08-12-2011, 12:08 PM
http://alcoholthenarcotic.org/
The American Medical Association, as does most of the scientific community, considers beverage alcohol (known as ethanol) to be a drug.
It is usually classified as a central nervous system depressant although some of its initial effects on drinkers are to provide some stimulating effects. However, as blood alcohol levels increase in the body, the depressant effects become dominant.
Other depressant drugs include barbiturates and opiates (e.g., heroin).
Here is one of our policies which directly addresses your questions.
H-30.972 Alcohol Abuse and the War on Drugs.
Our AMA (1) supports documenting the strong correlation between alcohol abuse and other substance abuse; (2) reaffirms the concept that alcohol is an addictive drug and its abuse is one of the nation's leading drug problems; and (3) encourages state medical societies to work actively with drug task forces and study committees in their respective states to assure that their scope of study includes recognition of the strong correlation between alcohol abuse and other substance abuse and recommendations to decrease the immense number of health, safety, and social problems associated with alcohol abuse. (Sub. Res. 97, I-89; Reaffirmed: Sunset Report, A-00)
If the FDA were to properly identify and classify alcohol as a narcotic drug then it would be considered a controlled substance which would make it a felony to distribute, possess, or consume. We know from the Prohibition years that this is impractical and a lost cause but the fact remains that Prohibition did not end for those under the age of 21.
I suggest alcohol be classified as a narcotic drug but with an asterisk by the name alcohol. It should indicate that alcohol is the only narcotic that is legal and available to persons 21 years old or older. This would make the FDA require proper labeling, the CDC could better treat it , and the ATF can help keep our children safe from it.
Half of all high school aged teens drink alcohol. The average age of first use of alcohol is now 12 years old. Alcohol is the number one killer of teens. It is estimated that 20% of eighth grade aged children drink at least once a month. It is the number one drug problem in our country.
If a person in their developmental years regularly consumes this narcotic they are two to five times more likely to become addicted to it. No child should be exposed to any substance that could lead them into addictions. Itââ¬â¢s only common sense to know that waiting for the body to fully mature mentally and physically greatly reduces the chances of addiction to any drug.
The side effects of alcohol use are amplified in teens and even more so in teen girls. The intoxicating drug alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions and contributes to unwanted pregnancies and the passing on of sexually transmitted diseases. Lowered inhibitions also help explain the carnage in DUI accidents as well.
"Alcohol is the #1 gateway drug to other narcotics". (From John Walters, US Drug Czar) We have now spent 80 billion dollars on the Drug War to no great success and yet we continue to ignore the leading feeder of illegal drug use: Alcohol.
Though other drugs are still a major contributor to teen delinquencies, alcohol is the easiest to obtain and is even provided by the ones that are supposed to protect them: their friends and relatives. 2Mcuh2lose org reports that half the alcohol kid's get comes directly from their own parents. Yes really.
Many teens buy it from stores and restaurants. It is usually only a rarely funded police task force effort to reduce these illegal sales in the communities. Though states are implementing tougher measures, most violations result in civil fines and short suspensions of alcohol sales. In many states it's a year in prison for anyone caught selling or providing a narcotic to a minor.
~~~
"We will pay the price, but we will not count the costs......." Neil Peart / Rush
DUIââ¬â¢s not only result in deaths and destruction but the costs of EMT services and the use of police and hospital resources is in the billions of dollars. The National Academy of Sciences reported that "....Drunken behavior and violent crimes that result from adolescent drinking cost the U.S. $53 billion a year. $19 Billion is from traffic accidents alone.."
As many as 7 out of 10 people that are in prison today for an act of violence will tell you they committed their first violent act while under influence of drugs like alcohol and under the legal drinking age of 21.The US imprison 715 people for every 100,000 in the population. Mexico imprisons 175 per 100,000 and Canada 115 per 100,000 people. Perhaps we could stop building new prisons if would stop graduating children as alcoholics/drug addicts.
We allow advertisers to aim their ads at teens. The beer industry have used dozens of pet-like animals, humor, their defining what the "social people" drink, and of course the best selling one of all: sex, to attract the under 21 market. I have heard them use the words "traditional" and "values" in their ads. Is substance use and abuse a traditional value? I once attended an event to raise money to fight birth defects and the sponsor was Miller beer....a leading cause for birth defects? Alcohol, yet they were advertising at the charity event and selling it?
We are also seeing hard liquor ads creeping into to prime time TV and alcohol companies using names like Mikes Hard Lemonade along with their slick line of "Coolers" to appeal to young girls. Beer commercials start at noon on Sunday during the NFL and college football/basketball seasons and these draw a large under age 21 audience.
I was told by Anhauser Busch people that "only an estimated 14% of their annual sales are to minors". Estimates could be closer to 20% but even at 14%, if that number were to pertain to heroin it would be front page news every day and this situation would be deemed an epidemic.
The story has been the same for years and so many have died and the costs have been incredible yet not a concern to most. The problem is that the social acceptance of alcohol is so entrenched into our society that we ignore how much harm it has caused.
Many that drink alcohol as adults donââ¬â¢t want their drug of choice regarded as a narcotic. That simple denial is killing our children, causing unwanted pregnancies, spreading STDââ¬â¢s, filling our jails, contributing to domestic violence, and costing us billions of dollars a year.
The American Medical Association, as does most of the scientific community, considers beverage alcohol (known as ethanol) to be a drug.
It is usually classified as a central nervous system depressant although some of its initial effects on drinkers are to provide some stimulating effects. However, as blood alcohol levels increase in the body, the depressant effects become dominant.
Other depressant drugs include barbiturates and opiates (e.g., heroin).
Here is one of our policies which directly addresses your questions.
H-30.972 Alcohol Abuse and the War on Drugs.
Our AMA (1) supports documenting the strong correlation between alcohol abuse and other substance abuse; (2) reaffirms the concept that alcohol is an addictive drug and its abuse is one of the nation's leading drug problems; and (3) encourages state medical societies to work actively with drug task forces and study committees in their respective states to assure that their scope of study includes recognition of the strong correlation between alcohol abuse and other substance abuse and recommendations to decrease the immense number of health, safety, and social problems associated with alcohol abuse. (Sub. Res. 97, I-89; Reaffirmed: Sunset Report, A-00)
If the FDA were to properly identify and classify alcohol as a narcotic drug then it would be considered a controlled substance which would make it a felony to distribute, possess, or consume. We know from the Prohibition years that this is impractical and a lost cause but the fact remains that Prohibition did not end for those under the age of 21.
I suggest alcohol be classified as a narcotic drug but with an asterisk by the name alcohol. It should indicate that alcohol is the only narcotic that is legal and available to persons 21 years old or older. This would make the FDA require proper labeling, the CDC could better treat it , and the ATF can help keep our children safe from it.
Half of all high school aged teens drink alcohol. The average age of first use of alcohol is now 12 years old. Alcohol is the number one killer of teens. It is estimated that 20% of eighth grade aged children drink at least once a month. It is the number one drug problem in our country.
If a person in their developmental years regularly consumes this narcotic they are two to five times more likely to become addicted to it. No child should be exposed to any substance that could lead them into addictions. Itââ¬â¢s only common sense to know that waiting for the body to fully mature mentally and physically greatly reduces the chances of addiction to any drug.
The side effects of alcohol use are amplified in teens and even more so in teen girls. The intoxicating drug alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions and contributes to unwanted pregnancies and the passing on of sexually transmitted diseases. Lowered inhibitions also help explain the carnage in DUI accidents as well.
"Alcohol is the #1 gateway drug to other narcotics". (From John Walters, US Drug Czar) We have now spent 80 billion dollars on the Drug War to no great success and yet we continue to ignore the leading feeder of illegal drug use: Alcohol.
Though other drugs are still a major contributor to teen delinquencies, alcohol is the easiest to obtain and is even provided by the ones that are supposed to protect them: their friends and relatives. 2Mcuh2lose org reports that half the alcohol kid's get comes directly from their own parents. Yes really.
Many teens buy it from stores and restaurants. It is usually only a rarely funded police task force effort to reduce these illegal sales in the communities. Though states are implementing tougher measures, most violations result in civil fines and short suspensions of alcohol sales. In many states it's a year in prison for anyone caught selling or providing a narcotic to a minor.
~~~
"We will pay the price, but we will not count the costs......." Neil Peart / Rush
DUIââ¬â¢s not only result in deaths and destruction but the costs of EMT services and the use of police and hospital resources is in the billions of dollars. The National Academy of Sciences reported that "....Drunken behavior and violent crimes that result from adolescent drinking cost the U.S. $53 billion a year. $19 Billion is from traffic accidents alone.."
As many as 7 out of 10 people that are in prison today for an act of violence will tell you they committed their first violent act while under influence of drugs like alcohol and under the legal drinking age of 21.The US imprison 715 people for every 100,000 in the population. Mexico imprisons 175 per 100,000 and Canada 115 per 100,000 people. Perhaps we could stop building new prisons if would stop graduating children as alcoholics/drug addicts.
We allow advertisers to aim their ads at teens. The beer industry have used dozens of pet-like animals, humor, their defining what the "social people" drink, and of course the best selling one of all: sex, to attract the under 21 market. I have heard them use the words "traditional" and "values" in their ads. Is substance use and abuse a traditional value? I once attended an event to raise money to fight birth defects and the sponsor was Miller beer....a leading cause for birth defects? Alcohol, yet they were advertising at the charity event and selling it?
We are also seeing hard liquor ads creeping into to prime time TV and alcohol companies using names like Mikes Hard Lemonade along with their slick line of "Coolers" to appeal to young girls. Beer commercials start at noon on Sunday during the NFL and college football/basketball seasons and these draw a large under age 21 audience.
I was told by Anhauser Busch people that "only an estimated 14% of their annual sales are to minors". Estimates could be closer to 20% but even at 14%, if that number were to pertain to heroin it would be front page news every day and this situation would be deemed an epidemic.
The story has been the same for years and so many have died and the costs have been incredible yet not a concern to most. The problem is that the social acceptance of alcohol is so entrenched into our society that we ignore how much harm it has caused.
Many that drink alcohol as adults donââ¬â¢t want their drug of choice regarded as a narcotic. That simple denial is killing our children, causing unwanted pregnancies, spreading STDââ¬â¢s, filling our jails, contributing to domestic violence, and costing us billions of dollars a year.