Bar Scene Toxicity

Alcohol abuse is one of the very popular substance abuses that often engage teenagers and adults. In some parts of the world, people see alcohol as relief from social pressure and work stress. Some people take alcohol like others take soft drinks and table water.

According to many health practitioners in the US and beyond, alcohol is a highly addictive substance that people should try to avoid.

Not to say that taking alcohol is outrightly wrong, but excessively taking it could result in grievous health and mental conditions. Some of the common downsides of taking alcohol are liver disease, delusion, abnormal blood pressure, cancer, brain disorder, and other mental and physical health illnesses.

As some people take alcohol to ease stress and cool tension, others abuse alcohol for various reasons.

Some of these reasons are:

Family history of drug abuse

About 50% of the norms, values, ideas that make us up are the things we learned as kids from our parents and those in our neighborhood. Having a father, brother, or close relatives that smoke is an alarming trigger for curiosity and the temptation to try. Most people who end up as chronic drug abusers take it up as behaviors while growing up and saw nothing wrong about doing it.

Peer pressure

Peer group influence is mostly found amongst young people. Teenagers and college students often get the pressure to take alcohol while hanging out with those who drink. It is only natural to feel left out when you see all of your friends doing what you think is abominable.

Keeping your cool and maintaining standards often don’t work in this situation. It is better not to stay around such friends than try to fight it.

Stress and Trauma

Stress is a psychological trigger that often gets people that are pressured at work and passing through so much life stress. Alcohol is a depressant that is capable of calming both the body and mind. It can be a way out of anxiety and intense emotional spike or breakdown.

Moreover, this will only lead to other complicating issues like addiction, withdrawal symptoms, alcohol dependence, trauma, and more.

Many people living around are with various addictions than they can see for themselves. Most people find it difficult to avoid their addictions, and some others can not even identify that they have an addiction. This is true for various behavioral and substance abuse, especially alcohol abuse.

Most people with alcohol use disorder see the situation as normal instead of devising ways to overcome their uncontrolled craving for the substance. The aftermath of alcohol abuse is always not worth the temporal enjoyment they derive. Therefore, people are encouraged to avoid abusing alcohol and seek ways to abstain from its triggers.

Alcohol abuse triggers may include places, events, people, and the environment. They are the various things, behaviors, or circumstances that are capable of giving rise to the use of alcohol. Alcohol abuse triggers are difficult to resist and are a very notable cause of addiction relapse for addicts.

To stay sane and maintain the proper alcohol-to-blood balance, addicts should watch out for their addiction triggers and stay out of things that will lead to them. The following are a list of popular triggers and tips to avoid them:

Family and friends

Having a friend or family member who drinks regularly is not a smart move to avoid taking alcohol. Friends that party all night and come over to spend the night will most definitely come along with a bottle to cool off, so inviting you for a brother-to-brother toast would be inevitable.

This is a common trigger to look out for. Avoid such friends and family members and pass on such an invitation.

Work pressure and stress

When one is having a pretty stressful day consistently, it is almost normal for such a person to find solace in drinking. To avoid this, see a therapist when your job chokes you and you seem to be under so much stress and pressure than you can bear.

Psychological issues

Psychological issues like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, PTSD, and are common to drugs abusers. It is often a way out of their distress and complex situation. People having such issues should visit a counselor, therapist, or anyone they are comfortable discussing with.

Social celebrations and enjoying get-togethers are common ways to relax or be with friends in the modern society. For some people, these occasions may also include drinking alcohol.

Although people can safely consume alcohol without experiencing immediate adverse health effects, long term alcohol consumption can jeopardize overall health.

When a person drinks alcohol, the chemical in the drink which is ethanol gets absorbed through the digestive system and goes into the bloodstream. Then the liver metabolizes and removes alcohol gradually. However, this metabolic process can only filter out so much at once.

The rate at which this happens varies from one person to another. The different response could be due to age, gender, tolerance or sensitivity to alcohol, medications, speed of drinking, and amount of food eaten.

Teenagers and young adults are said to be particularly at risk for alcohol overdose. Research demonstrates that people in this demographic often engage in binge drinking. Drinking large quantities of alcohol can overwhelm the body’s regular response to clear alcohol from the bloodstream.

When a person consumes more alcohol in a short period of time than their liver can process, the ethanol molecules in the drink start accumulating in the body. This can damage cells, tissues and organs.

Acute alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, is a situation associated with drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time.

Alcohol intoxication can be experienced by both young people and adults. Though this condition is generally due to consumption of excessive quantities of alcoholic beverages, in some cases, people with addiction problems could accidentally or intentionally drink products around the house that contain alcohol. Examples are mouthwash or vanilla extract.

What ever is the reason, alcohol intoxication should be taken seriously because it is a medical emergency. If someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning, they need immediate medical attention.

Signs of alcohol intoxication

Early signs include:

• flushed skin
• staggering gait
• slurred speech
• reduced inhibition
• impaired judgment
• If the drinking continues further, it could lead to other effects, such as:
• impaired attention
• slowed reflexes
• double or blurred vision
• reduced muscle control

The outlook for alcohol intoxication

Once a person experiences alcohol intoxication, it takes time to fully recover. They will have to be in the hospital till their vital functions come back to normal. This process is slow and could several days, even weeks.

During the recovery period, the patient may experience both physical and emotional effects. These could include a depressed mood, loss of appetite, body pain or discomfort, and memory problems. Even after they are discharged from the hospital, they are likely to require about a month to feel fully normal once again.

The good news is that it’s possible to survive alcohol intoxication if appropriate medical treatment is given promptly.

The chemical substances in alcohol can have an influence on a person’s behavior, thinking, heart rate, and even breathing. It is important for everyone, especially young people, to be aware of the consequences and problems associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

How does alcohol affect a person?

It’s interesting that one drink of alcohol seem to release tension and reduces inhibition in some while others could become depressed or hostile.

There are several factors and individual differences in how consuming alcohol impacts people including:

• Age, gender, body weight
• Quantity and frequency of drinking
• Duration of drinking
• Sensitivity to the chemicals in the drink
• Type and amount of food in the stomach when consumed

At the extreme level, a severely intoxicated person could “black out,” and forget what was said or done at the time of the incident. Immediate impacts can be inability to stand, vomiting, loss of consciousness, coma and death.

When a person is sensitive to the substances in the drink, it takes less alcohol to cause intoxication and more time for the body to eliminate the alcohol consumed.

In general, women are said to be more sensitive to the metabolic effects of alcohol. It is also established that both men and women become increasingly sensitive to the effects of alcohol as they grow older.

Lack of control over alcohol use can cause serious and long-lasting consequences. Rarely it has one victim, and the consequences are rarely short-lived. Many crimes have alcohol abuse at their root.

It is also indisputable that there are consequences related to family, society, and career when drinking is severe and when it affects the normal functioning of the mind or body.

Crimes generally associated with alcohol include domestic abuse and violence, underage drinking, robbery, assault and rape.

Crimes associated with alcohol usually impact family, friends, or even complete strangers. The problem may be centered on one person, but the consequences have ripple effects.

Alcohol is considered more likely to be a reason in violence where the attacker and the victim know each other.

Since alcoholic beverages are socially accepted drinks, it is important that young people are educated There is an obvious pattern or logical flow of links between drinking, poor decision making, criminal behavior, and legal consequences. The proof of this thinking is shown by the fact that so many people currently serving time in prisons or living with the stigma of a criminal record have a history of problem drinking.

The best way to prevent such heartache in society is for everyone to take personal responsibility when they choose to drink and seek immediate help if any signs of excessive consumption or uncontrolled drinking behavior are noticed. 

Local Pubs are one of the places where you can relax, drink and have a nice time. However, some people who come to the local pubs around to drink are addicted, and they cannot help themselves.

Even for those who do not plan to drink, but they go to local pubs to relax, they start abusing drinks in no time.

Also, some of these local pubs have hard drugs for sale alongside with alcohol. A local pub is basically a business which has been legalized to sell alcoholic products such as beer, vodka and cider.

In a good number of countries, a pub is a place for relaxation, where they visit after they have had a stressful day.

There are a good number of factors which are responsible for choosing a pub, and they are nearness to home or work; accessibility of drinks, quality food, nice atmosphere and the likes.

In some countries, smoking is not allowed in clubs and pubs, and the resultant effect of this is, there is a drop in profit, than prior to the banning of smoking.

Local pubs are meant to provide fun to people, as there would be various traditional games there. So, alongside drinking and the likes, you can also play games with other people there, and have fun to the fullest.

These days, with the innovation in technology, modern games are assimilated into a pub system. You would see games like slot machines, video games and the likes.

Also, pubs have evolved in the sense that, there are various tournaments which are organized on a daily basis, which would make people to come back for more.

Due to these features in a local pub, this is one of the reasons why people would start coming back for me, and in this case, they become addicted in the process. Pubs also serve food alongside with drinks, and people also get addicted to food in the process.

Asides the addiction process, there are other advantages of visiting a pub, as it serves as an effective point for someone to relax after they have had a very stressful day.