Alcohol Abuse
| | | | | Alcoholism is a major and severe problem in the United States and Canada as well as in many countries around the globe. It not only negatively affects the lives of the alcoholics themselves but also has an extended and even lifelong effect on the lives of their family members. Alcoholism affects individuals in the workplace, where the alcoholic 's work performance is usually impaired, and in the general economy, where the overall work productivity is shortchanged when all alcoholics are considered. Yet according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), some studies of primary care practices have shown that alcoholics receive an assessment by a medical professional and a referral to treatment only about 10 percent of the time.According to a study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2004, in considering the state averages of the percentages of people with alcohol dependence, the nationwide average statewide percentage for individuals ages 12 years and older for 2002 was 3.5 percent of the population, with the highest nationwide percentage seen among young adults ages 18-25 years, or 7 percent. In considering alcohol dependence on a state-by-state basis, the highest percentage of alcohol dependence was in the District of Columbia (5.20 percent) and the lowest rate in Pennsylvania: 2.79 percent.Genetic IssuesThere is a family history of alcoholism among many alcoholics and this may be due at least in part to a genetic predisposition. Studies of adoptees and their adoptive parents, with no genetic relationship to each other, have indicated that adopted adults (especially males) who have birth parents who are alcoholics have an increased risk for the development of alcoholism themselves.According to a 2002 article in Alcohol Research & Health, studies of adopted individuals showed that males whose birth parents were alcoholics had a 1.6 to 3.6 times greater risk for alcoholism
References: 1) Adamec, Christine, and Laurie C. Miller, M.D.The Encyclopedia of Adoption. 3rd ed. New York: Facts On File,2007.2) Bierut, Laura Jean, M.D. "DefiningAlcohol-Related Phenotypes in Humans: The Collaborative Study on the Genetics ofAlcoholism," Alcohol Research&Health 26, no. 3 (2002):208-213.3) Grilo, Carlos M., Rajita Sinha, and StephanieS. O 'Malley. "Eating Disorders and Alcohol Use Disorders." Alcohol Research&Health 26, no. 2 (2002): 51-160.4) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse andAlcoholism. Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician 's Guide. Rockville,Md.: National Institutes of Health, 2005.5) Petrakis, Ismene L., M.D., et al. "Comorbidityof Alcoholism and Psychiatric Disorders." Alcohol Research&Health 26, no.2 (2002): 81-89.6) Prescott, Carol A. "Sex Differences in theGenetic Risk for Alcoholism." Alcohol Research&Health 26, no. 2 (2002):264-273.7) Wright, D. State Estimates of Substance Usefrom the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Department of Health andHuman Services Publication no. SMA 04-3907, NSDUH Series H-23. Rockville, Md.:Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of AppliedStudies, July 2004.EssayEmpire offers you the best custom essay writing services, along with term paper, thesis paper, and research paper writing help. Our company employs professional essay writers who are fully qualified in a variety of academic fields. If you require a high quality writing service that is capable of writing authentic essays, term papers or research papers because you simply don 't have the time or resources to do them yourself or maybe they seem too complicated and time consuming, you don 't need to look any further. EssayEmpire is the perfect place for all your needs. If you need high quality Essay on Alcoholism Problems, Symptoms, and Treatment at affordable prices please use our essay writing services offered by EssayEmpire |