Introduction
A psychoactive substance can be understood as something that affects the mental processes of an individual when administered into his or her system. The equivalent of a psychoactive substance is a psychotic drug, which might be either licit or illicit. This type of substance is of particular interest to drug policies. Even though the substances that fit this classification affect the mental processes of an individual, for example, a person’s cognition, their implications do not necessarily produce dependence. There are different classes and types of psychoactive substances. The most common are tobacco and alcohol. Conversely, a minority of the population in the society use illicit psychoactive drugs, which can cause severe implications for their health and wellness. In the light of the need to assess the impact of psychoactive substances to society, it will be essential to look at the effect of alcohol and its effects on the society.
Alcohol is a psychoactive substance consumed by a considerable number of people. The social environment is one of the factors that might influence an individual to use alcohol. For instance, Gorgulu, Cakir, Sonmez, Kose Cinar, and Vardar (2016) posit that the cultural aspect of a particular social environment can affect an individual’s use of alcohol. Apart from the cultural provisions, adolescents and the youth could be considered as individuals living in their novelty seeking years, which is one of the aspects that might induce them to consume alcohol. The emotional instability that adolescents might be experiencing due to biological changes, as well as personal conflicts, can make them unstable, leading some of them to consume alcohol. Even though alcohol might not be an illegal psychoactive substance, its overconsumption affects the individual consumer and the society as well.
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Elements that Influence the Frequency of Alcohol Consumption
As indicated earlier, different social and cultural practices promote or inhibit the consumption of alcohol, which is one of the psychoactive substances that are readily available in the society. According to Gorgulu et al . (2016), the socio-economic status of an individual is one of the factors that influence the frequency of psychoactive substance use and abuse. For instance, individuals with low socioeconomic levels are more likely to use and abuse alcohol compared to those with high socioeconomic statuses. In this case, the people with low socioeconomic statuses are likely to experience intensive unemployment rates, they presumably live in societies with harsh living conditions, and the financial strain they might be undergoing can enhance their depressive states, consequently leading to familial conflict.
In addition to the socioeconomic statuses of individuals, the education levels of one’s family could be regarded as a factor that leads to the use of psychoactive substances, particularly during the adolescent years. Even though some researchers identify that psychoactive substance use and abuse is significant in low socioeconomic societies, other studies indicate that the use and abuse might be an influence of the availability of the substances (Gorgulu et al ., 2016). For instance, a significant number of people use alcohol and tobacco simply because they are easily available, which is one of the reasons that could be used when indicating that they are the most common psychoactive substances used by individuals in all societies. Conversely, alcohol is a legal substance that is marketed aggressively by the consumers, most of which target young consumers.
As mentioned earlier, a psychoactive substance cannot necessarily produce dependence. This is also applicable to alcohol. In some case, individuals consume alcohol or alcoholic products to relieve anxiety or relieve their depressive state. Others drink alcohol to feel more relaxed or to reduce stress. Regardless of the reason for using the psychoactive substance, the prolonged and frequent use of alcohol can pose risks that are inclusive of binging as well as craving. These risks might encourage excessive consumption of the substance, consequently leading to addiction or dependency. Morgan et al . (2013), categorizes alcohol as a substance that has medium benefits to the consumer but has great harms when consumed excessively and on many occasions. The researchers indicate that alcohol is of medium benefit primarily because it enhances the sociability of an individual. Regardless of the benefits that might be derived from the consumption of alcohol, Morgan et al . (2013) provide that was ranked as the fifth psychoactive substance in terms of the harms that it produces. In particular, the substance assumes this position based on the risks of overconsumption to the society and the risks of bingeing.
The Impact of Alcohol on the Society
In the contemporary society, the development includes the idea that different estimations point toward the contribution of alcohol use to the global burden of diseases. The strains that the consumption and overconsumption of alcohol impose on the society could be identified through the assessment of the premature alcohol-related deaths witness in different parts of the world. Conversely, the evaluation could be made by looking into the disabilities people get through unregulated alcohol consumption. The assessment could point towards the idea that alcohol constitutes the psychoactive substances that are primary causes of mortality as well as disability in different parts of the world, particularly in the developing societies (Gorgulu et al ., 2016). These societies experience wide-ranging difficulties that are inclusive of using a significant portion of their resources to take care of individuals that might have been affected by the overconsumption of alcohol.
Morgan et al . (2013) look into the 2011 statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) to indicate that alcohol-related deaths around the globe total to approximately 2.5 million annually. The society has to take care of the costs associated with the consumption and overconsumption of alcohol. These costs are not only financial, but they are also an accumulation of crime-related, health, and the social spending. The study by Morgan et al . (2013) reveals that the identified costs total up to approximately £20 billion annually in the United Kingdom and roughly $200 billion in the United States. These cost estimates could be used to argue that the costs attached to taking care of different issues that are derived from the consumption of alcohol are significant, thereby calling for the need to implement measures that would alleviate the situation.
Even though the harms associated with the overconsumption of alcohol might not be sufficient to influence policy decisions, it is the value of using scientific research to inform policy-makers of the associated harms is vital. The reason for providing such information to the policymakers relate to the idea that they can set up provisions that could be used to prevent the associated societal harms. Some of the harms are inclusive of damaged family relationships, property damages, policing costs that might be incurred, and healthcare costs, among others (Morgan et al ., 2013). The family members that are exposed to first-degree drinking of a relative that might be having an alcohol problem are at risk. The risk can also extend to the children of the particular user. For instance, children whose parents are addicted to alcohol are likely to show higher risk of the overconsumption of this psychoactive substance than those whose parents do not drink. The considered implications are not only tied to prolonged drinking episodes. Instead, even a single episode of the overconsumption of alcohol can produce negative outcomes to an individual or the society as a whole.
At the macro-level, it is possible to identify an existing variation of the burden of diseases across different societies. Two factors can cause the difference. On the one hand, the impact of the overconsumption of alcohol in a particular society depends on the amount consumed by the entire society, which could be used as an indicator of the per capita consumption of the region. The per capita consumption of a specific country is influenced by the percentage of individuals that drink and those that do not consume alcohol. On the other hand, the way people consume alcohol in a given country determines the region’s disease burdens. For instance, the cultural practices in some societies allow individuals to consume moderate amounts of alcohol during meals. Individuals following such a cultural practice are likely to drink heavily when they are not eating. For this reason, the volumes of alcohol taken by people in a given society can be a factor that could be used to determine the risks of contracting chronic alcohol-related illnesses, which might be costly (Klingemann, 2001).
According to Klingemann (2001), the consumption of alcohol could also induce psychomotor impairments, which might have significant consequences apart from the associated health implications. These impairments are inclusive of those following the aspect of cognition. In accidents, the different types of impairments come about. Apart from the risks attached to motor vehicle accidents, women, particularly young women, can encounter risks when drinking within a group. Some societies might not approve of the idea that a woman should drink alcohol. In such societies, a woman that is drinking might be a signal that she is not morally upright, consequently making her unapproachable. However, in other societies, men might consider an intoxicated woman as one that is sexually available. The man might go ahead and rape the woman, which could be viewed as acquaintance rape. Based on such a situation, it would be possible to argue that a significant portion of unwanted sexual advances could be mediated by alcohol, consequently affecting the victim psychologically or, in some cases, physically.
People generally believe that socially disruptive behavior is connected to drinking alcohol. The belief influences people's attitudes concerning the manner in which they could handle such behavior. Individuals in a particular society might judge a person engaging in high-risk activities less critically compared to an individual that engages in the same activity when sober. For instance, in some societies, an intoxicated husband might assault his wife, after which the members of the particular society might not criticize his actions following the reasoning that the husband was drunk. Such judgment will depend on the structure of the family structure or the cultural provisions of the particular community. However, some cultures have incorporated special legislative provisions for alcohol intoxication. For example, the western culture does not condone special provisions for intoxication. However, in practice, an individual on trial for homicide can be sentenced to manslaughter and not murder if the person committed the offense while intoxicated (Klingemann, 2001). The implication of the diversion for alcohol abuse could also result to lesser crimes when alcohol is involved.
As mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the culture of a particular society could be considered as one of the fundamental elements that influence and encourage drinking habits. For instance, the WHO report by Klingemann (2001) indicates that societies with western cultures consider alcohol drinking as a threat to the order and the safety of the society. In this regard, the individuals living in such societies consider the consumption of alcohol as one of the elements that encourage deviant behavior, social disruption, and disorderly conduct. This kind of behavior is widely recognized in such societies as part of the responsibility of the criminal justice system, the health authorities, employers, as well as the communal authorities (Klingemann, 2001). Since the entities identified might be overwhelmed with the idea of mitigating the adverse effects that might be caused by excessive drinking, it is essential to put in place measures that can assist in controlling the consumption and overconsumption of alcohol since it is a readily available psychoactive substance.
Other social consequences related to the consumption of alcohol include its role in the crime. According to Klingemann (2001), crimes of violence are mainly influenced by alcohol consumption, which is an indication that alcohol plays a primary role in the execution of criminal activities. Statistics from the WHO provide international comparisons on assault and homicide rates that involve alcohol. The statistics provide that the assault and homicide rates involving alcohol range between 35% in Canada and 85% in Sweden (Klingemann, 2001). Apart from the assaults and homicides that occur because of the consumption of alcohol, it can damage the working relations of employees, consequently damaging the career opportunities of the consumer.
A considerable number of workplace issues, which include forms of harassment such as sexual harassment can be attached to alcohol use. In addition to the detrimental effects of alcohol in the workplace, the social climate related to public drunkenness might increase arrest rates. Such a situation would be indicative of the idea that using informal social control is one of the most suitable ways through which authorities can influence behavior rather than using legislation. Even though both of the identified forms of control are essential, the most effective form of control would be using acceptable public order provisions since it is likely to influence the possibility of reaching suitable societal control (Klingemann, 2001).
Conclusion
Alcohol is considered as one of the most common psychoactive substances. Even though alcohol is a legal psychoactive substance, its use has several impacts on the lives of the consumers as well as the society. In this regard, the consumption of alcohol can have adverse social as well as economic effects to a drinker as an individual, his or her immediate environment, as well as the entire society. The impact of the consumption of alcohol on an individual could be related to incidences such as traffic accidents or work accidents that involve the operation of machinery. Conversely, the overconsumption of alcoholic drinks is likely to affect the health of the individual. The health of the consumer could be affected in the sense that he or she might be prone to getting chronic diseases related to the consumption of alcohol. In spite of these conditions, several elements can influence a person to consume alcohol. The most notable influences are inclusive of the social environment of the individual as well as their socioeconomic status. Concerning the socioeconomic impacts, it has been determined that individual with low socioeconomic statuses are more likely to use and abuse alcohol.
The societal costs that emanate from the consumption of alcohol are varied. In this case, the society is responsible for taking care of some of the costs associated with drinking alcohol, which go beyond the financial costs. These costs are characterized by an accumulation of crime-related, healthcare, and social expenditures. These provisions are indicative of the idea that alcohol use is related to a variety of social, physical, as well as mental harms. However, the two primary dimensions of alcohol consumption that should be looked into when relating the action to the consequences include the alcohol volumes taken and the drinking patterns associated with a particular community. On the other hand, the assessment requires the observation of mediating mechanisms that would enhance the adverse effects of alcohol consumption. These provisions can assist in coming up with the most appropriate way to control the use of alcohol, consequently leading to the prevention of possible negative implications for the society.
References
Gorgulu, Y., Cakir, D., Sonmez, M., Kose Cinar, R., & Vardar, M. (2016). Alcohol and Psychoactive Substance Use among University Students in Edirne and Related Parameters. Noro Psikiyatri Arsivi , 53(2), 163-168. doi: 10.5152/npa.2015.9907
Klingemann, H. (2001). Alcohol and its social consequences – the forgotten dimension . World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved from http://www.unicri.it/min.san.bollettino/dati/E76235.pdf
Morgan, C., Noronha, L., Muetzelfeldt, M., Feilding, A., & Curran, H. (2013). Harms and benefits associated with psychoactive drugs: findings of an international survey of active drug users. Journal Of Psychopharmacology , 27(6), 497-506. doi: 10.1177/0269881113477744
