At-risk Behaviours

Many people believe using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs will add more excitement to life. Unfortunately, these joys are only short lived. Use of these substances not only damages your own health and personality, but it can also damage the wellbeing of the people around you.

> Why Say No to Alcohol?
> Alcohol . . . is it Good for the Heart?
> Prevention of Alcoholism
> Helping an Addict
> Tobacco Truths
> Smoking - Quit Now!

Why Say No to Alcohol?

More than 2 drinks per day:

• Damages the liver
• Damages the heart
• Damages the brain
• Precipitates gout
• Aggravates blood pressure
• Cause serious mental illness

Alcohol impairs mental and physical functions:

• Increases the risks of cancer, strokes and heart attacks
• Damages the unborn child
• Steals self control
• Leads to suicide, crime, abuse and accidents
• Damages and ages the brain
• Decreases sexual functions
• Contributes to obesity
• Leads to poor nutrition
• Causes cirrhosis of the liver 

An alcoholic drink each day can be beneficial to one's health, but only if the person is over 59 or already has signs of heart disease, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. But when the researchers grouped the results by age and medical problems, they discovered that the benefits of a drink or two did not actually appear until age 60, or until a person was already suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure, or was already taking medicine to prevent a stroke or control diabetes.

However, the researchers also found that the benefits of alcohol disappear when consumption averaged more than two drinks per day. They also confirmed earlier studies that said the more a person drank, the greater the risk of liver damage, alcoholism and breast cancer.

Reports such as this occur in the media almost every week. Usually just the first phrase appears. Unfortunately all the research is not popular enough to print. Therefore just the "Wine or Beer is Good for You" type of message is finally printed. If you were to do a survey in your area, most people would say that they have heard the "good news" about alcoholic drinks.

But, in every research paper about the supposed benefits of alcohol there is a warning given by the scientists doing the research. It usually goes something like this ; "Regardless of the results of this research, the researchers do not advocate that those who do not drink should start using alcohol".

• In Australia 56% of women do not drink alcohol at all.
• 34% of men do not drink alcohol.
• One in four of us carry the genes to precipitate us into alcohol dependency if we start drinking.
• More than one drink per day leads to other damaging effects in the liver, the breast, the gut, the heart and the brain.
• Alcohol during pregnancy has an adverse effect on the baby.
• Alcohol consumption is related to increased sexually transmitted disease.
• Alcohol consumption is related to motor vehicle accidents (driver, passenger, pedestrians).
• Alcohol causes 15% of all hospital admissions in Australia.
• Alcohol complicates 10-20% of hospital admissions in Australia.
• Alcohol is associated with 20% of mental health admissions.
• Alcohol problem users affect another four people each.
• Alcohol costs Australia over $6 billion each year out of sales of $10 billion

It is easy to see why. The more people who drink alcohol, the more problems we can expect in the family, in the community, and with health issues.

There is concern in the community that the use of alcohol, though legally restricted to over 18 years, is beginning before the age of 15 years. In the community regular drunkenness in teenage males is about 50% while in teenage females about 33%. 75% of juvenile offenders in this country have a serious drinking problem.

Domestic violence and other crimes of violence are often a result of the loss of control resulting from alcohol use. Relationship breakdowns abound due to the personality and behavioural changes caused by alcohol.

The Bible encourage us to choose to live righteously and "soberly". The Fruits of the Spirit include "temperance" or "self control". Paul and Solomon warn about the dangers of alcohol use. We have enough spiritual reasons not to use alcohol.

How do we handle the latest "good news" about alcohol?

We ought to handle it in a sensible manner, knowing that the active ingredient in red wine is not the alcohol but flavinoids which occur in the grapeskin and in citrus and other fruit as well. 

by Dr Percy Harrold
Adventist Health
Seventh-day Adventist Church, South Pacific Division

Dr Percy Harrold is a graduate from the University of Queensland. He has worked in Hong Kong, Australia and Papua New Guinea. For 4 years Dr Harrold was associated with the alcohol problem as the medical officer of the Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation unit at the Warburton Hospital. He appears on radio and television and in public forums defending the right to a 'dry' choice.