I believe that alcoholism dependency is more of an individual problem rather than a societal issue, but in due course the individual dependency can become a menace to the society. Alcoholism, like any other abuse not only ruins an individual but it also creates havoc in a family and breaks relationships. Substance addiction such as that of Alcohol is an obstinate, uncontrollable dependency on the actions even after knowing the harmful results of the substance. According to me people start drinking to reduce the pain of the loss of their loved ones, and the children of the families that have a history of drinking are easily prone to take up alcohol at a very young age.
Some factors that develop Alcoholism can be linked to heredity, or the environment in which an individual grows up. I think few people start drinking to give company to their friends or due to educational pressure. Many students start to drink in their high-school violating the rule of the permitted age to drink. The effects of underage drinking can be violence, unprotected sex, suicidal tendencies to name a few. The society does not respect alcoholics who create problems as they are considered to be aggressive when drunk.
I strongly believe that developing will power against any kind of substance or drug abuse is the one of the best ways to prevent alcoholism. The other preventive measures are to be educated on the biological and psychological effects of substance use. Learning to say “No” when someone offers a drink can be a good preventive measure.
Response to Student 1:
An environment such as a drinking home versus a non-drinking home influences an individual’s perception on alcohol. It is well said that a person is known by the company he keeps, and I agree that if friends are against drinking then you would become a slave of the substance. As a decision maker we are responsible for what we do with our life, and the environment we live in cannot be blamed always for our behavior. I completely agree that education plays a vital role in molding the children from a young age on the negatives of using alcohol, or any other substance abuse.
