Studies have shown that long-term alcohol use or excessive drinking
can have adverse effects on both conception and pregnancy, not to
mention binge drinking. There has also been research linking alcohol
consumption in females and the time it takes for them to conceive.
Many have shown higher rates of miscarriage as a result of drinking
alcohol during pregnancy.
There
has been a lot of discussion in the last few years about the continuing
problem of alcohol and the effect it has on society. Should we treat
alcohol as if it were an illicit drug?
Some of the promoters of harsh restrictions on the sale and marketing
of certain alcoholic beverages (restrictions such as advertising
bans and higher taxes) have justified their proposals with the erroneous
assertion that alcohol is no different than illegal drugs. There
have even been stories in some of the media attempting to equate
alcohol with the use and/or abuse of illegal substances such as
marijuana, crack, cocaine and heroin.
We will first mention as a matter of information that alcoholic
beverages have been a part of western civilization for more than
25 centuries. Now we know there will always be people among us who
drink. America has already tried prohibition and learned conclusively
that it does not work. The simple fact is that many Americans like
to drink and the vast majority of those who do, drink responsibly,
thus, the public policy challenge we face today is not to stigmatize
all drinking as bad but to maximize the probability that those who
choose to drink will do so in a responsible manner.
It's a fact that excessive drinking can seriously damage one's health.
Those who claim that "alcohol is a drug" want that word
to carry a particular, threatening connotation. In reality, however,
"drug" is an ethically, legally and physiologically neutral
term that encompasses a wide spectrum of substances.
Did you know?
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol.
Ethanol is a psychoactive drug, a depressant, and many societies
regulate or restrict its sale and consumption. Countries place
various legal restrictions on the sale of alcoholic drinks
to young people. The manufacture and consumption of alcohol
is notably found (to some degree) in most cultures and societies
around the world, from hunter-gatherer tribes to organized
nation-states. The consumption of alcohol is often important
at social events in such societies and may be an important
aspect of a community's culture.
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According to a well-known medical textbook of pharmacology, a
drug is any chemical agency that affects living processes. A drug
can be as menacing as cocaine, as benign as sucrose or as helpful
as vitamin C. In a societal sense, some drugs relieve pain and assist
in the healing process. Others are safely and legally enjoyed by
millions of people very day, even though overuse can result in undesirable
side effects. And Some drugs are so terribly addictive that simply
experimenting with them carries substantial risk.
Recent studies show that excess alcohol consumption can lead to
a number of serious health problems, and of course there is the
problem of addiction which must be taken into consideration. Who
among us hasn't been exposed to a friend or relative with a severe
drinking problem. Many of societies' problems today such as spouse
abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can be
traced to drinking problems.
Alcohol
may lead to liver problems, a variety of cancers as well as forms
of osteoporosis and depression, and studies are showing, too, that
women are more susceptible to the ill effects of alcohol than are
men. From this information, it is safe to conclude that anything
which has this type of effect on one's general health, is going
to affect the entire system. And research has shown that alcohol
depletes the body of it's necessary vitamins and minerals.
"Social drinking" seems to be an accepted practice these
days and the arguments both pro and con will always be with us.
It is our hope that as you read and consider this information you
will become more aware of the effect that alcohol has on society
today.s no different than illegal drugs.
Want to learn more?
"So You Have Actively Trying To Get Pregnant" will go over all the important medical conditions, health risks and problem causing chemicals. We show you how they relate to pregnancy and steps to overcome possible problems
