alcohol & drug use

8/10/2019 Alcohol & Drug Use

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So what about alcohol andthe health burden in the US?Based on findings from a recent study,we have a better sense of the costsof excessive drinking in the US.Based on 2006 data, it was foundthat excessive drinking caused.Costs the United States$223 billion that year.And these costs largely results fromlosses in workplace productivity,healthcare expenses,criminal justice expenses.As well as motor vehicle crash costs forimpaired driving.It is also estimated thatalmost 3/4 of these costs weredue to binge drinking specifically.So what is binge drinking?Well binge drinking is the mostcommon pattern of excessive alcoholuse in the US.And binge drinking is typically definedas drinking five or more drinks for men.

And four or more drinks for women.In one occasion.And there are very important patternsof binge drinking in the United States.The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention summarize manydata sources of the epidemiologyof alcohol use in the U.S..Here are some facts.More than half of the alcohol consumedby adults in the US is in the form ofbinge drinks.Binge drinking also various

across the United States.One in six US adults bingedrinks about four times a month,consuming about eight drinks per binge.And then prevalence of bingedrinking among men is twicethe prevalence among women.And while binge drinking is more commonamong young adults, aged 18 to 34 years.Binge drinkers aged 65 years andolder report binge drinking more often.An average of five to six times a month.About 90% of the alcohol consumed

by youth, under the age of 21,in the U.S., is in forform of binge drinks.Making underage drinkinga substantial problem.So, what happens when people drink,especially when they binge drink?Well, there are many importantconsequences of drinking too much alcohol.That are outlined by the National


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Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.When alcohol enters the blood stream,as soon as the person takestheir first sip of alcohol.Immediate effects can actuallyappear within 10 minutes.So if a person continues to drink,there will be an increase in theirblood alcohol concentration.And the higher the concentration,the more impaired the person will become.So effects can include reducedinhibitions, slurred speech,motor impairment,confusion, memory problems.Concentration problems, coma,breathing problems, and even death.So because of the impact of alcohol.In particular because of the reducedinhibition, the confusion, andconcentration problems.Excessive alcohol use is often associatedwith different forms of violence.So, let's transition to talk

a little bit about alcohol andcrime, orthe link between alcohol and crime.Which has not really receivedthe same level of attention assay driving while underthe influence of alcohol.However there are lots of studies thatshow that alcohol is often involved inboth perpetrators and victims of violence.So we have substantial amount of researchby the US department of justice forexample that shows several

important factors.So for example, 5.3 million adult,or 36% of those under correctionalsupervision at the time were drinking atthe time of their conviction offense.And the majority of criminaloffenders were under the influence ofalcohol alone when theycommitted their crimes.And another fact is forthe 40% of convicted murderers that arebeing held in their jail or state prison.Alcohol use was a factor in that homicide.

About three million violentcrimes occur each yearwhich victims perceive the offenderto have been drinking.And such crimes include rape,sexual assault, robbery, aggravated andsimple assault.According to the nationalcrime victimization survey.In 2007 there were 5.2 million


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violent victimizations ofresidents aged twelve andover in the United States.And victims of violence wereasked to describe whether theyperceived the offender to be drinking orusing drugs.About 26% of the victimsof violence reported.Reported that the offenderwas using drugs or alcohol.And based on victim's report,alcohol by the offender was a factorin 37% of rapes and sexual assaults.15% of robberies.27% of aggravated assaults.And 25% of simple assaults.In fact, alcohol is more likely to be afactor in violence where the attacker andthe victim know each other.In fact, two-thirds of victimswho were attacked by an intimate,including a current or former spouse.Boyfriend or girlfriend,

reported that alcohol had been involved.70% of alcohol-related incidentsof violence occur in the home.The reason why we focus mostly onthe link between alcohol and violence.Rather than drugs andviolence, is because it seems thatalcohol has a specific substance.It's just much more strongly andmore easily linked to violence.Also, among violent crimes,the offender is far more likely tohave been drinking alcohol than being

under the influence of other drugs.With the exception of robberieswhere other drugs are used.Because there's so many different drugs.And because they have differentpsychopharmacoligcal properties.It's very difficult to generalizetheir effect on the human body, andits link to violence.Also, from the violenceprevention perspective.We're less interested indrug defined offenses.

Or those that merely are linked toa lifestyle that involve illicit drug use,and other deviant behaviors.Instead, we are specificallyinterested in drug related violent.Crimes that are committed because ofthis psychopharmacological effect onthe person involved.One of the reasons that use ofdrugs contributes to violence is


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the impact some drugs have on the brain.And the National Institute onDrug Abuse has made this area ofresearch a key priority.As an example, the repeated use ofaddictive drugs eventually changes howthe brain functions.Resulting brain changes which canaccompany the transition from voluntary tocompulsive drug use.Effect the brain's natural inhibition andreward centers.Causing the addicted person to use drugs,in spite of the adverse health,social, and legal consequences.In the 2004 survey of inmates in state andfederal correction facilities,32% of state prisoners.And 26% of federalprisoners said that theyhad committed their offense whileunder the influence of drugs.Among federal prisoners 32% ofdrug offenders, and 24% of violent

offenders were the most likely to reportdrug use at the time of their crimes.So as you can see, there are many datapoints to examine when we want tounderstand the role of alcohol anddrugs and violence.And as Public Health Researchers,we can approach this complicated issueusing data from the general population.We can examine it from a medical andhealth perspective.If as an example we can look atpeople who's a treatment from

their injuries from violence.Or we can look at data among arrested orretained forhaving committed a violent crime.All these approaches are needed so that weget a better sense of how common it is foralcohol ordrugs to be involve in violence.And also to better understand how toprevent alcohol or drug related violence.We also need this information todetermine who maybe at increase risk foreither perpetration or

victimization of these forms of violence.So clearly balance prevention isan important public health priority.And as we have just outlined, alcohol anddrugs are an important factor in violenceand really needs more attention.

alcohol & drug use

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