Alphonso Pinkney — страница 5

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Research shows that more males than females have used alcohol and whites are slightly more likely that blacks and Hispanic to be frequent drinkers. Among men, however, roughly the sane proportion of each group were frequent drinkers. White women on the other hand are somewhat more likely to be frequent drinkers than blacks and Hispanic women. Whites are also more likely that blacks or Hispanics to drink at early and at older ages. Of all the categories, Hispanics women are the least likely to drink and white men are the most likely. Studies show, blacks drink somewhat less that whites and are more likely to abstain from drinking. Also, alcohol plays a smaller role in home and family life among blacks that whites. Although alcohol is legal in the US, its recreational use is

socially acceptable, and it adverse social effects are greater than those of all illicit drugs. It is said to be the direct cause between 80,000 and 100,000 deaths annually and it is a factor in nearly on all of murders , suicides, and accidental deaths. Alcohol related traffic death are the leading cause of death of adolescence. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, alcohol is more than 10 percent of all health problems in the country and 50 percent of all homicides. Also, cirrhosis of the live killed some 30,000 people annually in the US, and the mortality rate form the disease among black is double that in the white population. Fetal alcohol syndrome , is another alcohol related health problem it is diagnosed in one of every 750 live births. The diseases is marked by

birth defects and usually occurs in women who drink heavily during pregnancy. The symptoms include brain damage, low birth weight, and facial and bodily abnormalities. According to the 1990 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 147 million Americans 12 years of age and over have used cigarettes. Males are more likely have smoked than females and to be regular smokers. Whites are more likely to have smoked than blacks or Hispanics and are more likely to smoke regularly. Hispanic women are least likely to smoke and white men are the most likely. Smoking increases with age among each of the three groups; within each group the youngest persons are more likely to use tobacco than any other drug. Tabacco is a psychoactive substance that stimulates the central nervous system. It

addictive potential is so great that the surgeon general of the United States declared it to be as addictive as cocaine and heroin. According to the Centers for Disease Control, cigarette smoking is declining in the United States, and the annual rate of decline had been higher among men that women. However, cigarette smoking remains the most preventable cause of death in our society and is responsible for an estimated 390,000 deaths annually. According to the CDC, Black men were more likely to smoke than white, but the rates for black and white women were similar. According to Statistical Abstracts , the proportion of blacks in the population who smoke cigarettes has exceeded the proportion of whites since 1965. In addition, person who smoked cigarettes were more likely than

nonsmokers to use alcohol beverages and to consume a greater quantities of alcohol. Cigarette smoking had been found to be a major cause of several life threatening diseases such as emphysema, cancer of the lungs and airways, coronary heart disease, and vascular disease. Pinkney states although the destructive potential of tobacco use is well established , cigarettes are one of the most heavily advertised products. The advertising usually associates smoking with a glamorous life style , healthy activities, and social success. Evidence shows that cigarette companies target their advertising campaigns to minorities, women, blue collar workers, and teenagers these groups make up an increasing proportion of the smoking population. It is reported in the 1990 National Household Survey

on Drug Abuse some 23 million Americans have used cocaine and of that nearly one million use some form of the drug at least once a week. Males more than females are likely to have used some form of cocaine and are more likely to be frequent users. In terms of race /ethnicity , whites and Hispanics are more like to used cocaine that blacks . Hispanic males are more likely than white and black males to have used cocaine and are more frequent users. White females are more likely than black or Hispanic females to have ever used cocaine and are more likely to be frequent users. Cocaine releases adrenaline, thereby stimulating the central nervous system. It also usurps the need for food and sleep and in high doses it produces extreme euphoria . Adverse reactions may include