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research_paper_on_wealthy_drinkers.docxRunning Head: RESEARCH PAPER ON WEALTHY DRINKERS 1
RESEARCH PAPER ON WEALTHY DRINKERS 11
Research Paper on Wealthy Drinkers
Christina Rothstein
UMUC
September 15, 2015
Abstract
A survey conducted in America was reviewed and found out that unsafe drinkers within the age group where more likely to be younger males, white and of higher socio-economic status. Scientists stated that 60% of the regular drinkers and 65% of heavy, unsafe drinkers are men. However, too much drinking is harmful to their health and this has influenced a number of health issues as a result of heavy drinking. In that case, there is need of great awareness of the potential for alcohol related harms. Recent Gallup poll reviewed that 78% of the people earning $75, 000 drink more alcohol then people making $30,000. Similarly, high-earning Americans have the economic resources and power to purchase alcohol whenever they desire. Reducing alcohol misuse is vital to prevent premature death and serious negative health effects to the rich people. Rich people mainly drink alcohol thinking that it is the best way to eliminate stress or get sleep. However, the more they consume the greater chances of having higher risks of health related issues.
Keywords: drinking, alcohol, cirrhosis, high blood pressure, wealthy people, and Americans
Introduction
Statistics conducted in the United States of America reviewed that alcohol is the number one drug issue for wealthy people. It is clear that approximately 28,000 pensioners in America are regular drinkers. Wealthy people can afford to drink more alcohol on a regular basis compared to low income earners who drink alcohol rarely. A survey conducted in America reviewed and found out that unsafe drinkers within the age group where more likely to be younger males, white and of higher socio-economic status. Scientists stated that 60% of the regular drinkers and 65% of heavy, unsafe drinkers are men. However, too much drinking is harmful to their health and this has influenced a number of health issues as a result of heavy drinking. Because of this, there is a greater awareness of the potential for alcohol related harms. This research paper will describe the effects of alcohol and wealthy people.
Based on the evidence, rich people consume more alcohol during their lifetime then lower class or even middle class people. Due to this statistic and the fact that wealthy people drink more they are more at risk for health related issues. Research reviews that wealthy people are associated with similar diseases such as heart attacks, high blood pressure and liver diseases. A research conducted reviewed that the major cause of these diseases to rich people is alcohol. Rich people take in huge amounts of alcohol on a regular basis according to a research conducted in America by the CDC. It is also evident that one in five drinkers is consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol every week, with rich pensioners being the biggest culprits according to the study. Most people aged 65-years are putting their health at risk by drinking above the required guideline amounts. It has become a normal routine for wealthy people to drink huge amounts of alcohol without even thinking about the risks of too much drinking. The health risks caused by too much drinking can be harmful to one’s health despite the money they have (Matsuo, 2012). Because wealthy people have a greater amount of money compared to the lower and middle class, they like to spend their money on luxuries such as alcohol. Since, they have the extra money to spend they feel this is a great way to unwind, and relax after what they may feel is a long or stressful day (Matsuo, 2012). The middle and lower class families do not have the extra money to spend on such luxuries and therefore tend to not drink as much as the higher class families. Also, the wealthy hold more parties or get together’s then do the lower and middle class families, which includes social drinking amongst their friends, and therefore, increasing the number of drinkers in their class. Wealthy people not only have the extra money to spend on alcohol but they also have more free time on their hands to drink then do the lower classes. With having more money they don’t have the need to work more hours as do the middle and especially the lower class families, therefore leaving them more time to drink (Matsuo, 2012).
A survey conducted in the United States of America based on alcohol consumption reviewed that drinking alcohol increases steadily with income. Alcohol consumption went from 40% for people earning less than $20,000 to 80% for people earning $75,000. Hence, the oft-repeated claim that wealthy people drink more. Rich people are likely to have alcohol-related issues in the future as a result of drinking too much alcohol. Healthcare research conducted in America reviewed that regular drinking more than the recommended daily limits risks damaging one’s health. There is no guaranteed safe level of drinking according to American scientists. However, one can drink less than recommended in order to avoid the risks of harming their bodies and creating health related issues based on alcohol. Statistics review that rich people that binge alcohol will show alcoholic effects after a number of years. However, by then serious health problems would have developed such as liver problems, reduced fertility, increased risks of cancer, high blood pressure and heart attacks (Rufus, 2010).
Health care research states that the effect of health as a result of alcohol depends on the amount of alcohol that one takes. It is clear that alcohol affects the whole body and can play several roles in medical conditions. For instance, higher-risk drinkers are likely to develop alcohol related issues which will be difficult to treat in the future. Research conducted in America reviewed that the people who can afford alcohol often look upon it as a luxury good and that is the main reason they consume it a lot. Another research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control reviews that 45% of adults from households whose income is below the poverty line report having consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the last 30 days compared to 72% of adults whose household incomes are at least four times the poverty level (Rufus, 2010).
Americans spend $197 million everyday on alcohol alone, and research shows that the majority of it comes from the upper class. There have been many arrests for people driving vehicles under the influence of alcohol. Wealthy people are reported to cause the most major accidents on the road due to drinking too much while trying to operate a vehicle. There are no estimated measures that describe how alcohol kills people apart from accidents (Unknown, n.d.).
Recent Gallup poll reviewed that 78% of the people earning $75, 000 drink more alcohol than those people making $30,000. Similarly, high-earning Americans have the economic resources and power to purchase alcohol whenever they desire. Rich people mainly drink alcohol thinking that it is the best way to eliminate stress or get sleep.
Abuse of alcohol is believed to be started in the family or peer pressure. Based on research, wealthy people drink alcohol because they believe it is a luxurious way to live. They get use to drinking over the years. The addiction runs through the family and similar diseases occur. Culture also has a lot to do with drinking for the wealthy. Most wealthy people were raised by wealthy people and, therefore, watch their parents have parties, or come home from work and drink possibly every day. As they grow up watching this behavior, and become adults themselves they normally take over this tradition as they know no different. Thus, they become a part of the statistics on wealthy drinkers and alcohol.
However, the more they consume the greater chances of having higher risks of gaining health related issues. Based on research, the elderly have the highest risk of having health issues as a result of alcohol, as well as the wealthier and better educated rather than those from a more deprived background. Americans mostly underestimate the amount of alcohol they consume on their daily basis. This causes the risks of early deaths, health issues, poor memory and violence in the family (Klingemann, Takala, & Hunt, 1992).
Binge drinking by Americans is much higher than originally thought. This mainly occurs in affluent households based on a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control. It is evident that approximately 17% of America’s population binge drink at least five times in a month. In general, the average number of drinks each sitting is approximately eight. This statistic is way higher than the CDC’s definition of binge drinkers which is five or more alcoholic beverages for a man in one sitting and at least four drinks for a female/woman. Based on the CDC, binge drinking is common among household incomes exceeding $75, 000 annually. One of the major reasons why binge drinking is common among the people of higher incomes is that it is not widely recognized as a serious health risk. If people knew how much binge drinking had an effect on their health, they would not risk drinking as much alcohol (Matsuo, 2012). Statistics review that most people in America start binge drinking in their teenage years. A lot of Americans also take dry spirits known as “shots” which can affect their liver. Cases of liver cirrhosis are common in America and most people ignore that too much consumption of alcohol is the major cause of the disease (Osburg, 2013).
Liver cirrhosis is a critical disease that can’t easily be treated. Research shows that a great number of people that go for liver treatments are wealthy people. This is an indication of alcohol abuse. Research shows that 80% of people with liver cirrhosis die because of the critical condition of their liver over time from drinking too much. Most people are not educated enough on the effects of alcohol and alcohol abuse, this includes the wealthy. However, alcohol is a “killer” that people fail to control as well as understand (Blocker, Fahey, & Tyrrell, 2003). Most people start out with the intentions of just having a few drinks, which turn into more than a few, and can turn someone into an alcoholic over time. We have seen many celebrities who have ended up in a rehab or dead due to alcohol consumption. This is mostly due to the fact that they one, have lots of money to spend and two, that they are in a big social environment in which they are drawn to drink socially and go overboard with the alcohol. Some of the statistics have to do with age as well as wealth, as there are many younger wealthy drinkers, then older wealthy drinkers who cannot control their drinking. Most of which cannot even estimate the amount of alcohol they drink on a previous day/month.
A research conducted by the CDC reviewed that both wealthy people globally can be compared to American drinkers in a number of ways. For instance, both are said to drink more than two bottles of wine with every dinner. This is the major cause of health issues associated with alcohol. Alcohol abuse by wealthy people has serious repercussions in the future. It is no secret that alcohol consumption can influence major health issues such as cirrhosis of the liver as well as sustained road traffic accidents. The major health issues that are influenced by excessive consumption of alcohol include anemia, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and cirrhosis. These diseases are common to most people living in America. However, the government has failed to tell its people that alcohol is the main cause of these diseases. The end result of this manner is death because the liver cannot handle the amount of work as it is required do (Unknown, n.d.).
Approximately 70% of the American population consumes alcohol. However, the estimated risks of health issues in America are lower because the administration of America forbids excessive consumption of alcohol. However, this is not because of health risks that are influenced by alcohol, but as a result of accidents that have occurred in the previous years. Consumption of alcohol in America is high at homes and clubs where rich people have drivers to take them home. Being able to pay someone to drive you around is a good excuse to drink more. Because wealthy people can afford this luxury they allow themselves to drink as much alcohol as they want without a second thought about the reprocussions of it. They drink for fun and also because with money sometimes comes stress, drinking helps with their stress. This has affected health conditions of people without their awareness. Rich people tend to consume more alcohol because of the money they have. However, some Americans consume alcohol because it is part of their culture (Rufus, 2010).
A major health issue that is related to too much consumption of alcohol is high blood pressure. Based on research, it is clear that approximately 50% of Americans have high blood pressure. However, most of them are not aware that consumption of alcohol is the major factor that is causing them to experience high blood pressure. Instead, they continue drinking alcohol without any idea of what issues it can cause them. This case is similar to wealthy people living in other countries. However, wealthy people are not aware of how they consume alcohol because they drink a glass of wine almost every day. In the end, they face health issues of high blood pressure. Most people will eventually die of heart attacks among other alcohol related issues (Matsuo, 2012).
Alcohol related diseases can be cured or treated through different ways. One of the major diseases caused by alcohol is liver cirrhosis. People with this infection should stop drinking alcohol completely because the liver controls almost every activity in the body. In that case, this means that too much alcohol can affect how people’s bodies function. Based on research, it is clear that alcohol is toxic to the liver cells and many heavy drinkers develop the disease. This causes the liver to stop functioning. However, it is not easy to predict which drinkers can develop cirrhosis. However, alcoholic liver disease occurs after years of heavy drinking. The effect of too much consumption is inflammation in the liver (Cape, 2015).
The main symptoms of liver cirrhosis include pain and swelling in the abdomen, decreased appetite, fatigue, dry mouth, and bleeding from enlarged veins in the walls of the lower part of the esophagus. The only way to treat this disease is to stop drinking alcohol. Another major way is an alcoholic rehabilitation program or counseling. This is necessary to break the alcoholic addiction. However, if the cirrhosis continues to develop, the only way to treat this is through a liver transplant. Having support from family members can be the best way to approach liver cirrhosis. The impact of this disease is death if care is not considered. A heart attack is another disease that ought to be considered serious. This disease can only be cured through medication. It is important for people infected with the disease to frequently visit hospitals for further treatment. Also, it is advisable for alcoholics who suffer from heart attacks to quit alcohol for good. This is the only way that the people can avoid the dangers of facing the disease to a critical condition (Barber, 2012).
Conclusion
References
Barber, Nigel Ph.D. (Feb. 2012). Are Rich People Heavy Drinkers? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201202/are-rich-people-heavy-drinkers.
Blocker, J. S., Fahey, D. M., & Tyrrell, I. R. (2003). Alcohol and temperance in modern history: An international encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.
Cape Times. (August 2015). Wealthy Baby Boomers Are Drinking Too Much. Retrieved from http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/wealthy-baby-boomers-are-drinking-too-much-1.1904715#.Vdxqeq3w998.
Klingemann, H., Takala, J.-P., & Hunt, G. (1992). Cure, care, or control: Alcoholism treatment in sixteen countries. Albany: State University of New York Press.
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Osburg, J. (2013). Anxious Wealth: Money and Morality Among China's New Rich. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
Rufus, Anneli. (Dec. 2010). Who Drinks the Most Alcohol? Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/12/29/drinking-stats-who-drinks-the-most-alcohol.html.
Unknown. (n.d.). Statistics on Alcoholics. Retrieved fromhttp://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/statistics-on-alcoholics.html.
