mind map for the dangers of drug abuse

excessive alcohol consumption

CAUSES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE

Alcoholism is a medical condition. While the exact cause of alcoholism is unknown, research has shown increasing evidence that susceptibility to it may be inherited and the risk of developing this medical condition rises significantly in families with relatives (in particular, parents and siblings) who are dependent on alcohol.

Additional risk factors include having a psychiatric condition such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety disorders. Poverty, social isolation, and shyness may also be risk factors.

In addition, how one's body processes alcohol can affect the risk of developing a dependence on alcohol. Research has shown that people who need comparatively more alcohol to achieve an effect are more likely to become alcohol dependent.
All drugs affect a "reward mechanism" in the brain. If a person feels good each time they use a drug, it tends to make them want to use the drug again. This common feature could explain why people abuse drugs, including alcohol. As with most drugs, though, if you use them regularly, your body tends to require increasing amounts of the substance to achieve the same effect. This is called tolerance, and it may be the final factor that contributes to the development of drug or alcohol dependence.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 

Depending on how much is taken and the physical condition of the individual, alcohol can cause :

• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting 
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Headaches
• Breathing difficulties 
• Distorted vision and hearing 
• Impaired judgment 
• Decreased perception and coordination 
• Unconsciousness 
• Anemia (loss of red blood cells) 
• Coma
• Blackouts (memory lapses, where the drinker cannot remember events that occurred while under the influence)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Binge drinking and continued alcohol use in large amounts are associated with many health problems, including:

• Unintentional injuries such as car crash, falls, burns, drowning 
• Intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence
• Increased on-the-job injuries and loss of productivity 
• Increased family problems, broken relationships 
• Alcohol poisoning 
• High blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related diseases 
• Liver disease 
• Nerve damage 
• Sexual problems 
• Permanent damage to the brain 
• Vitamin B1 deficiency, which can lead to a disorder characterized by amnesia, apathy and disorientation 
• Ulcers 
• Gastritis (inflammation of stomach walls) 
• Malnutrition 
• Cancer of the mouth and throat

THE YOUNGEST VICTIMS 

When consumed by pregnant mothers, alcohol enters the bloodstream, passes through the placenta and enters the fetus (unborn child). Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy, but is most serious in the first few months. There is a risk of alcohol-related birth defects including growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, and damage to the brain and nervous system.

5 social issues (local context)

1) Technology making people more anti-social

With the advancement of technology, phones have now become portable little computers known as smartphones. However, technology might be affecting the way we interact with one another. Nowadays, families can be seen using their smartphones at the dinner table instead of engaging in conversations. Besides that, the new generation of kids hardly ever go out to play. Instead, they spend more time indoors, playing games on consoles/tablet devices/ipads. It has become a new generation now where social media has become almost a necessity in everyone's daily life. Technology indirectly contributes to the usage of these social media. Portable devices provides great accessibility and enables people to use these social media websites on the go. From facebook, twitter to instagram, i'm sure that everyone has at least one of these social media accounts.

2) Sex education in Malaysia is not sufficient

Sex education is a necessity when it comes to teenagers. It is included in the school syllabus through certain subjects such as biology. However, it is not enough to help teens understand and make the right decisions about sex. The sex education provided in schools cover just the basic physical aspects such as menstruation, and the functions of the organs. Students do not receive a detailed explanation on how do the organs work. Furthermore, school-leveled sex education does not encompass psychological aspects such as sexual attraction and affection. It is important for teens to understand what is going on in their bodies and minds to prevent the spread of STDs and to lower the rate of abortion.

3) Discrimination and racism

Discrimination is an action that treats people unfairly because of their membership in a particular social group. Discriminatory behaviours take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection. Racism and people who are against homosexuals are all categorised under discrimination. Racism has many consequences. It can lead to a fight to break out, or even worse if the victim took the offence heavily, death. 

4) Smoking and drugs

.More and more people in Malaysia are picking up the habit of smoking at a very young age. This is very dangerous and also bad for the future of the individual. Smoking is a bad habit that is conquered by teenagers especially boys. Nowadays, this problem has spread like a silent killer to everyone including girls. In this era of globalization, youth resort to smoking as an escapism. The main causes of this problem are depression with their studies as well as with the family. They are stressed by the workload at school and high expectations by parents at home. They do not know how to cope with stress thus resort to the ‘dreamland’ of smoking. These youth are deprived of parental love as parents are too occupied with their jobs. They do not have enough time to spend with their children. Teenagers feel neglected and ignored. In search of their own identity, youth are easily influenced by their peers. They befriend people who smoke as they want to be ‘in the group’. They think that smoking is a symbol of greatness which adds to the long list of being ‘macho’. They do not realize the deadly effects of smoking namely lung cancer, asthma, heart attack and stroke. With all these effects, they certainly do not have any bright future lying ahead of them. And when they get bored of cigarettes and want to try something new, they resort to drugs as the have more 'kick-ass power'. And nowadays, drug addiction is a serious social issue happens in Malaysia especially to the youth. This problem will lead to the serious complex brain system when a person is starting to addict a drug. The first main factor is about the family history of addiction. It is due to the interested to try for once time when look to the siblings or parents that addicted to the drug. Besides that, the persuasion from them and it is very difficult to refuse it. Other than that, the second factor is from the peer influence. If we are befriending to the drug addict one day we also will be a drug addict too. Means to say here is the closest friend can bring heavily influence to the person because we want to do the same thing, we have the same enthusiasm and we can share all the secrets and problems to them. Furthermore, the stress of his life also can lead to this addiction. The easiest way to solve all the problems in his life, he just take the drug. When the problems happen again, he will do the same thing and become a drug addict soon.

5) Excessive drinking alcohol

Using alcohol excessively and frequently can lead to a high risk of injury for a number of different reasons. When under the influence of alcohol, a person is more likely to have a slip and fall accident or a motor vehicle accident. Research also links alcohol to instances of sexual assault, drownings and suicides as well. As the level of drinking increases, the level of safety decreases for an individual. Thus, excessive drinking leaves a person at high risk for sustaining some sort of bodily injury. Drinking alcohol in excess has a profound effect on blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common risks associated with heavy alcohol use. Chronic high blood pressure causes the heart to work much harder than it would normally need to. Hypertension in itself presents a variety of different health risks, including stroke and heart failure. Heavy drinking has also been associated with several different sleep disorders. It has been known to trigger the onset of sleep disorders and to increase the dangers of existing disorders. For example, a person with sleep apnea is at greater risk of having longer episodes during the night and at more frequent intervals. Other problems that can be triggered by prolonged, heavy drinking include increased time needed to fall asleep. Research has proven again and again that drinking alcohol in excess and various different cancers are closely related. Certain cancers, especially breast and liver cancer, are more likely to strike individuals who consume alcohol on a moderate to heavy basis. Other cancers that have been closely related to alcohol use include, colon, stomach and esophagus cancers. If you come from a family with a history of any of these cancers and drink alcohol in excess, your risk of contracting these cancers increases significantly. Excessive drinking for long periods of time has been shown to affect the body's ability to heal itself. Heavy drinkers have a difficult time recovering from illnesses and injuries.  It could be as simple as a sinus infection or a cut on your finger, but excessive drinking can make it harder for your body to heal. In addition, chronic drinking weakens the body's immune system as a whole, making you more susceptible to contracting an illness. Drinking excessively may leave you off your feet for days when the common cold strikes.