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Many of
us have an uncle, grandfather or other friends
that reached an advanced age despite the fact
that they had drunk excessively. Howere, they are
only few exceptions due to the fact that the
human body is a wonderful complex mechanism with
an outstanding capacity to adjust. That's the
reason why some people can tolerate high amounts
of alcohol better than others without displaying
noticeable symptoms. Nevertheless, excessive
drinking does cause damages.
The border between a normal and an
abusive drinking is not well defined by the
society and, for the majority, this border is
rather based on the risks of health problems
caused by alcohol, not on thier atitude towards
the alcohol.
We
talk about an abusive drinking when people drink:
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in improper circumstances (such as
driving the car, at the office, during physical
activities, when pregnant);
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until they get drunk;
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until they numb a bad mood (when upset);
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long term drinking of high amounts of alcohol (for
males - over 40 grams, for females - over 20
grams pure alcohol/day).
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are 2 different types of abusive
drinkers: -
habitual drinker, which drinks
frequently to feel comfortable; he stands
out due to an advanced stage of
intoxication; they develop serious
medical condition
- intentional
drinker, which drinks
deliberately and usually has difficulties
stopping once he started; he uses alcohol
to cope with personal conflicts, crises,
and inferiority complexes.
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Several studies suggest that an
avarage alcohol amount of 60 grams (pure alcohol)
per day over the years causes hepatic lesions in
men. Also, 20 grams of pure alcohol per day
increases the risk of hepatic disorders in women.
Even a daily dose of 40 grams represents
increases the risk for brain problems.
For a better understanding, I've
posted below an alcoholic beverages chart that
explains the alcohol amount contained by the most
popular alcoholic drinks available on the market.
| Alcoholic
beverages |
Alcohol
contents [percentages] |
Volume
[liters] |
Pure
alcohol
[grams] |
| Beer |
ca.5
% vol |
0,5
l |
20÷25 g |
| Wine |
ca.10
% vol |
0,125
l |
10÷13 g |
| Sparkling
wine |
ca.12
% vol |
0,1
l |
12 g |
| Liquor |
30
% vol |
0,05
l |
15 g |
| White
schnapps |
25
% vol |
0,05
l |
12,5 g |
| Vodka,
Rum |
33
% vol |
0,05
l |
17 g |
| Plums
brandy, Whisky |
45
% vol |
0,05
l |
22,5 g |
According to several studies, the
human body can eliminate 7÷10 grams of pure
alcohol in one hour.
According to the alcohol
legislation (in Romania), the label of each
alcoholic beverage needs to mention the amount of
alcohol contained .
Alcohol
is an ingredient that can be present in small or
high amount (up to 70-80%) in several drugs such
cough syrup, sleeping pills, mouth wash, etc.,
According to the facts presented
above, most of us can take in an excessive amount
of alcohol in certain moments during the
lifespan. This is the reason why, those people
facing the risk of becoming alcohol addicted or
are already addicted do not realise the danger
they face.
As an alarming conclusion, I can say that the
alcohol abuse is rather a rule than an exception.
According to the World
Health Organization, the amount of alcohol
considered inoffensive
for a healthy man is 7g pure alcohol
per day.
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