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For many people, alcohol is often a part of socializing, celebration and even relaxation. However, it is important to acknowledge and understand the effects of excessive alcohol use on a person’s body and personal life. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, excessive alcohol use can lead to an increased risk of health problems and is the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people in the United States each year.
Alcohol abuse
If heavy drinking is leading to health, work or relationship problems, it has become a form of alcohol abuse. Experts say that alcohol abuse is marked by one or more of the following problems: continuing to drink despite alcohol-related problems; indulging in hazardous  behavior such as drinking and driving; or failing to fulfill work, school or home obligations because of heavy drinking.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national surveys found that over half of the adult U.S. population drank alcohol in the past 30 days. Approximately 5 percent of the total population drank heavily and another 15 percent of the population engaged in binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as drinking in a single occasion more than three drinks for women and four drinks for men. One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. In 2005, there were approximately 75,000 deaths attributed to excessive alcohol use.
In the United States alone, 17.6 million people — about one in every 12 adults — abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. Research has shown that people who begin drinking at an  early age (14 or younger) have at least a five times greater risk of developing alcohol problems at some point in their lives compared to someone who waits until 21 or older to try alcohol.
Impact of overindulging
Excessive alcohol use can result in alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The two disorders can have serious consequences, affecting an individual’s health and personal life, as well as having an impact on society at large. Studies show that problem drinking increases the incidence of domestic violence and job loss, as well as the likelihood of serious conflict with partners, children and friends. The risk of automobile crashes, drownings, on-the-job accidents, homicide and suicide are more prevalent among alcoholics.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism negatively affect the body both immediately and in the long term. Immediate effects of alcohol use include difficulty walking, poor balance, slurring of speech, impairment of peripheral vision  and generally poor coordination (accounting in part for the increased likelihood of injury). The most serious consequence of binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, is potentially fatal.
According to SAMHSA, when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed, the brain is deprived of oxygen, shutting down the voluntary functions that regulate breathing and heart rate.
If a person is known to have consumed large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time, symptoms of alcohol poisoning include vomiting, unconsciousness, cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin and slow or irregular breathing (less than 8 breaths a minute or 10 or more seconds between breaths).
The long-term effects of excessive drinking can be seen in the nervous system and changes to blood cells throughout the body. A decrease in the number of white blood cells, which are important for fighting infections, can result in a weakened immune system. As a result, alcoholics have an increased risk for infections. Heavy drinking can also have a significant impact on the heart including an increase in heart size, weakening of the heart muscle, abnormal heart rhythms, a risk of blood clots forming within the chambers of the heart and a greatly increased risk of stroke.
A self-test
Answering the following four questions using the letters CAGE can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:
• Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?
• Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover, as an “Eye-opener”?
Answering “yes” to one question suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one “yes” means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best course of action.
Treatment and prevention
While the effects of excessive alcohol use are quite serious, recovery is possible. For those who abuse alcohol — drink alcohol in excess but are not addicted to it — often professional counseling and support can solve the problem. For those who are dependent on alcohol, the treatment is more extensive.
The first step of treatment is detoxification and involves helping the person stop drinking and ridding his/her body of the harmful and toxic effects of alcohol. Since the person’s body has become accustomed to alcohol, he/she will need to be supported through withdrawal in a medically monitored, supervised setting. After cessation of drinking has been accomplished, the next steps involve rehabilitation, or helping the patient avoid ever taking another drink. The best programs incorporate family into the therapy, as the family has undoubtedly been severely affected by the patient’s drinking.
In order to prevent alcohol abuse entirely, people must be aware of the risks involved in consuming alcohol. As the first instance of intoxication usually occurs during the teenage years, prevention education must begin at a relatively young age. The people who are most at risk for alcoholism are those who have a family history of alcoholism, consume alcohol early or frequently, tend to drink to drunkenness, experience blackout drinking, allow alcohol use to interfere with school work, or come from a poor family environment or history of domestic violence.
For more information on alcohol awareness, visit the SAMHSA web site at www.samhsa.gov, or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ web site at www.ahealthyme.com/topic/home.
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