Warming-up.

What can you do to become a healthier person?

What is the best thing to do to stay healthy?

What do you think the worst disease to have would be?

Do you consider yourself to be healthy? Why?

How often do you exercise?

What is your diet like? Do you eat mostly fruits and vegetables?

What do you think about the health care system in your country? How could it be improved?

People are living longer and longer thanks to medicine. How long would you like to live? How about forever?

What bad habits can lead to health problems?

Have we got special programs for people who suffer from alcohol abuse?

     Read the following text.  Why is drinking alcohol a global problem? What health problems can it cause? What are the main reasons why people drink?

     Make sure you understand the meaning of the following words and word-combinations:

drinking alcoholic beverages

the consumption of alcohol

social consequences

risk of acute health conditions

traffic accidents

disability- adjusted life years

behavioural disorders

noncommunicable conditions

a pleasurable release of tension

adolescence

to share similar personality characteristics

to explore their own values and beliefs

Alcohol abuse

In many parts of the world, drinking alcoholic beverages is a common feature of social gatherings. Nevertheless, the consumption of alcohol carries a risk of adverse health and social consequences.

In addition to the chronic diseases that may develop in those who drink large amounts of alcohol over a number of years, alcohol use is also associated with an increased risk of acute health conditions, such as injuries, including from traffic accidents.

Some more facts:

• Worldwide, 3.3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol, this represent 5.9 % of all deaths.
• The harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions.
• Overall 5.1 % of the global burden of disease and injury is attributable to alcohol, as measured in disability- adjusted life years (DALYs).
• Alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life. In the age group 20 – 39 years approximately 25 % of the total deaths are alcohol-attributable.
• There is a causal relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioural disorders, other noncommunicable conditions as well as injuries.
• The latest causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis as well as the course of HIV/AIDS.
• Beyond health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol brings significant social and economic losses to individuals and society at large.

Why Do People Drink?

People drink alcohol for many reasons. There are some of them.

1. For the effect. Many people drink alcohol for the effect that alcohol has on the central nervous system. It is both a depressant and a stimulant, and drinking can result in feelings of euphoria, disorientation or a pleasurable release of tension.
2. Out of curiosity. People may drink simply to experiment with alcohol and judge whether or not drinking is for them.
3. As a reaction to the social environment. We’ve all probably experienced some type of peer pressure in our lives. In fact, almost everyone wants to fit in. Many people try alcohol when they are in a social setting where everyone else is drinking in order to feel accepted and part of the environment.
4. Because they see it modeled by others. Environmental factors, such as the influence of parents or older people, play a role in initial alcohol use. For example, parents who drink more and who view drinking favorably may have children who do the same.
5. As part of normal developmental transitions. Adolescents who are in the process of puberty and who experience more independence and freedom may drink alcohol as part of the dramatic physical, emotional and social change of adolescence. In other words, drinking is a part of self-exploration. Likewise, young people in college or university may drink alcohol during this time transition to adulthood in order to explore their own values and beliefs about alcohol.
6. To relieve stress. Some new drinkers may use alcohol as a way to escape or cope with problems. Alcohol may temporarily relieve stress and focus attention elsewhere, but the problems remain well after you stop drinking.
7. As a result of personality characteristics. People who start drinking early often share similar personality characteristics. These characteristics include: (aggressiveness, anxiousness, depressed, difficulty avoiding harm or harmful situations, disruptivity, hyperactivity, rebelliousness, thrill seeker).
8. Because it is culturally normalized. Today alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted through TV, film, radio, ads, and the Internet. This normalization makes alcohol use socially acceptable and normal, especially in countries or places where drinking is a part of life.
9. Because they expect a good experience. People who expect drinking to be a pleasurable experience are more likely to drink than people who do not. So, the expectation that alcohol will be fun and enjoyable may actually cause a person to start drinking.
10. Because it is accessible. Alcohol is pretty easy to get, even for teens. Family and friends are the primary sources of alcohol for kids who drink, whether knowingly or unwillingly.

Questions to discuss:

1. What are the countries where drinking alcoholic beverages is a common feature of social gatherings?
2. Why drinking alcohol has become an essential part of family celebrations and other social events?
3. What is the number of deaths resulting from harmful use of alcohol every year?
4. Is there a relationship between harmful use of alcohol and a range of mental and behavioural disorders?
5. Have any relations been established between harmful drinking and incidence of infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS?
6. Is alcohol widely available and aggressively promoted through TV, film, radio, ads, and the Internet?
7. What are the primary sources of alcohol for kids who drink?
8. Do you think alcohol is a drug?
9. What is alcoholism?
10. What are some of the characteristics of drunk people?
11. Is alcohol addictive? What about tea, coffee, and chocolate?