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Alcoholism: A Social Problem

Introduction: The problem of alcoholism, until a few decades ago, was considered a moral
problem and a sign of social irresponsibility. After the introduction of the prohibition policy in
some states, it was viewed as an illegal act. Now, it is considered by some scholars more as a
complicated, chronic and immensely costly disease than a type of deviant behavior. The victim
needs not the punitive treatment but treatment by specialists- psychiatrists, doctors, social
workers and others who will help him in his personality reconstruction. Alcohol is not a
stimulant; it is a depressant or inhibitor on the central nervous system. Alcohol relaxes the
customary controls on behavior and the drinker becomes less restrained and feels freer. But
taking alcohol even once in a while leaves the possibility of a habit forming phenomenon open
and the drinker may start taking it frequently and in large quantity which could have tragic and
disastrous effects.

The concept

 Alcoholism is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication, detrimental to the individual and


to society, produced by repeated consumption of a drink, either natural or synthetic”. –
W.H.O.
 Alcoholism is a condition in which an individual loses control over his alcohol intake in
that he is constantly unable to refrain from drinking once he begins. – Johnson
 Alcoholism is characterized by the repeated drinking of alcoholic beverages to an extent
that exceeds customary use or compliance with the social customs of the community and
that adversely affects the drinker’s health or interferes with his social or economic
functioning. – Keller and Efron

Broadly speaking, alcoholism has been characterized by four factors:


 Excessive intake of alcoholic beverages
 Individual’s increasing worry over his drinking
 Loss of the drinker’s control over his drinking
 The disturbance in functioning in his social world.

Richard Blum has referred to drinking in two contexts: in the context of prescribed social
pattern where drinking is integrated in the culture of the society and it is perceived as part
of everyday life, for e.g. Italy and U.S.A. and people do not find any psychological
potential in it; and, in the context of perceiving alcohol use as disruptive to culture and
society and people find addictive potential in it (as in India) and view drinking as a means
of seeking pleasure and escape.
Don Cahalan has given a five-fold classification of alcohol drinkers on the basis of the
frequency of drinking (and not the quantity of alcohol taken):
 Rare users, who drink once or twice a year.
 Infrequent users, who drink once or twice in two-three months, that is, less than once a
month.
 Light drinkers, who drink once or twice a month.
 Moderate drinkers, who drink three or four times in a month.
 Heavy drinkers or hard-core drinkers, who drink every day or several drinks during
the day.

Process of becoming an alcoholic


A drinker has to pass through various stages to become an alcoholic. According to an
American psychiatrist Jellinek, an alcoholic has to pass through the sequence of seven
phases:
 Blackouts, in which the individual is not able to find a solution to his individual
problems,
 Sneaking drinks, in which he takes alcohol without being observed,
 Increased tolerance, in which he tolerates the increased effects of drinking,
 Loss of control, in which he fails to control the desire of not taking alcohol,
 Development of an alibi system, in which he gradually starts neglecting his social roles,
 Going on periodic benders, in which he keeps on drinking regularly, and
 Regular mutational drinking, in which he regularly starts taking alcohol in the morning.

Jellinek has also explained the process of becoming an alcoholic in the following four
stages:
 Pre-alcoholic symptomatic phase: In this phase, taking advantage of social sanction, an
individual starts drinking to reduce tensions and solve his personal problems. Linking
drinking with relief, he keeps on searching for those opportunities in which he may drink.
The frequency of drinking increases as he starts losing his capacity to overcome conflicts
in life.
 Prodigal phase: In this phase, along with the increase in the frequency of drinking, there
is increase in the quantity of the drink too. However, he develops a guilt-feeling and
knows that gradually he is becoming an abnormal person.
 Crucial phase: In this phase, his drinking becomes conspicuous. He develops
rationalizations to stand social pleasures and to assure him that he has not lost control
over himself. However, he does not lose his self-respect. Gradually, he starts alienating
himself from others as his physical and social deterioration becomes obvious to them.
 Chronic phase: In this phase, he starts drinking even in the morning. He faces prolonged
intoxication, impaired thinking, indefinable fears, tremors, and loss of certain skills. He is
all the time obsessed with drinking and feels restless without alcohol.

Causes for alcoholism


1. Misery Drinking: Men drink, because they are miserable, because life holds no joy
for them or any other prospect other than an unending round of toil. In such a life
scheme, drink is a blessed palliative medicine.
2. Occupational factor: Men drink because their occupation has completely exhausted
them. They look forward eagerly to the respite which intoxication affords on heat of
blast furnace.
3. Environmental pressures and bad housing: Men drink because sometimes the living
or working environment is full of all such moderate or heavy drinkers, or with the
presence of so many wine shops nearby. Even lonely houses with cold, dark, dismal
and sordid, cannot prepare the healthy environment for him to stay for long time.
Break- up, quarrels within the parents, lack of proper emotional healing and
congestions in small homes also lead to such tendencies.
4. Ignorance: Men who do have manual work have long been deluded by the belief that
alcohol added strength and vigor with which they can pursue their labour. This
illusory feeling of physical vitality after the consumption of alcohol is the cause of
drunkenness.
5. For peer pressure and fun: Men drink for companionship, for fun and sometimes on
account of peer pressure to try something new and full of challenge.
6. Fashion or dominant sub-culture: The process of westernization and globalization
has also brought a dominant sub culture of fashion and show-off which attracts the
teenagers most. So they start drinking for being in the fashion and status quo race.
7. War conditions: During a war, the practice of alcohol is obligatory. Soldiers have
been given a fixed amount of alcohol so that they can fight in cold places and to
increase their strength.
8. Social inadequacy: There are certain persons who are unable to face the hard
realities of life and start drinking to overcome their social inadequacy temporarily
which later on takes the form of habitual drinking. Quarrels between friends and
lovers, breaches of conjugal faith, disappointment in love may all reduce the
individual to extreme melancholy.
9. Business reasons: Sudden success or great failure in business often forced a weak
will power person to alcoholism. Business groups often have a drinking culture in
their success parties.
10. Guest honor: On the arrival of an important guest it is now, has become a trend to
give them liquor. Otherwise, many people take this as their dishonor.

Consequences of alcoholism

 Impairs the mind and body: Alcoholism impairs the faculty of mind and
reduces the efficiency. It acts as a depressant which brings about reduced
speed of reaction. Thus, there is a decline in the control of learned behavior.
 Affects the health and character: Alcohol diminishes one fourth of the
capacity of blood vessels to take up oxygen. This produces congestion in the
membranes of the cortex of the brain. Chronic gastritis, cirrhosis of the liver,
multiple or peripheral neuritis, etc. are the pathological effects of acute
alcoholism. Besides these specific diseases, the resistance to all disease is
appreciably lowered by heavy and periodic consumption. He is also more
subject to violent death from accident and other causes than is the non-
drinker.
 Affects the reproductive capacity: There is a study on the effects of
alcoholism on pregnancy. It is found that in comparison to non-drinkers,
drinkers have more children. It means that there capacity to control pregnancy
is low while in case of women, those who drink excess; they suffered from
abortion and their child also born physically and mentally weak.
 Lowers moral sense, judgment and intelligence: It has been presumed that
the majority of crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. It often
leads to physical cruelty and abuse.
 Brings social disorganization: Alcoholism contributes towards the causation
of crime, corruption and lawlessness. According to Bacon, “All the crimes on
earth do not destroy so many of the human race, not alienates so much
property as drunkenness.”
 Family disorganization: When husband and wife in an alcoholically
stimulated entertainment pat attention to someone else, it creates tension
between the two later on. It has generally been said that liquor has been a
traditional enemy of love and marriage because of this unfair competition.
 Individual disorganization: A healthy life organization can only be erected
upon basis of normal and healthy social relationships. When used to excess
alcohol modifies these relationships, changes the reality of former social
values and brings about highly individuated attitudes. The excessive drinker
may forsake his home, his family and his business. It may also lead to road
accidents in huge numbers.

Recommendations and steps for alcoholism


 Detoxification in hospitals of alcoholics through tranquilizers
 Family should play a responsible role in his treatment through emotional
guidance and care without condemning or blaming.
 Changing values through education by social workers of NGOs and other
agencies.
 Selective prohibition of alcoholic centers from a region and then from the
whole area.
 Non-issue of illegal licenses of liquor shops.
 Strict enforcement of motor vehicle act in which alcoholism should be given
the strict rule.
 Discontinuance of advertisements dealing with alcohol on family channels.
 Introduction of dry day on special days as a part of moral teaching.
 Educational teaching and public campaigning through media and NGOs
regarding ill effects of alcoholism.
 Appointment of those committees which can help people for leaving such bad
habits. For example, in U.S.A. there is a committee called “Alcoholics
Anonymous” which have made a remarkable effort in this direction.

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