on alcohol, hangover syndrome ( withdrawal syndrome) and other symptoms up to serious mental disorders (alcoholic psychosis).

Alcohol myths

The spread of alcoholism is facilitated by the so-called alcohol myths, i.e. illusory ideas that justify alcohol consumption.

Myth one: alcoholics are those who drink cheap drinks every day (but this is not true, because the forms of alcoholism are different).

Myth two: drunkenness is unpleasant for others, but in general is not very dangerous for health (this is also not true, since alcohol is a risk factor for liver and organ diseases of cardio-vascular system, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer stomach, psychological and biochemical dependencies are formed, intellectual and mental degradation occurs).

Myth three: only those who have an innate tendency to become alcoholics become alcoholics (but this is not at all necessary, since there are known cases of the development of alcoholism in children of non-drinking parents).

Myth four: it is impossible to celebrate any events without alcohol human life etc.

Causes of alcoholism

Along with alcohol myths, the following reasons are important, usually acting simultaneously:

biological: in 30-40% of cases, alcoholism develops due to hereditary predisposition. If one of the parents is an alcoholic, then the probability of developing chronic alcoholism in children is 50%, if both parents are alcoholics, then the probability is 75%;

psychological: Personality type largely determines addiction to alcohol. People who are weak-willed and lack initiative are more often susceptible to alcoholism. Psychogenic trauma often leads to alcoholism, when a person cannot cope with misfortune and finds solace in escaping reality by drinking alcohol; social: following the traditions that have developed in the family and the surrounding society, low cultural level (including the absence of a culture of drinking alcohol), lack of leisure, awareness of the hopelessness of one’s social status, inability to change anything in your life;

socio-economic: The sale of alcoholic beverages generates multi-billion dollar revenues in all countries (in our country, revenues from the sale of alcoholic beverages make up a significant part of the state budget).

Consequences of alcoholism

The consequences of alcoholism can be:

medical: alcohol leads to damage to organs such as the liver (5th place among other causes of death), the central nervous system (CNS) (alcoholic encephalopathy, alcoholic psychoses, polyneuritis, etc.); the risk of developing acute heart attack myocardium, acute disorder cerebral circulation, against the background of alcohol abuse, pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer progress, chronic bronchitis; parental alcoholism leads to the birth of unhealthy offspring with birth defects and diseases, increased child mortality, etc.;

social: alcoholism leads to an increase in crime, an increase in morbidity, disability, mortality, i.e., to a decrease in public health indicators and an increase in injuries;

socio-economic: decreased ability to work as a result of the effects of alcohol abuse on health leads to material and economic damage to society, decreased labor productivity, etc.

Measures to combat drunkenness and alcoholism

Experience has shown that prohibitive measures in the fight against alcoholism are ineffective. The organization of the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism should be based on the principles of persuasion, the formation of an attitude toward a healthy lifestyle, overcoming alcohol myths, the activities of the media and sobriety societies, etc.

Measures to prevent drunkenness and alcoholism should be divided into specific and nonspecific (indirect). Specific prevention implies measures directly aimed at reducing alcohol consumption: the formation public opinion, health education, limiting the time of sale of alcoholic beverages, age limit for the sale of alcoholic beverages, administrative measures (fines, deprivation additional holidays, bonuses, etc.).

Indirect prevention measures indirectly affect the reduction of alcohol consumption. These include settings for the formation healthy image life, improving the level of well-being and culture, education, etc.

Stages of development of alcoholism

Most people who begin to try and then consume alcohol and drugs go through a number of stages that coincide with each other and reflect the complexity of the development of alcoholism (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Development of alcoholism

Stage of acquaintance with alcohol

At this stage of acquaintance with alcoholic beverages, adolescents often begin to try alcohol (in the company of peers, at home, etc.) in order to cheer themselves up. Negative reaction body: bad feeling, headaches, nausea, vomiting, i.e. negative experience can wean you off alcohol. However, for those who have experienced pleasure after drinking, the desire to continue drinking increases, and they move to the next stage of use - the stage of regular drinking.

Stages of regular use

Teenagers who drink alcohol regularly are social drinkers. An adult has a certain degree of self-control, but most teenagers get drunk (various physiological disorders and changes in behavior no longer cause them concern). Long-term use accompanies the transition to the third stage.

Obsession stage (persistent thoughts about drinking)

The third stage is the presence of obsessive thoughts about alcohol. During the dating and regular drinking stages, adolescents drink to experience the pleasurable sensations they associate with drinking alcohol. But at the third stage, the teenager begins to drink in order to eliminate or muffle discomfort, negative emotions. At this stage, adolescents begin to lose control over themselves, they develop physical endurance to alcohol (and at the same time physical dependence). This
a major warning sign that an addiction to alcohol and, possibly, alcoholism is developing.

Physical need stage (chemical dependence)

The fourth stage is a chemically determined need or alcohol dependence. Characteristic feature This stage includes loss of self-control and prolonged drinking bouts. The main driving motive at this stage is self-medication. The behavior of an alcoholic has a number of characteristic features: tolerance - more and more alcohol is required to achieve the same effect; withdrawal syndrome - appearance painful symptoms, developing when a person does not drink; drug-related behavior- behavior changes dramatically when the alcoholic is deprived of the object of his passion; drinking becomes more important than everything else in life; There is a degradation of personality.

Alcohol use and effects

Alcohol - ethyl alcohol (ethanol, chemical formula C 2 H 5 OH) is a colorless volatile liquid, highly flammable and with a characteristic odor and pungent taste.

Short-term effects of alcohol:

• slow reaction to external stimuli;
• slow reflexes;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• decreased mental acuity;
• memory impairment;
• vomit; blurred vision;
• increased risk of accidents;
• unsteadiness when walking or standing;
• loss of consciousness.

Consequences long-term exposure alcohol:

• alcoholism disease;
• memory lapses;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• dysfunction of the brain;
• nervous system disorder;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• disruption digestive system and other systems;
• reduced life expectancy;
• coma;
• death (as a result of accidents, from excess alcohol).

The alcohol molecule is small and easily absorbed into the blood. Absorption begins in the oral mucosa, about 20% is absorbed by the gastric mucosa, and the main part of the alcohol is absorbed in the small intestine. Ethanol easily penetrates cell membranes all tissues, but its concentration is directly dependent on the water content in them. Therefore, for example, the concentration of alcohol in brain tissue is 1.5 - 2 times higher than in other tissues. Its concentration is also quite high in the liver, since it actively absorbs and neutralizes any substances that are in the blood in concentrations that exceed the norm.

After a single injection, ethanol oxidizes at a constant rate of 85-100 mg/kg per hour. With frequent use, the rate of oxidation increases as a result of increased activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, which is responsible for the increase in tolerance at the first stage of alcoholism.

Alcohol is a substance that has bad influence on almost all systems of the human body. It is clear that its effect is especially dangerous for a growing, not yet formed organism: it inhibits growth, delays the development of mental and sexual functions and muscles, and affects appearance person, etc. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the sensitivity of a growing organism to alcohol is much higher than that of an adult, so sometimes even 100 g of wine is enough to cause severe alcohol intoxication. A persistent addiction to alcohol - alcoholism - develops in a teenager 5-10 times faster than in an adult. If we take into account the irreversibility of the changes that occur in the human body during alcoholism, this means that a teenager who has become an alcoholic remains a person with poor health for almost the rest of his life. He can still return to normal work, family or social activities, but will no longer be able to fully realize the opportunities given to him by nature.

Effect of alcohol on the central nervous system is determined primarily by the fact that when it is consumed, it is in her cells that it enters first. This is due to the property of alcohol to dissolve fats well, the content of which in the membrane of the nerve cell is higher than in any other, and exceeds 60%. Having penetrated inside the neuron, alcohol is retained here because its cytoplasm contains a lot of water. Actually, the described features of the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system are what makes it attractive to humans: after consumption, it quickly causes stimulation of the nervous system, and the person develops a feeling of lightness and fun. However, as the alcohol concentration increases in nerve cell and, accordingly, excitation gradually turns into so-called transcendental inhibition. It is very important that first of all, those parts of the brain that control behavior, a person’s relationships with other people, and criticality towards one’s own behavior flow into it. As a result of turning off these centers in a state of intoxication, a person becomes talkative, aggressive, and he seems to himself to be extremely smart and witty, strong and courageous. It is no coincidence that many crimes and dangerous acts that threaten the life and health of both this person and the people around him are committed while intoxicated.

Unfortunately, it is the ability of alcohol to cause extreme inhibition that forces people to often resort to its use when any problems arise. life problems(conflicts, unrealized opportunities, unrequited love, etc.), when instead of trying to practically resolve them, a person tries to get away from these problems. He, it seems to him, achieves this goal through drinking alcohol. Ethanol causes rapid inhibition of the dominant centers of the central nervous system - and “no problem”, the person feels good and easy. But the problems remain, and then he wants to return again and again to this blissful state, where there is the illusion of their absence. True, this does not take into account several important and dangerous consequences behavior like this:

• problems still do not disappear, but accumulate and grow more and more;
• any alcohol intake is accompanied by the destruction of brain cells, which, as is known, are not restored;
• a person loses time that he could use to solve the issues facing him;
• more and more alcohol is required to achieve intoxication;
• The more and longer he drinks alcohol, the more his body suffers.

But this is only the first phase of intoxication. As it develops, inhibition affects deeper and deeper brain formations. Therefore, at first speech becomes less and less controlled, memory is impaired, and coordination of movements is upset. Gradually, inhibition can also affect those nerve centers that are responsible for the most important functions of the body, which can disrupt the regulation of body temperature (for this reason, drunk people often freeze in cold weather), breathing (even to the point of stopping) and heart activity.

Table. Diseases and physiological disorders in drinkers

Diseases
Hypertonic disease
Cholelithiasis
Genitourinary system
Nasopharyngeal bacteria (pneumonia)
Childless alcoholics
Oligophrenics (children)
Epilepsy
Malfunction of the mammary glands (no milk)
Decrease in sperm count in those who drink 2-4 or more times a month
Decreased sperm motility in those who drink 2-4 or more times a month
Declining life expectancy for women
Declining life expectancy for men

IN reproductive system In humans, alcohol destroys both proteins, which form the basis of the structure of the gonads, and fats, which are the most important part of sex hormones. Moreover, by penetrating into male reproductive cells, alcohol causes damage to their genetic apparatus, and if such a sperm fertilizes an egg, then the child may be born defective, with various physical and mental defects, and mental underdevelopment. It is now known for sure that mentally retarded children with physical deformities can be born from healthy parents, whose only fault was conception that occurred while one or both parents were intoxicated.

French scientists, using extensive statistical material, proved that a large number of stillborns were conceived during the carnival period, and even the term “carnival children” and “Sunday children” appeared. In Bulgaria, it was found that 15 stillborns and 8 freaks were born from 23 chronic alcoholics.

It should be especially noted that alcohol often leads to weakened sexual function in men, especially young men. As a result, a person is deprived of the opportunity to have a strong family and offspring.

Liver a person performs many important functions. One of them is the destruction and removal from the body of harmful substances that have entered or formed in it. One of these substances is alcohol. It takes at least a day to a week to destroy and remove it from the body (with urine, sweat, feces, through the respiratory system), although alcohol breakdown products can remain in the body (especially in the brain) for up to a month. During this entire period, the liver wages a “fight” with alcohol. If it is used regularly, then gradually this vital organ begins to collapse, and cirrhosis of the liver develops, in which the production of bile is disrupted, and the role of the liver as a “security guard” of the body is first reduced, and then distorted in such a way that even beneficial for substances in the body can become dangerous. It has been proven that liver cirrhosis develops not only from strong alcoholic drinks, but also from regular consumption of weak ones, including beer.

Lungs, which ensure gas exchange between the body and the environment, after drinking alcohol begin to play a protective role and remove it from the body, which manifests itself in unpleasant smell coming from the mouth of a drunk person. They continue to play this role throughout the entire period while alcohol or its breakdown products remain in the body, i.e. for at least a few days. As a result, the delicate lung tissue breaks down, and the possibility of respiratory system are gradually decreasing more and more.

Digestive system a person under the influence of alcohol also experiences significant adverse changes. Alcohol itself causes destruction of the gastric mucosa and disrupts its production of digestive juices. Under its influence, it is difficult for the body to absorb many important substances, such as vitamins and proteins. Gastritis and then stomach ulcers gradually develop, metabolism is disrupted, the aging process proceeds faster and the body's capabilities decrease.

Noticeable changes under the influence of alcohol also occur in bone- muscular system due to a violation of the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the construction of actively growing bones; as a result, growth slows down.

It is clear that drinking alcohol is incompatible with physical education and sports. This is due not only to the changes that occur in all systems of the body and are described above, but also to disturbances directly in the muscular system, so that the performance of the muscles and the degree of their tension (tone) decrease. In addition, the speed of recovery of the body after physical activity decreases, so the athlete has to disrupt his training process and reduce loads, which does not allow him to achieve high athletic results.