1. 1. We are to look after our bodies as the temple of God and we should be filled by the spirit
1.1. Alcohol damages your Physical health
1.1.1. Illness and disease
1.1.1.1. Alcohol is the leading source of 6 types of cancer
1.1.1.2. 6th cause of ill health and premature death in high income countries
1.1.1.3. Leading source of liver cirrosis (in 50% of cases) and fatty liver disease
1.1.1.4. Leads to high blood pressure, shortness of breath, nightterrors, etc
1.1.1.5. Raises the levels of estrogen increasing the risk of breast cancer. three drinks a week increases the risk in woman over 15 by 15% for women under 15 the risk goes up by 45%
1.1.1.6. It flushes calcium from the bones making them weaker and more prone to osteoporosis
1.1.2. Injury and death
1.1.2.1. 3.3 million deaths worldwide every year resulting form use of alcohol. this represent 5.9% of all deaths or 6 deaths every minute
1.1.2.2. Leading factor in death amongst 15-24 year olds
1.1.2.3. Affects the central nervous system causing slurred speech, blurred vision, weakened muscles, decreased reaction time, etc.
1.1.2.4. In 20-39ers , 25% of all deaths are alcohol attributable
1.1.2.5. 200,000 alcohol related hospital admissions in England every year
1.1.2.6. 39% of all traffic deaths involve alcohol
1.1.2.7. Alcohol kills more teenagers than all other drugs combined
1.2. Alcohol damages your Mental health
1.2.1. Impairs judgement and ability to think rationaly
1.2.1.1. Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol damages the brain and impairs cognitive function over time
1.2.1.1.1. Reduced brain volume
1.2.1.1.2. Weakens white matter integrity (communication between brain regions)
1.2.1.1.3. Slower cognitive processing, Memory issues
1.2.1.1.4. Impairs prefrontal cortex
1.2.1.2. Direct cause for 22% of suicides"
1.2.1.2.1. 1 in 5 suicides involve acute alcohol intoxication at the time of death.
1.2.1.2.2. Alcohol impairs judgment, lowers inhibition, and increases impulsivity, all of which raise suicide risk.
1.2.1.2.3. People intoxicated are 4 times more likely to act on suicidal thoughts without hesitation or planning
1.2.1.3. Responsible for slowing down thoughts and reactions through suppression of glutamate resulting in:
1.2.1.3.1. slower thinking
1.2.1.3.2. delayed reactions
1.2.1.3.3. impaired memory
1.2.1.3.4. poor decision making
1.2.1.4. Impacts decision making and reduce cognitive sharpness by affecting the release of endorphins
1.2.1.5. More than 50% of people admitted to hospital because of self harm drank alcohol immediately before doing it
1.2.1.6. 27% of men give alcohol as the main reason for self harm
1.2.2. Causes adiction
1.2.2.1. Roughly 100 million European meet the broader criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder, a medical condition where a person has difficulty controlling or stopping alcohol use despite negative consequencees. More than 10 million Europeans suffer from severe dependency)
1.2.2.2. 1 in 10 Europeans become addicted to alcohol
1.2.2.3. Rewires the brain to create neural paths for faster release of dopamine
1.2.2.4. 1 in 8 American adult drinkers is an alcoholic
1.2.3. Deteriorates memory
1.2.3.1. In the US 40% of surveyed students report having blacked out in the previous year
1.2.3.2. In the US 10% of surveyed students report blacking out at least once int he previous two weeks
1.2.3.3. Alcohol causes transient amnesia even in moderate consumption, fragmentary blackouts and en bloc blackouts
1.2.3.3.1. Disrupts hippocampal function, especially CA1 cells, impairing memory encoding and long-term potentiation
1.2.3.3.2. Increases GABA activity and inhibits NMDA receptors, blocking memory formation and transfer from short‑term to long‑term storage
1.3. ☹️ Alcohol damages your Spiritual Health
1.3.1. Alcohol weakens your connection to God
1.3.1.1. It numbs your awareness
1.3.1.2. It dulls your conscience
1.3.1.3. It quiets the voice of the Holly Spirit
1.3.2. Alcohol feeds the flesh, not the spirit
1.3.2.1. It creates dependence on a cheap subtitute for God who calls us to depend on him for peace, joy and relief
1.3.2.2. we should turn to prayer, scripture and fellowship rather than to alcohol and vices
1.3.3. Alcohol opens the door to sin
1.3.3.1. It lowers your guard
1.3.3.2. It increases the risk of doing or saying things that damage your integrity, your testimony and your relationship with God
1.3.3.3. It disrupts self-discipline and purpose
2. 2. As ambassadors of Christ, we are to transform our minds and not conform to the world
2.1. Alcohol damages society
2.1.1. Destroys relationships
2.1.1.1. main source of treatment for substance abuse problems
2.1.1.2. 1/3 of couples in counselling face problems due to alcohol abuse
2.1.1.3. 65% of domesitc violence incidents involve alcohol
2.1.1.3.1. it impairs judgement
2.1.1.3.2. it makes arguments escalate faster
2.1.1.3.3. people who use alcohol are more likely to react violently to stress, frustration or conflict
2.1.2. Destroys families
2.1.2.1. 43% of US adults has been exposed to alcoholism in the family
2.1.2.2. 1 in 8 American adult drinkers is an alcoholic
2.1.2.3. Alcohol consumption has a strong correlation with divorce. A consumption increase of 1 liter of alcohol per capita brings about an increase in the divorce rate of 20% in the US
2.1.2.4. 81% of child abuse cases are correlated to alcohol abuse in the family
2.1.2.5. Children of alcoholics have lower self esteem and exhibit elevated rates of anxiety, depression and psychopathology
2.1.2.5.1. Lower self esteem
2.1.2.5.2. Higher anxiety and depression
2.1.2.5.3. Elevated rates of psychopathology
2.1.3. Leads to crime and violence
2.1.3.1. Scientific proof of strong relationship between aggression and alcohol
2.1.3.1.1. Alcohol increases aggressive behaviour
2.1.3.1.2. Less ability to regulate anger
2.1.3.1.3. More alcohol linked to more aggression and violence
2.1.3.2. Strong link between alcohol and violent crime including robbery, sexual offences, homicide and assaults
2.1.3.2.1. 40–60% of violent crimes (assaults, homicides, domestic violence) involve alcohol.
2.1.3.2.2. In partner violence, alcohol is the most common contributing factor.
2.1.3.2.3. Leads to impulsive, emotion driven behaviour
2.1.3.3. Alcohol is the direct cause for 22% of interpersonal violence cases
2.1.3.4. In Europe, among reported drug-facilitated sexual assaults, alcohol is the most commonly involved substance
2.1.3.4.1. Alcohol doubles the risk of assault and increases severity, especially in domestic or acquaintance contexts.
2.1.3.4.2. At least 39–50% of rapes or sexual assaults in Europe involve alcohol use by the perpetrator, victim, or both
2.1.3.4.3. Rates can reach 70%+ in specific survey groups.
2.1.3.4.4. offenders are more likely to target intoxicated individuals, and victims are less able to resist or consent
2.1.3.5. Strong link between alcohol consumption and crime rates
2.1.3.5.1. In a 2010 analysis of solved violent crimes in Europe, 28% involved alcohol
2.1.3.5.2. Nightlife-related violence: about 95% of incidents in pubs/clubs involved intoxication
2.1.3.5.3. Public-space assaults (pubs, streets): up to 70% alcohol-linked
2.1.3.5.4. In Finland 61–75% of homicide offenders were intoxicated at the time .
2.1.3.6. Alcohol is a key factor in 68% of manslaughter, 62% of assaults, 54% of murders, 48% of robberies and 44% of burglaries in the US
3. 3.We are to resist the devil and run from sin (flee from sin, rather than flirt with it)
3.1. Alcohol is a gateway drug (it leads onto consumption of other drugs)
3.1.1. Youth who drink are 7.5 times more likely to use other illegal drugs and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than youth who never drink
3.1.2. 69% of heavy drinkers over 12 are also users of other illegal drugs, this is over 13 times higher than non alcohol users where only 5.4% use illegal drugs
3.1.3. Those who start drinking before 15 are 101 times more likely to use cocaine than someone who abstained from alcohol
3.1.4. 32% of those who drink alcohol between 12 and 17 use marijuana as well, a significant increase from those who do not drink at all which is only 2%
3.1.5. People who are dependent on alcohol are three times more likely to be smokers
3.1.5.1. In the EU, 16% of 15–16-year-olds have tried cannabis—these are frequently the same teens who drink
3.1.5.2. 44–59% higher odds of tobacco use
3.1.5.2.1. Up to 80× more likely to use illegal drugs later
3.1.6. Smoking rates amongst alcoholics are estimated to be as high as 90% with approximately 70% of alcoholics smoking one pack of cigarettes per day
3.2. Alcohol consumption builds tolerance leading to higher consumption
3.2.1. Continuous drinking producer lesser effects requiring increased consumption to produce the same effects
3.2.1.1. Metabolic tolerance: The liver gets faster at breaking down alcohol. Blood alcohol levels don’t rise as much
3.2.1.2. Functional tolerance: The brain becomes less sensitive to alcohol’s effects, especially sedation and motor control.
3.2.1.3. Behavioral tolerance: The person learns to “function” while intoxicated, masking signs of impairment.
3.2.2. Acute tolerance can be observed within a single drinking session where alcohol induced impairment is greater when measured soon after the beginning of alcohol consumption
3.2.3. Acute tolerance does not develop to all effects of alcohol but does develop to the feeling of intoxication experiences after its consumption
3.2.4. Overtime, high dopamine levels from alcohol cause inability to feel pleasure without alcohol
3.3. Alcohol causes effects even when consumed in moderation
3.3.1. Alcohol impact on the body is unpredictable as it depends on variables such as age, weight, gender, body composition, general health, mood, stomach contents, etc
3.3.2. There is significant individual differences in pharmacokinetics (how alcohol is processes by the body) and pharmacodynamics (how individuals respond to a given blood alcohol level)
3.3.3. Alcohol in moderation causes higher risk of dementia in over 60's
3.3.3.1. brain scans of middle‑aged adults showed that as little as 7 units/week (≈7 drinks) accelerated brain aging, especially in volume loss
3.3.4. Adults moving from abstinence to moderate consumption are more likely to develop problems with memory and brain function
3.3.5. There is mounting evidence that drinking moderately leads to progressive cognitive decline
3.3.6. The risk of some cancers increase at even low levels of alcohol consumption (less than 1 drink per session)
3.3.7. 2/3 of adult drinkers report drinking above moderate levels at least once a month
3.3.8. Alcohol increases the production of dopamine and endorphins to abnormal levels from the first sip
3.4. Judgement on drunkeness is entirely subjective
3.4.1. there are 350 synonym words for drunk in englsih referring to different levels of drunkness
3.4.2. In most countryes legal drunkness is equivalent to 0.08% BAC. Approximately one drink. In some Nordic countries legal drunkness use 0.02% as the threshold. - Less thank half a drink
3.4.3. Definition of what is responsible drinking is entirely subjective
3.4.4. Understanding of levels of intoxication varies from person to person and is impacted by geography, culture, gender and age
3.4.5. different terminology and conceptual understanding has been found to reflect differences in amounts of alcohol consumption
3.4.6. Whilst intoxicated and in drinking environments, people base judgements regarding their drinking on how their level of intoxication ranks relative to that of others around them
3.4.7. Whils in the company of others who are intoxicated, drinkers are more likely to underestimate their own level of drinking
3.4.8. People self judgement on their level of drunkenness can be systematically biased
3.4.9. What is considered to be moderate levels changes according to age and other less quantifiable factors such as stress levels
3.4.10. Judging levels of drunkeness depends on who you are with
4. 4. We are not to do anything that makes our brother fall
4.1. Leads others to drink
4.1.1. Adolescents identify strongly with peers. Peer norms and approval outweigh parental input during adolescence.
4.1.1.1. Teenagers who access alcohol through other sources than their parents such as friends or siblings are three times more likely to binge drink
4.1.1.2. Teens who believe their friends drink are 10 times more likely to drink themselves
4.1.1.3. 85% of high schoolers report feeling peer pressure
4.1.1.4. 80% say peer influence led them to start smoking; 75% cite it as a factor in trying alcohol
4.1.2. Children's perception of parental drinking influence their own drinking behaviours
4.1.2.1. When children perceived their parents as tolerant, they were 1.76 times more likely to drink frequently
4.1.2.2. adolescents who perceive parents drinking heavily have higher odds of drinking early and more frequently
4.1.2.3. children drinking in family settings showed greater initiation and more risk of later excessive use
4.1.2.4. UK data highlights that middle-class parental normalization of alcohol is linked to underage drinking starting as early as age 11
4.1.2.5. Children of alcoholics are 4 times more likely to develop alcoholism and other drugs dependency
4.1.2.6. One of the top five reasons for why teenagers drink is because their parents drink
4.1.3. Social acquaintances are influenced by each other's alcohol consumption and may not be aware of this influence on their behavior.
4.1.3.1. Many overestimate how much others drink—a phenomenon known as pluralistic ignorance—leading them to drink more to “fit in”
4.1.4. when people are with heavy-drinking peers, they consume more alcohol