Alcohol
The effect of alcohol is visible in all aspects of human life which include physical, psychological, social and economic. Alcohol has immediate consequences which lead to intoxication (drunkenness), and long-term effects including addiction. Alcohol is a major avoidable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, liver disease and cancer. It is also associated with STIs, including HIV, and unwanted pregnancy because alcoholic intoxication leads to risky sexual behaviour. Alcohol use contributes to a wide range of diseases, health conditions and high-risk behaviours, from mental disorders and road traffic injuries, to liver diseases and unsafe sexual behaviour.
Alcohol reduces your inhibitions, slurs speech, and decreases muscle control and coordination, and may lead to alcoholism.
The Effects of Alcohol on Young People.
| School | Family | Social | Legal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inefficiency | Frequent fights | Distance from friends | Disobeying rules |
| Poor performance | Neglect of family duties | Misbehaviour with others | Thefts and petty crimes |
| Frequent absence | Physical violence with family members | Decreased social reputation | Involvement with criminal gangs |
| Accidents in school | Long absence and running away from home | Social isolation | Arrests and court cases |
| Suspension from school | Rejection | Constant borrowing | Conviction |
| Inability to return borrowed money | Imprisonment | ||
| Fights, quarrels, theft |
Alcohol affects youth reproductive and sexual health in that excessive alcohol intake can shrink the genitals. It kills sperm-producing cells in the male reproductive system and makes a man infertile. It is also a cause of female infertility. Alcohol induces miscarriage in pregnant mothers. A young mother who becomes pregnant should stop alcohol consumption as soon as she conceives. If alcohol consumption extends to the period of pregnancy, it brings brain damage and mental retardation in newborns.