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Alcohol Moderately addictiveAlcohol: Moderately addictive, but highly problematic By Ned Wicker In comparison to other substances, legal or illegal, alcohol looks like a minor player in the world of addiction. Surely more addicts would be created through the use of stronger, more exotic substances, but the truth is alcohol is the most abused drug around. If some substances are more addictive than others, why are substances that are less addictive more of a problem? More specifically, why is alcohol such a problem? Simply stated, alcohol is everywhere, inexpensive and socially acceptable. Liquor stores, super markets, convenience stores, restaurants and taverns all have alcohol. Sporting events, church socials, state and county fairs, concerts and a host of other events all have alcohol. It’s legal and even when it wasn’t, such as during prohibition, it was easily produced in secret breweries and distilleries, and even in bathtubs. Even after prohibition, running alcohol was a big business because the demand was big. There’s a much lesser degree of risk with alcohol, not in the sense that it is any less dangerous, but it is not taken as seriously as other drugs. Parents may not tolerate their children using marijuana, but a couple of drinks might be ok with them. Kids model their behavior, in many cases, after their parents and drinking is a part of that model. Teens will raid the liquor cabinet, or sneak a couple of beers out of the fridge, but as long as they aren’t going out and getting in trouble with “drugs,” some parents will consider that within the bounds of reason. But the earlier the onset of drinking habits, the more trouble a child is going to encounter later on. Alcoholics Anonymous sees alcoholism as a progressive disease. While some may be able to drink and even get drunk, they do not lose control over alcohol. But there are others who become dependent, who are predisposed to the disease, even before they take the first drink. The American Medical Association embraces the disease model of alcoholism, while others view alcohol dependence as a by-product of some other pathology, like depression. Regardless of the school of thought, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence or alcoholism is far more common than other forms of addiction because alcohol is far more available. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 48% of all adults 18 and older take a drink on a regular basis, while only 12% said they never take a drink. Broken down a little more, 57% or men are drinkers compared to 38% of women. The number of regular heroin users in the United States, for example, is between 750,000 and 1 million, which pales in comparison to the regular alcohol users. Here are some examples of commonly abused illegal and legal drugs, ranked in terms of their degree of addictiveness. 1- Very High: Heroin (injected), Crack Cocaine Notice that alcohol is somewhere in the middle, as are cigarettes. Heroin leads the way, but as we saw, the numbers are much lower for that group. Alcohol, far and away, even though it is middle of the pack for addictive substances, leads in terms of usage. It is dangerous because its destructive potential is masked in respectability. It is easy to understand the dangers of heroin and other illegal drugs, but it’s not so easy to understand the alcohol problem in America. After all, what are a few beers? Ned Wicker is the Addictions Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center.
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