HEALTH AND WELLNESS

In one hospital doctors and nurses reported treating as many as 100 intoxicated children a week during the summer vacation. "More than 70 percent of staff believed that children admitted to hospital for alcohol abuse were getting younger," says the paper. Also, a recent government report shows that alcohol-related deaths in Britain have tripled in 20 years. While heavy drinking may be considered a game to some, it is a very dangerous game! Excessive amount of alcohol deprive the brain of oxygen; vital bodily functions can begin to shut down. Symptoms may include vomiting, unconsciousness, and slow or irregular breathing. In some cases death can result. About a month after graduating from high school, 17-year-old Ese went to an “all-you-can-drink” party. Ese consumed 18 drinks before passing out. Her older sister then came and took Ese home. The next morning, Ese’s mother found her dead. Overdrinking may rarely cause death directly, but it still poses a health threat. “Al...

“My father was an alcoholic, and I followed in his footsteps. At 12 years of age, I was already drinking. By the time I married, I was getting drunk every day. I became violent; often the police came to my family aid, my health deteriorated. Alcohol caused a gastric hemorrhage, which I barely survived. I then developed cirrhosis and anemia. I joined self-help groups in an attempt to quit, but to no avail. Felt as if I were caught in a spiderweb and could not break free”.-Victor                                                               Again and again stories such as this one are told by people ensnared by alcohol. Like Victor, they feel trapped with no way out...