Australians, like many other people, are big alcohol users, and alcohol is the addictive substance most abused in Australia. The reading in Quest says that tobacco is the most used drug of addiction, and that was probably once true in Australia, but over the last twenty years or so, the number of smokers has decreased dramatically, so alcohol is now the most popular drug and the most abused in Australia. As in many other countries, alcohol is also the drug that causes the most damage to individuals and to society. It seems odd that this one should be legal when other, less harmful drugs, are illegal, but again, that is the same in many countries. There seems to be very little reason and zero critical thinking behind most nations' drug laws.
Some effects of alcohol on Australian society are: deaths, directly from alcohol caused illnesses and over doses, and also from alcohol related car accidents and other accidents; violence, in which alcohol is commonly a factor, especially domestic violence against women and children by drunken fathers and husbands; lost productivity due to absences caused by drinking, and alcohol related accidents at work; and so on. These were the ones that I thought of as I was writing, but there are more.
Of course, like most drugs that people get addicted to, alcohol also has some benefits. After all, people don't use it because they want problems! Alcohol helps people relax, a glass of wine makes a great meal even better, a drink or two helps people to socialise, it even has some health benefits, and the very long history of alcohol in almost every culture (every?) suggests that it is natural for human beings to use it along with the other drugs that have been popular for thousands of years.
Although I personally never drink, and don't much like being around drunk people, I don't think it would be a good idea to make alcohol illegal, and I'm glad my government has not made that mistake.
Saturday 23 August 2008
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Actually I don't know well that how serious social problem with alcohol but I thought it is good law which is allowed to sell alcohol designated shop. In Korea, we can buy alcohol every supermarket and we used to buy it even young childern a few years ago. I'm not sure that how effective the law of Australia but I hope it will be effect to decline alcohol purchase.
ReplyDeleteI have a question, Peter. In your article, you classified tobacco and alcohol as drug. "tobacco is the most used drug of addiction",
ReplyDelete"alcohol is now the most popular drug" I knew that these are addictive substance but I didn't know that these are drug. I'm sorry but can you define the drug?
To answer j's question, a drug is any substance which has a strong physiological or psychoactive effect on the user. Many, but not all, drugs are addictive. Doctors use drugs because of their effects, both physiological and psychoactive, and some drugs used in medicine are also addictive, but again, not all. I'm sure Paully knows far more about the drugs used in medicine than I do.
ReplyDeleteAlchohol and tobacco, as well as having very strong physiological and psychoactive effects are also both highly addictive. Alcohol especially leads to both tolerance and physical dependence, and withdrawal from alcohol is more dangerous than heroin withdrawal.
And of course, now I'm wondering what J thinks, or thought, the word drug means.
"a substance with narcotic or stimulant effects" That's the meaning of drug which is from Oxford dictionary. According to this definition, alcohol and tobacco are drug, because stimulant include them. However, I wonder again wether coffee and tea are drug because stimulant also include them.
ReplyDeleteI think both tea and coffee contain drugs, as J's quoted definition suggests. (Paully can perhaps give more specific details about the chemically active substances.)
ReplyDeletein the cae of coffee, I think it is definitely a drug, and also an addictive substance. I drink two large cups of strong, freshly brewed coffee a day, one before work, and one in the mid-afternoon. If I skip one of these, I suffer withdrawal symptoms: a headache, and lack of concentration. And the effects of coffee on my body and brain are strong enough that I generally avoid it after about 5:00 PM because it will disrupt my sleep.
But like many drugs and addictive substances, coffee also has some reported benefits, and it is certainly enjoyable. I like my two daily coffees, and I like sharing a coffee with friends. I hope it doesn't get banned because it is addictive.
I also enjoy tea, but I don't drink it so regularly that I've noticed any obvious signs of addiction. Anyone else?
As usual, J has raised a very interesting question to think about.