Current-MG

Nowdays, alcoholism isn't nearly the problem it used to be. Many factors have have helped to reduce the problem of alcoholism in American society; the most significant of which is public knowledge of the consequences of habitual drinking. Programs to educate the public of the problems of alcohol abuse help to discourage people from drinking to exess. The Womens' Christian Temperance Union pioneered this method of educating the public with their campaign for anti-alcohol education for students, and it is still used today, especially through the international D.A.R.E. program.

Programs such as D.A.R.E. sometimes fail to prevent people from becoming alcoholics. Since there is no law against being an alcoholic (over 21), these people cannot be forced to give up their habit. But when one of these people becomes dangerous, law enforcement can step in and sentance him or her to a rehabilitation program. One such sentance which is commonly used is required attendance of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization of alcoholics who hold regular meetings, at which they share eachother's experiences as alcoholics, encouraging eachother to give up the habit. This sentance may follow jail time, or a fine. In rare cases, the alcoholic may be considered incurable, and sent to a mental hospital or given a long prison sentance.

Also, it has become more difficult to get away with the lapses in judgement people suffer when intoxicated. Now, people are always legally held responsible for their actions while inebriated. Brethalizers have made determining wether someone is driving under the influence or not an accurate and straightforward process. advances in communication, such as radios in every police criuser and phones in every home have greatly reduced police response times to domestic disturbances, which often involve an alcoholic.

These changes have helped greatly to reduce alcoholism as a habit, but drinking continues to be a very social activity, with alcohol being consumed in quantity at everything from large parties to small friendly poker games. It could be argued that social drinking is more dangerous than compulsive drinking, as a social drinker is more likely to be in a risky situation than a regular alcoholic. For example, someone who drinks at a party across town is much more likely to try to drive home than an alcoholic who is just getting a drink at the bardown the street.

College fraternity and sorority hazing is where some of the most dangerous social drinking happens. These initiation ceremonies sometimes involve some form of physical abuse, or put pledges (those being intitiated) in danger, and quite often alcohol is being consumed. Exessive drinking can cause the ceremony to get out of hand, putting pledges at an even greater risk. In rare cases, people can be seriously injured or even killed. Even when the rituals are harmless, too much alcohol consumption can lead to potentially fatal alcohol poisoning. Also, intoxication can lead to unrelated accidents, such as car accidents.