Addiction to Alcohol

It’s often said that those who don’t drink shouldn’t start.  For those that do, they should drink in moderation.  Some may tell you how easy it is to become hooked on booze.  Alcoholism is addictive and may cause lives to end tragically.  TV viewers have witnessed the demise of some celebrities, politicians, rock stars, actors, and actresses to addiction.  Even if someone survives, alcoholism can still lead to impairment of the senses, violence, suicides, and criminal activities.  Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863), a Confederate General during the American Civil War, declared, “I am more afraid of alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy.”  Jackson was convinced that alcohol was deadly to the mind, body and spirit.

Coverage of Alcoholism

The coverage of alcoholism in media spanned a wide range of concerns:

            •  Debates about alcohol advertisements

            •  The presence of a number of liquor advertisements’ billboards in poor neighborhoods

            •  Reports focusing on the positive and negative attributes of life expectancy

            •  Comments on drinking by military servicemen in U.S. clubs

            •  Debates on the legal drinking age

            •  Results on the relative success of self-regulation by the alcohol industry

Bill Gates (b. 1955), a business magnate and philanthropist observed, “I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.”  Mass media is such a tool with that power.  For Christians they continue to believe their bodies are holy temples protected by God.  It’s always the goal of keeping their physical temples pure, clean, and undefiled from alcohol and drugs.  Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), an English writer and lexicographer declared, “Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement.”  This calls for discerning minds to embrace those ads which build up the body of Christ.  It therefore becomes the responsibilities of Christians to select what’s best and uplifting from the advertising world, and persuading others to do the same.          

The Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol has caused numerous problems in the lives of individuals.  Some however were able to have their addiction treated, while others were unable to do so.  Writers have described the impact of alcohol abuse on the American economy.  A brand of liquor was even named after the renowned Indian chief Oglala Sioux but several states banned this drink.

Until it was prohibited, liquor advertisement had become a hot topic on TV.  Driving while drunk became an issue, and in 1998 The New York Times reported the Senate’s resistance to allow the liquor industry, and restaurants to establish a uniform national standard for driving.

There was a time when colleges played down the use of alcohol in the lives of students.  This resulted in a number of alcohol-related deaths on campuses.  To help this situation, first year college students were encouraged to live in alcohol-free housing, participate in booze-free events, and there was a ban on liquor at rush events in fraternities and sororities.  Afterwards several liquor marketers were willing to put statements on bottles attesting to the potential benefits of drinking in moderation that met with the approval of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Tom Scholz (b. 1947), a rock musician and engineer explained, “Higher Power was the result of a personal experience: a friend of mine who went through the process of addiction and recovery.  It’s a very tough thing - very easy to become addicted and very, very hard to become a recovering addict.”  Scholz remarks shone a light on how serious addiction could be, and how difficult it was to beat this depressing habit.