Write a 6 pages paper on alcohol as a social problem. Alcohol is considered the most socially-acceptable recreational drug in the United States, with the average adult, cited as consuming almost 40 ga

Write a 6 pages paper on alcohol as a social problem. Alcohol is considered the most socially-acceptable recreational drug in the United States, with the average adult, cited as consuming almost 40 gallons of alcoholic beverages every year, including beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, and other distilled spirits (Henslin, 2003). Each year, over 750,000 Americans, an overwhelming statistic, seek assistance for the treatment of alcohol abuse, while over 20,000 people continue to die each year from alcoholism (Henslin). These statistics highlight the broad negative consequences of alcohol consumption, however, the question as to why people in America (and across the globe) continue to abuse the drug can be answered by recognizing that alcoholism is a social problem and can be combated by new social policies. There are individuals in society and in the clinical field of research who argue that alcohol is an inherited genetic factor, offering that alcohol consumption cannot be controlled. However, research in the field of sociology highlights that alcohol is not a genetic disease, rather it is argued that alcoholism can be battled by understanding the motivations that drive people to drink heavily.

One noted clinician argues that alcoholism is a biological disease that directly affects the brain, suggesting that the introduction of excess alcohol only occurs in individuals with a genetic inclination toward addiction (Waldo, 2000). Researchers who point toward alcohol as a genetic problem believe that alcohol addiction is caused by uncontrollable, biological processes.&nbsp.

Henslin (2003) reports that 73.2% of high school seniors, today, use alcohol regularly, with many similarly-aged students in college regularly reporting that they have gone on alcohol-drinking binges in recent years.&nbsp. Even more startling, statistics show that by the eighth grade, over 40% of children have used alcohol, despite legislation that prohibits underage drinking (Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA, 2006).