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ALCOHOLISM.   Term Paper ID:24042 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines history in U.S., nature of disease, social & economic costs, temperance movements, compared to other drugs, argues for legal banning of alcohol.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines history in U.S., nature of disease, social & economic costs, temperance movements, compared to other drugs, argues for legal banning of alcohol. Paper Introduction: Alcohol should be illegal because it is just as dangerous as any other drug. Alcoholism follows a characteristic course with known physical, psychological, and social symptoms. Once addicted, the alcoholic continues to consume alcohol despite the destructive consequences. While the particular symptoms and pattern of drinking problems may vary with the individual, the alcoholic can only regain control over his or her life by abstaining from the substance. Alcoholics who persist in their addictions endanger themselves as well as society. Alcoholism is a major problem in the United States and throughout the world. In America alone there are an estimated ten million active alcoholics (Dulfano, 1992, p. 12). It is impossible to estimate the number of non-alcoholics affected by the disease. This number includes the battered spouses and Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Rockville, MD: GPO. Families, alcoholism, & recovery. Economist, p. 88. When Tom runs away from home andfakes his own death, he is also in the company of others: Joe Harper andHuck. .altogether the most august creation these children had ever looked upon"(Twain 33). Pirates search the seas for buried treasure, andthis is what Tom eventually does: "There comes a time in every rightlyconstructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and digfor hidden treasure" (Twain 15 ). Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966.Twain, Mark. Or as writer H.L. 169.) The temperance movement was largely a nonurban, Protestant-led driveto promote, by both persuasion and law, abstinence from alcoholicbeverages. Tom is the anxious to display his heroics to an admiring crowd. Not only weremore communal binges occurring, patterns of solitary binge drinking hadalso emerged. The views of these tworespected writers is representative of America's prevailing attitude towardalcohol use, an attitude that has fluctuated periodically since thenation's birth. 15). In contrast, when Huck escapes from Pap Finn, the boy does not waituntil he can enlist the support of travelling companions; Huck makes anindividual decision and executes it on his own. 88). Cults normally succeed at recruiting members during vulnerableperiods of the individual's life. The father figure that Tom gravitates toward is Judge Thatcher.Although Tom is smitten with the Judge's daughter Becky, the boy alsogreatly admires the Judge, not merely because he is Becky's father but alsobecause he is a great man. Clearly, alcohol has a negative impact on society. Gates, D. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The Women's ChristianTemperance Union and the politically potent Anti-Saloon League, establishedin the late nineteenth century, also favored banning liquor traffic.Despite this intense activity and the passage of many liquor laws, the saleand use of alcohol remained widespread: " . Since Tom feels most comfortable ingroups, a cult might prove an attractive alternative during a period whenhe was most vulnerable: a period of solitude and loneliness. 88.) Drinking is sociallyacceptable, but teenaged drinking patterns differ markedly from those ofadults; an example is the consumption of beer: " . 12). (1992). SanDiego: Greenhaven. Alcoholism is a disease. In Charles Cozicand Karin Swisher (Eds.) Chemical Dependency, pp. News & World Report (1997,April 7): 26-3 .Regan, Robert. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Mississippi Writings, 617-912. 92). Alcoholism follows a characteristic course with knownphysical, psychological, and social symptoms. Despite his habitualuse of drugs such as LSD and cocaine, Leary died at the ripe old age of 75,not because of drug-related complications but because of prostrate cancer,to his dying day relishing the use of drugs deemed illegal by Americanlegislators (Gates, 1996, p. References Dulfano, C. 96-1 . Psychology Today. Public binges also occurred:"Practically any gathering of three or more men, from the Mardi Gras to apublic hanging, provided an occasion for drinking vast quantities ofliquor, until the more prudent staggered home while the remainder quarreledand fought, or passed out" (Rorabaugh, 1979, p. Heroin was considered a "hard"drug, whereas cocaine and marijuana were categorized as "soft" drugs. Once drinking ceases, the onset of an acute withdrawal syndromeoccurs. This reveals Tom's desire to achieve similar glory andpublic acclaim: "Tom burns to achieve the acceptance, the admiration, andthe place of importance which are subsumed under the term success" (Regan117). Granted, it is possible to abuse alcohol for a short or containedperiod of time without developing alcoholism. Surprisingly, this is not the case.A survey of cocaine users concluded that despite its widespreadavailability and declining price, relatively few people who use the drugbecome addicted: "The survey found that 21 million Americans had usedcocaine, 8 million had used it in the last year, and 3 million were currentusers, but only 3 , used cocaine daily or nearly so" (Peele, 1991, p.4 ). The vernacular of cult groups includesterms like ghosts, witches, and fairies. . 22). Britain's blurry vision: attitudesto drink and drugs are confused. Olinger, D. 17 ). Odyssey of a psychonaut. Once analcoholic stops drinking he or she is said to be "recovering," not "cured"of the disease. FitzGerald, K. . In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, when Tom musesabout running away from home, he considers a variety of occupations, buteventually settles on becoming a pirate: "He would become a pirate! . 38-44.San Diego: Greenhaven. Theincidence of alcohol abuse among youth who have already dropped out ofschool is estimated to be much higher. Involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a self-helpgroup is considered essential for the recovering alcoholic. During the 197 s, the federal government focused its drugenforcement policy on heroin addiction. Tom's life isgroup-oriented, Huck is an individualistic character. It is highly addictive, and users require asteady supply. Tom has low self-esteem while Huck is comfortable with his self-identity. Crack cocaine, also known as "rock," first appeared inthe United States during the mid-198 s. NEA Today, p. Tom is not content with having hisown personal fantasies, he must impose them on the group as well. LSD has been used experimentally in the study of mentalillness and has also been used to treat various psychiatric conditions andalcoholism. In Sunday School, when Tom is asked to name the first twodisciples he blurts out, "David and Goliath!" The story of David andGoliath is one in which a shepherd boy attains glory by defeating aterrorizing giant. InCharles Cozic and Karin Swisher (Eds.) Chemical Dependency, pp. Tom is seeking allthese things. A combinationof biological, psychological, and cultural factors contribute to thedevelopment of alcholism in any individual. Despite the public's softened stance on alcohol, reflected by therepeal of national prohibition in 1933, American society maintained itsantidrug sentiments until 1965, when a revolution in hallucinogenic drugsoccurred. Because alcoholism is classified asa disease, however, it does not carry the same social stigma that drugabuse does. Personal choice causes cocaine addiction. New York: Library of America, 1982.----------------------- 6 Tom's life is rooted in fantasy while Huck is well-grounded inreality. It is a chronicdisorder that typically takes ten to fifteen years to develop. These opponents mounted acampaign to annul the law, and were successful in 1933, when the 21stAmendment was ratified. News & World Report(1997, April 7): 31-34.Hedges, Stephen. Psychology Today, p. " (Rorabaugh,1979, p. Even after Huck proteststo Tom that his exotic caravan is merely a Sunday school picnic, Tompersists in his wild imaginings: "He said there was hundreds of soldiersthere, and elephants and treasure, and so on, but we had enemies which hecalled magicians, and they had turned the whole thing into an infant Sundayschool, just out of spite" (Twain 637). By the 182 s, alcoholic binge drinking had increased dramatically,although fewer Americans indulged in daily, small doses. "The Eternal Quest for a New Age." U.S. San Diego:Greenhaven. 22. Drinking threatens America's youth. 22). Although many teens start drinking because they are rebellious,others are lured by the portrayal of alcohol as absolutely normal by themedia, especially the entertainment industry. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Mississippi Writings, 1- 216. Unlike most adults, kids drink to get drunk" (Heyman, 1996,p. Economist. Alcoholism is a major problem in the United States and throughout theworld. . Historically, Americans have observed cyclical patterns of abstinenceand drinking. . Given the rightcircumstances, Tom would have been attracted to a charismatic leader likeApplewhite or Jones based on the boy's search for a substitute father. 15). Religious cults offer fertile ground for those with vividimaginations, like Tom Sawyer's. . Andlike all inherited traits, it manifests itself where it will, among richand poor, without respect of person, without the volition of parents orchildren . While fantasizing is common for boys Tom's age, Tom often carries hisfantasies to an extreme. . . Works CitedGoode, Erica. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn represent personalityextremes. Consequently, crack cocaine has been implicated in risingcrime rates and an increase in underground drug-dealing activity. Alcoholism is a disease with no reliable cure. Thefollowing quote about drinking is attributed to writer William Faulkner, "Aman shouldn't fool with booze until he's fifty; then he's a damn fool if hedoesn't" (Psychology Today, 1996, p. kids who drink beerdon't drink it to quench their thirst or to feel good - they drink it toget smashed. "WWW.Mass Suicide.Com." U.S. Most campaigns against substance abuse fail to put alcohol in itsproper place. Known as the Noble Experiment, national prohibitionwas partially motivated by the fact that with the onset of World War I,America found itself in need of preserving grain. During the colonial period, however, two patterns ofdrinking coexisted: the daily intake of small amounts in family settingsand communal binges during special occasions. . U.S. (1996, June 1 ). In contrast to Tom, Huck is the reluctant hero; his primary goal isto maintain his freedom. Law-abiding opponents of Prohibition claimed thatnot only was its enforcement ineffective, it also represented anunnecessary restriction on personal choice. . 118-122. Peele, S. New York: Oxford University Press. America's focus on drugs intensified as a result of the introductionof crack cocaine. Thus Tom's overactive imaginationwould make him gullible to the supernatural rhetoric of cults whereasHuck's emphasis on the world of reality would not. (1991). A greatnumber of the hallucinations have a persecution theme, the belief that thealcoholic is being chased by demons or other entities with evil intent. Drug use per capita reached its peak in the UnitedStates during this period (DHHS, 1991, p. Applewhite and Jones convinced their followers that theyhad powers of prophecy. Federalagencies benefit from their high profile efforts to eradicate crack cocaineuse whereas focusing on alcohol as a potentially harmful substance leads tocomplaints of invasion of personal liberties by the average American. (1991). . Tom would likely feel secure in the group orientation of a religiouscult. Newsweek, p.92. In 1917, Congress passed the 18th Amendment to theConstitution which outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation ofalcoholic beverages. LSD use was advocated by Timothy Leary, a prominent Harvardpsychologist who became a 196 s counterculture icon. In general, alcohol is not one of the drugs that people havebeen taught to fear. The AA twelve-step program combined with strict abstention from all alcohol has beenfound to be the best way to end addiction. Widespread abuse of cocaineand other drugs led to restrictions of their use by the beginning of the2 th century. 122).Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death in America. The Prohibition law,which was enforced sporadically at best, met with widespread opposition.Gangster elements kept the alcohol flowing by means of bootlegging, illegalsaloons and smuggling. 15 ). The syndrome, known as delirium tremens, includes agitation,tremors, hallucinations, and possibly seizures: "Delirium tremens does notappear in all societies; social scientists have found that it is associatedwith particular cultural patterns" (Rorabaugh, 1979, p. Characteristically, Tom does not embark on his treasure hunt alone.He enlists the aid of friends Joe Harper, Ben Rogers, and Huck. Tom is clearly in awe of the Judge: " . Tom craves recognition, which is apparent in many incidents in TomSawyer. Alcoholics who persist in their addictionsendanger themselves as well as society. When Judge Thatcher is first introduced in theSunday School episode, the townspeople fall over themselves trying to showoff in front of him. (1979). Around 5 people a year die fromusing or abusing drugs" (Economist, 1996, p. Tom's personality makes him a prime target as a recruit for religiouscults; Huck demonstrates the ability to resist. For instance, although liquor ads are not permitted ontelevision, they proliferate in magazines, newspapers, and billboards. The long and windingroad to recovery and renewal. (1996, September/October). LSDstimulates the sympathetic nervous system; its action is complex and as yetnot fully known. " (FitzGerald, 1991, p. The Prohibitionparty, formed in 1869, ran presidential candidates. Thatwas it! Although there is noconclusive indication of how the alcoholism of family members isassociated, studies show that the majority of all alcoholics have had aclose relative who is an alcoholic. 3). The AmericanTemperance Society, both founded in 1826, began gathering pledges ofabstinence. 96). 169). For example, some people maydrink abusively during a personal crisis and then resume normal drinking.Also, young people tend to drink more heavily than the older population. Cult recruiters exploit these feelingsby welcoming the new member into the fold and indoctrinating the memberwith group goals and activities. While alcohol causes physical dependence, drugs like LSD do not. the antiliquor reformersonly succeeded in discouraging daily dram drinking and communal binges"(Rorabaugh, 1979, p. Once addicted, the alcoholiccontinues to consume alcohol despite the destructive consequences. Despite the fact that bothboys are orphans, Tom is in search of a father figure, a trait that cultleaders often exploit: "[Cults] exploit universal needs: the craving tobelong, the desire for orderliness and certainty, the wish to connect tosomething larger than oneself, the secret hope of finding an all-caringparent who offers protection and comfort" (Goode 34). before Tom can receive thelove of the kindly father-figure he must prove himself worthy of it, andthat is the business of the book" (Regan 115). The next major abstinence movement in America was known asProhibition. Crack is a crystalline form offreebase, powdered cocaine. When Tom is introduced to the Judge, the boy is tongue-tied.Although Tom's first meeting with the Judge ends in catastrophe when theboy is unable to correctly name the disciples, Tom eventually wins theJudge's approval by his heroic deeds: " . (1996, November 9). Crackcocaine: A challenge for prevention. Whilethe particular symptoms and pattern of drinking problems may vary with theindividual, the alcoholic can only regain control over his or her life byabstaining from the substance. Drinking among teenagers, however, has reached crisis proportions.In a 1995 survey, 3.5 percent of high school seniors said they used alcoholevery day, with 1 to 2 percent drunk every day (Heyman, 1996, p. The alcoholic republic: An Americantradition. (1991). Not only is alcohol a drug, alcoholism is a disease. Driven to drink. Now his future lay plain before him, and glowing with unimaginablesplendor" (Twain 6 ). Consequently, numerous filmand music celebrities drink, often to excess, with some becomingalcoholics, like Melanie Griffith or Bonnie Raitt. In CharlesCozic and Karin Swisher (Eds.) Chemical Dependency, pp. Alcohol should be illegal because it is just as dangerous as anyother drug. During the late 19th century, drugs such as cocaine, morphine,and heroin were unregulated and readily available to the public in the formof patent medicines. A study in Great Britain revealed that the economiccosts of medical bills, road accident damage, law enforcement expenses,unemployment and premature death related to alcohol amounts to an estimated2.4 billion pounds per year (Economist, 1996, p. Tom craves recognition, Huck seeks anonymity. This number includes thebattered spouses and children of alcoholics, the victims of drunk driving,and the employers whose alcoholic employees perform their work tasks withdiminished capacity. These cult leaders demand undying devotion fromtheir followers. In the UnitedStates, alcohol abuse has become the number one killer of teenagers, manyof whom are killed by their own peers: "Nationally, six drunken teendrivers will kill somebody on a typical day" (Olinger, 1991, p. 15. Family members, includingchildren, often took small doses of distilled spirits (drams) at mealtime,during breaks, and as nightcaps. Heyman, R. With the immigration of ethnic groups whose culture acceptedthe use of these beverages, the growth of cities, and the concentration ofindustrial workers in them, reformers became increasingly aware of andconcerned about excesses in the consumption of alcohol. In the United States, the use of powderedcocaine reached its peak in 1985. . A person is at his or her mostvulnerable when self-esteem is low. (1996, April). In contrast, Huck is not searching for a father figure; heis more independent in thought and action. Social and cultural factors are assumed to play a role inestablishing drinking patterns in alcoholism. Given the wide-ranging ramifications of alcoholism, societywould benefit from reexamining the legal status of this substance. As musician EricClapton states, "The idea of one drink for me is fascinating and fantastic,but it is also an impossibility because one is too many and a thousandisn't enough" (Psychology Today, 1996, p. As Applewhite claimed, "I can be your shepherd.You can follow us, but you cannot stay here and follow us" (Hedges 3 ).After convincing their followers of their supernatural powers, cult leadersare then empowered to lead them into situations of isolation where theirindoctrination is unhindered by outside influence. In the 184 s the Washington Temperance Societies conductedrevival-style meetings to encourage similar pledges. It is impossible to estimate the numberof non-alcoholics affected by the disease. The coexistent ofthese two patterns of drinking continued until about the 182 s. While the public easily associates heroin, cocaine,or LSD with circumstances leading to death, relatively few people realizethat alcohol is the more efficient killer: "There are between 4, and4 , deaths a year in Britain from alcohol, depending on whether youcount only those diseases directly attributable to alcohol, or those inwhich alcohol was a contributory factor. New York: Library of America, 1982.Twain, Mark. Huckagrees to the venture, but mostly as a source of entertainment because hehas an abundance of time on his hands. Huck prefers to be a spectator to events until heis forced to intervene because he cares about the welfare of othersinvolved: "In his decision to help Jim, in his efforts to protect theWilks girls from the swindles of the King and the Duke, and in such smallerdetails as his reluctance to abandon three cut-throats on a sinking boat,Huck demonstrates that heroism is possible without heroics" (Regan 159). At the story's end, JudgeThatcher virtually adopts Tom. Glorious father figures like Marshall Applewhite and Jim Jones arecharacteristic of cults. Controversy caused by the potential destructiveness ofsolitary binge drinking gave rise to the temperance movement in America:"It was the changing patterns of drinking rather than the increasedconsumption of alcohol that alarmed so many Americans . Rorabaugh, W.J. In comparing alcoholism with drug abuse, the public generally assumesthat drugs are more highly addictive. Americans gradually became more interested in drug abuse than inalcoholism. Given the wide divergence ofalcoholism rates from culture to culture, this is certainly plausible.Part of the lack of attention paid to the problem of alcoholism in theUnited States is the cavalier attitude that the media fosters toward thesubject. The sequence where Tom convinces Huck and their friends to ambush analleged caravan of Spanish merchants and rich Arabs is evidence that Tom'sfantasizing has exceeded the bounds of normality. Drugabuse experts' permissive attitude toward marijuana and cocaine usecontinued until the 198 s. For these reasons,Tom's personality would make him a prime target for recruitment byreligious cults such as the Heaven's Gate or Jim Jones sects. Some researchers therefore suggestthat certain alcoholics have an inherited physical predisposition toalcohol addiction: "We know that it is transmitted genetically . It is an enormouspublic health problem and has the potential to shatter the lives ofindividuals who succumb to alcoholism. Tom's active fantasy life and group orientation are apparent not onlyin The Adventures of Tom Sawyer but also in The Adventures of HuckleberryFinn. Sosevere are the withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism that some individualsprefer continued alcohol use, at the risk of certain death, rather thanwithdraw. 88). (1991). . Unpromising Heroes: Mark Twain and His Characters. Mencken notes,"I've made it a rule never to drink by daylight and never to refuse a drinkafter dark" (Psychology Today, 1996, p. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. In America alone there are an estimated ten million activealcoholics (Dulfano, 1992, p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.