Alcoholism

For hundreds of years, since the first discovery of alcohol, the disease of alcoholism has consumed many lives and caused harm to many. Alcohol in itself is not an evil thing, rather it is where people misuse it and become physically dependent on it is where there is an issue. Alcoholics believe that they must become numb in order to feel something and have a good time. It is in this misguided belief that has plagued drinkers everywhere and has caused the disease to survive. In this subject, there are a total of four interest groups that each hold stakes in the matter. The first interest group would, obviously, be the alcoholics themselves. Alcoholics always find rationalizations for their excessive consumption of alcohol, when in fact; there can be no justification for becoming intoxicated. Also, not only are there psychological risks to indulging heavily in alcohol, but physical costs as well. Since alcohol is basically a poison, it can ravage ones liver, kidneys, destroy brain cells, and deteriorate their outside appearance by drastically aging them. Therefore alcohol can scar the user on the outside as well on their inside. Recently, one of my uncles had to undergo surgery because his large intestine ruptured, partly to do with his consumption of alcohol. Yet when he was cleared for recovery, he went right back to drinking. The next interest group that shares a stake in this conflict is the families of the alcoholics. Alcohol can put a lot of strain on the family and cause the user to do things that they will later regret. I have seen firsthand the effects of drunkenness can have on an individual. My uncle became intoxicated at my cousin’s reception and nearly got into a fight. This caused him to disrupt the evening and anger my cousin. He was completely oblivious to his actions and didn’t care at all who saw. The next interest group would be the large name breweries. These companies are tapping into the addictions of their consumer’s, taking advantage of them and making money while they do it. Since the alcoholics demand for alcohol is unlimited, the companies know that they can earn huge profits on this. Therefore, when it comes right down to it, it is a moral issue rather than an economic one. The last group in this problem is the law enforcement agency. The men and women of the law, must basically clean up after the breweries by trying to protect the general public from drinking crimes such as DUIs, under-age drinking, child abuse, and so on. Thousands of deaths are caused by DUIs each year, some the alcoholic themselves and sometimes innocent bystanders. Therefore, I understood why my cousin was charged with a DUI and sent to jail. The police were watching out for the general public.
Therefore, between the four groups stated here, there are two sides. The first side is the pro-drinking side which consists of the brewing companies and the alcoholics. The companies want the money and the consumers want the beer. Therefore these groups are content with each other. On the other side are the families and the law enforcement who want nothing more than to have safety and order amongst themselves. The families and law enforcement care for the alcoholics and do not want any harm to come to themselves or anyone else for that matter. Thus, since there are such different views between the two groups, it can be difficult for each side to agree on a matter.