alcohol related
deaths
Every year there are more and more alcohol related deaths. The manner in which the deaths occur vary from alcohol related diseases to accidents and suicides. Here we will look at some of the numbers and the different ways that alcohol consumption can lead to death.
The Value of
health
The first area we will discuss is health problems caused by over consumption of alcohol. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the USA came up with shocking figures. Everyone is familiar with liver disease attributed to the overuse of alcohol. However were you aware that 5% of deaths from disease of the circulatory system are alcohol related?
This is due to the fact that alcohol enters the bloodstream from the stomach and upper digestive system, it then circulates in the blood throughout the body entering and dissolving in the water of every tissue in the body except for fat. It then is excreted from the body through the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Leading to a variety of diseases in those organs as well.
It was surprising to learn that 15% of all deaths from respiratory diseases were alcohol related too.
Alcohol’s affect on health does not end there. It can also have a large impact on mental health. Alcohol is a depressant. Its effects on the mind and body are to slow everything and numb a person to their emotions. When this occurs over a long period of time, it can lead to actual depression. This accounts for the 30% of suicides that were alcohol related deaths.
When a person is depressed and under the influence, their normal reservations and inhibitions are greatly reduced letting them do things they would not do normally do. This also applies to rage and anger as is evidenced by the 60% of homicides that were attributed to alcohol.
accidents
Deaths due to accidents also have ties to the abuse of alcohol. Again according to statistics of NIDA, the number of automobile deaths attributed to alcohol is in the 45% range. People who are over the legal limit will not understand that their reflex time and judgment are impaired before they feel drunk. That is why many people get behind the wheel every day that have had too much to drink.
People are also injured and killed by other types of accidents due to alcohol. In fact, 40% of deaths due to falling are alcohol related deaths. This again goes back to a person’s impaired perceptions and emotions. A person who would not normally stand on the edge of a balcony may do so after drinking because the alcohol has given them a false sense of security.
Conclusion
There are many ways you could die from the abuse of alcohol and here we have listed only a few. If you see yourself or a loved one in one of the above states of mind then seek professional care and advice.
An Alcohol related death could touch your life at any point so it is useful to be informed.
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