Custom «Alcoholism and Death» Essay Paper Sample

"Alcoholism and death"

This is an argumentative/persuasive essay on a given example of mass media. In this essay, I will consider the advertisements for Guinness, "Fortune favors the Bold". The essay will outline the effects of these advertisements. The global advert is often shown during night programming, weekends, and public holidays and during soccer broadcasts. The advert goes ahead to declare that fortune favors those guys who drink openly at work. It is usually meant to encourage people to drink the Guinness brand of beer with an assurance of gaining favor. The advertisement encourages overconsumption of alcohol which has dire consequences. The essay will explore this fact (Adweek, 2010)

In a world full of competitors, advertisements are used as a marketing strategy to woe and maintain customers. Currently, there are so many companies in the USA manufacturing different brands of beer, wines and spirits. It is the availability of market and competition for the same market that has driven Guinness into television advertisement. It has used different slogans for its adverts but with one underlying purpose- encourage more consumption of Guinness. In the advert, people enjoy some favors after consumption. This drives customers to more consumption in such of these favors. Although the advert discourages under- age consumption and calls for responsible drinking, the purpose of the advert dominates. Actually the idea of showing the advert during soccer broadcasts almost convinces all football fans to have a drop of Guinness. Fans come from all ages including the under-age and hence the warning is ignored in most cases as statistics have shown. The golden color of the beer and the fun derived from its consumption, as shown in the advert, is almost irresistible to anybody. It is claimed that antioxidant compounds in the Guinness are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery wall as well as aiding in blood clotting. However, the company does not make any medical claims for its drinks according to its policies. Literature shows that advertisement of all kinds influences the masses subconsciously.

All these factors lead to high consumption of Guinness over a given period of time. Under-age has equally been introduced to this brand through the television advert. This has in many ways affected the lives of consumers and their families negatively. Notable are the many deaths that result from consumption of this brand. Any beer (where Guinness is categorized) is a drug/intoxicant and affects different body organs in variant magnitudes. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant which acts as tranquilizer and a mild anesthetic. Alcohol is also an addictive drug and hence the more you take the more you want. It also becomes too hard for one to stop once you start drinking. As people search for more favors, they drink excessively leading to alcoholism. Once consumed, then alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood stream through the stomach and the small intestines and circulates quickly to all parts of the body through the blood stream and the spinal cord. In the body, alcohol is processed in the liver a process which takes around 10 hours for an average person taking a standard drink. Apart from alcohol concentration, the processing of alcohol will also depend on the food in the stomach.

Excessive consumption of beer (alcoholism) causes the destruction of brain cells which cannot be regenerated or regrown- the brain saturated with watery fluid and the nervous system waste away. This leads to brain cancer which is a fatal disease. The concentration of alcohol in the blood known as the blood alcohol content vary with the amount and content consumed. If this content is high (0.35% to 0.5%), it will lead to alcohol poisoning and death. Once in the brain it reinforces the frame of the mind, impaired judgment, motor skills and verbal abilities, reaction times, decision making capabilities and physical coordination. There have been warnings that you should not drink and drive, but in situations where the contrary happens (it is the most frequently committed violent crime in USA), the driver makes impaired judgments on the road and because his reaction time is slow, he ends up causing accidents which probably result to deaths. The observed lack of physical coordination after consumption may result to physical accidents, like when a drunkard is walking by the road. The staggering may lead to him being knocked down by a car. Again, the effect on the verbal abilities which makes drunkards talk carelessly may result to wars and conflicts which may equally result to deaths (Gary Roberts, 2010, pg 6)

Consequently, drunkards are usually senseless, unreasonable brutal and very proud. These traits necessitate quarrels which are not controllable and hence may result to fights and maybe deaths. Alcohol has an effect of generating confidence, lowering reasoning and increased taking of risks; this may lead a person into making some fatal risks like jumping off a speeding car. This will obviously result to death. The liver can only process certain levels of alcohol and over consumption of alcohol; it will be stressed beyond its capacity. Similarly, the effect of alcohol will be destructive during the livers detoxification process. This may lead to liver cirrhosis which is very difficult to cure. Over consumption equally stresses the kidneys and may result to kidney diseases which are generally fatal. Death can also be caused through asphyxiation- inhalation of vomit while unconscious. Alcoholism has also caused heart attacks which are fatal heart conditions. Drinkers can also have lower levels of fibrinogen, a protein that promotes blood clots that can lead to stroke which is also a fatal heart disease. In cases relating to women, it is observed that alcohol which passes through the umbilical chord taints the breast milk and causes brain damage which is not curable as earlier observed. Drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time can cause high blood pressure, cancer of the mouth and throat which are generally fatal if not diagnosed at early stages. A pregnant woman who consumes alcohol causes the fetus to have the fetal alcohol syndrome which contributes to retarded growth in a child (Gary Roberts, 2010, pg 6)

It is generally known that people indulge in alcohol for purposes of celebrating or to do away with some stress. It is also very factual that alcohol brings about a relaxing effect and fun is derived from its consumption. But it is also considered to be a "downer" type of drug and should therefore not be taken to relieve stress because it will only increase the stress. And therefore I can conclude that moderate consumption of alcohol for fun is not bad. In addition, considering the fatal affects that accrue from consistent over indulgence of alcohol; we should only limit ourselves to moderate levels of alcohol. Relating to the Guinness advert in the global televisions, the company has in a big way achieved its goals- more people to partake Guinness brand of beer. On the other hand, this goal has been achieved with many casualties. People are enjoying a bottle of Guinness in pubs, homes and even in stadiums as they search for the favors guaranteed in the advert. This is leading to subconscious consumption of alcohol in people of all ages. Under age are being introduced to this brand, people are drinking even while driving and responsible drinking is not been exercised which violates all the warnings in the advertisement. Hence, the advert is leading to alcoholism and consequent deaths.