Sunday, June 17, 2007 - Comtemplating on: Alcohol and drink driving :

With news reports on drink driving cases, health issues and mishaps which stem out from reckless drivers in stupor states being on the rise, it seems like drink driving has emerged as the latest fad among Singaporeans these days. Have Christopher Lee's sentence to jail not served a warning to those who are on the brink of driving after downing glasses of alcohol at the bar? Drowning oneself with alcohol is one of the popular way to temporarily cast away one's career or domestic troubles. However effective it may be in letting one forget his woes and become a happy person in one night, I believe that it is also detrimental to our mind and body.

Alcohol is a kind of drug which is socially acceptable in Singapore as well as many parts of the world. Business partners consume it over tade agreements and contracts while high-end socialites mingle around with each other, chatting merrily and clink glasses of alcohol. It is also a depressant which can be addicted if consumed over long periods of time. Let us look at the consequences of consuming alcohol.

First and foremost, there are short terms health effects of drinking alcohol. Alcohol causes our brain functions to deteriorate, decreases our nervous tension and reduces self control. Hence, alcoholics may find it difficult to control their behaviours and tempers while interacting with people. In addition, alcoholics would experience slurred speech, blurred vision as well as poor muscular coordination. This is the main reason why drivers become careless under the influence of alcohol and accidents are prone to occur when they drive.

Second, if one consumes alcohol for extensive periods of time, he is likely to develop serious health effects like gastric ulcers or liver problems that would take a heavy toll on his body. For instance, liver cirrhosis, a condition which the liver cells are destroyed and replaced with fibrous tissue and causing the liver to lose its function, could arise. This could even lead to liver failure if medical help is not sought for quickly.

Lastly, alcohol could give a rise to social problems too. When alcoholics are under the influence of alcohol, they tend to violence in family matters , abusing their family members. Stealing would also be prevalent in society as these alcoholics would seeks ways to find money to buy more alcoholic drinks.

As seen from above, there are many complications resulting from consuming alcohol. To avoid these problems, education should instil mindsets in pupils from young that alcohol is damaging to health and we should abstain from it at all costs. Pupils should also be warned about drink driving which could cause others’ life as well as endanger their own. I also think that television commercials about the seriousness and fatal results of drink driving could also be enhanced by giving strict advice to young adults at seminars or assembly talks to pupils in schools. With this, I believe that the trend of consuming alcohol and drink driving could be effectively brought down to a much lower level, ensuring health and safety for everyone.

The future ain't what it used to be. hugged teddy at 11:51 PM