A number of investigations conducted to define what prevents people from having happy and healthy lives. Money, drugs, unemployment… Each issue has its own value and effect. However, David Nutt admits that the idea of alcohol is missed in this list. The representatives of the government failed to define that true danger for human lives was connected with alcohol but not with various illicit drugs (Boseley 2010). To succeed in improving the living conditions and understanding the threat of alcohol, it is crucially important to focus more attention on alcohol and its spread. There are so many interesting aspects in human life, and people are free to use any beauty. Still, people choose the worst and the most dangerous ideas even without considering what harm they could produce to themselves.
Why is there still a necessity to litter the world with such harmful things like alcohol or drugs? What can be done to improve the situation and define the essence? Students could give answers to the questions or, at least, throw light on alcohol and the reasons of its use.
Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drinks which are available for people. The vast majority of citizens in any country are eager to spend money and neglect their health to enjoy the amenities of alcoholic state. So, why do many people prefer to drink? One of the first stages when people make decisions to use alcohol is observed in student hostels. Young people get chances to live far from their parents and do everything they find interesting. One of the British hostel’s citizens, Cameron Smith, admits that his first attempt to try alcohol was at the first days of his college life. Actually, there were no special reasons to get drunk, still, there was a kind of interest to “taste an adult independent life”.
Young students who cannot define the priorities of college life make numerous mistakes when they choose to try something bad but still available instead of waiting for something better but not available right at this moment. Students are still weak to find some reasonable solutions but able to make some fast decisions. For example, to find new friends and enjoy their college life, students prefer to visit some night clubs or parties where the impact of alcohol promotes communication and freedom.
“In fact, it was hard to understand when it was better to stop, this is why all students decided to drink as long as the opportunities allowed”, Cameron said. The first alcohol experience is not as successful as it could seem: some students are bothered with the outcomes of drinking. The outcomes are probably one of the most unpredictable sides of alcohol usage as they can be observed in the mornings only: terrible headache, giddiness, the desire to drink again because the feeling of hangover is overwhelming, the necessity to remember what has happened yesterday because you can hardly realize where you are and what you are doing in here.
Though Cameron’s first alcohol experience was not successful, it was not convincing enough to understand how terrible alcohol use is. It is the threat number one: alcohol does not seem to be dangerous for people, this is why they do not find it necessary to stop drinking. Cameron agrees that the vast majority of his friends like drinking just to hang out, spend some time together, and enjoy communications which they can develop. Another terrible truth discovered by Cameron was connected with the way of how he befriended with people. He explains that he managed to find his friends at the alcohol parties when the borders between what is allowed and what is forbidden are destroyed.
Many students and adults truly believe that the use of some low-alcohol beverages like Cafe Royal, Bellini, or beer promotes less harm. This decision is wrong and dangerous. Alcohol dependence and outcomes are the same for those who drink vodka, brandy, or beer. The actual decision that has to be made lies in the evaluation whether it is necessary to drink and what the volume of beverage could be.
Nowadays, Cameron finds it appropriate to drink some beer to take a rest, enjoy the company, and have good mood. “Of course, there are some situations when the use of alcohol is obligatory for a person to decrease pain, forget something or someone, and make yourself unable to do something more harmful”, tells Cameron. One of Cameron’s friends had to face a terrible loss in his life. One of his close relatives fell ill with cancer that could not be treated anymore.
There were no chances to save this life, and the only decision to be made was to wait and believe. It was very important for him to be strong and to be confident in every single word pronounced. Still, it was so hard to cope with pain that fulfilled the body and the mind. Some portion of drinks made his friend forget about the danger, believe that something good could happen, and help other family members become stronger. Though it is hard to justify the decision made, Cameron thinks that it is better to get drunk instead of get into tears and curse everything around including destiny.
Of course, it is hard to control the use of alcohol specially if you are a 20-years old student who wants to try as many things as possible in this life. One of the biggest alcohol threats is that people cannot say “NO” to stop alcohol use. Cameron’s experience shows how various the reasons to start drinking are, and even if some of them could be justified, there is no right to believe that alcohol contains something good. People cannot admit that they are under the power of alcohol. They prefer to believe that they can control everything, still, it is alcohol that controls human lives.
To solve the problems which are raised because of alcohol, it is necessary to attract the attention of the government and make each representative believe how dangerous alcohol could be. Only in case some steps are taken by the government, it is possible to explain citizens the threats of alcohol drinks and blind alcoholic dependence of the vast majority of people. And now, it is time to underline the most crucial point connected with alcohol and human fast decisions. Alcohol has a variety of face, and people cannot even guess how they can be dependent on alcohol. It is a kind of evil fate that people themselves produce alcohol to make themselves dependent, less protected, and weak in the face of truth and dependency.
Reference List
Boseley, S 2010, ‘Alcohol More Harmful Than Heroin or Crack’, The Guardian. Web.