NO ALCOHOL, ABSOLUTELY AND POSITIVELY!
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- Category: Sociology
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Alcohol is a leading cause of traffic accidents and family disintegration in the United States. Of the 17,126 people killed in alcohol-related crashes in 1996, 3,732 involved drivers with blood-alcohol levels of under .10 percent, according to government statistics. A study done recently states that a small amount of alcohol consumption (2-3 glasses?) has some benefits for the heart. However, its evil far exceeds its good. Another medical study suggests that men who drink can cause birth defects to their babies. Is that so? According to a 10-year German study babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome suffer long-lasting brain damage, though many physical deformities diminsh over time. According to a 1988 study by the American Medical Association (AMA), it has been found that 100,000 deaths and $85.8 billion are linked to the abuse of alcohol, with 25 to 40 percent of hospital beds being occupied by people being treated for complications from alcoholism. This cost is more than that for drugs and tobacco put together. The question is are we prepared to pay this enormous cost? Should all of us share this cost equally? Should there be a tax on alcohol so that the health care costs of alcoholism are paid by its drinkers? Many states have raised the drinking age to 21, hoping to reduce fatalities. Should older people be allowed to drink, while forbidding the young adults? What does Stormin' Normin have to say about Desert Storm and alcohol? Does Allah, the God of all mankind, allow us to drink? Let us first talk about the age barriers and alcohol.