An Alcohol-Free Environment To Pursue A Safer And Healthier Community

Have you lost a family member because of a careless drunk driver or perhaps from cancer, cirrhosis, depression or obesity? What if I told you that there would have been a higher chance of them sitting next to you right now had they not abused alcohol? I believe alcohol should be banned in Canada as it has more harm than good. “On average four people are killed each day in car accidents involving the use of alcohol or drugs” (Seiden, 2018). Drinking alcohol provides a short-term effect of forgetting caused by the lack of communication between the brain cells. However, this can become a long-term effect if alcohol consumption is abused (Arnarsan, 2017).

Eventually drinking alcohol will catch up to you. This is because of the many health disorders that may arise including, cirrhosis, cancer, dementia, depression, cardiovascular diseases and obesity (Arnarson, 2017). Cirrhosis is caused when the liver gets inflamed and scar tissue builds up around the liver instead of liver cells. This condition is long-lasting and the only way to cure it is to have an organ transplant (Arnarson, 2017). Alcohol should be banned because it causes depression and kills (Vella et al. , 2018).

For example, Jennifer Neville-Lake lost her three children and father in a car accident caused by a drunk driver (Vella et al. , 2018). She is now depressed because she feels that she lost purpose in living (Vella et al. , 2018). Just imagine a life filled with joy and humor suddenly switched to a life of misery because of a drunk driver. That is the life Jennifer and her husband are forced to live in (Vella et al. , 2018). For this reason, alcohol needs to banned. If the Candian government can put an end to the suffering of many Canadian citizens by banning alcohol, why not? During the 19th and 20th century, according to the Temperance act, alcohol in Canada was banned (Decarie, 2015).

However, this act did not last long because society had changed to the worst (Decarie, 2015). People started joining criminal gangs and selling alcohol illegally (Decarie, 2015). However, considering that presently alcohol is doing more harm than during the 19th century, banning alcohol should be reconsidered. When Canadian’s encounter a problem they turn to alcohol thereby, becoming depressed (Arnarson, 2017). When the alcohol wears off, that individual would feel that they wasted time that could have been used to solve the problem (Arnarson, 2017). Heavy drinkers are prevalent in Canada, “In 2017, around 19. 5 percent of Canadians reported heavy drinking at least once in the past month” (Statista, 2018).

In addition, when abusing alcohol, physiological symptoms occur. “Alcoholism is a chronic disease affecting the reward, memory, and motivation systems of the brain” (AG, 2018). This is why alcoholism is defined as a disease in suppose to an illness. Furthermore, alcoholic women give birth to babies with health defects (Arnarson, 2017). Alcoholism can be avoided if alcohol is banned. Alcohol has multiple effects on one’s appetite (Mclaughlin, 2017). It can either cause a loss of appetite causing malnutrition or cause cravings to unhealthy food which over time results in obesity (Mclaughlin, 2017). Dietary deficiency leads to chronic disease, diabetes, and allergies (Mikkonean et al. , 2010).

Small amounts of red wine are seen to improve health (Brazier, 2017). Since red wine contains resveratrol, it can improve cardiovascular health, treat cancer and help with acne, however, eating grapes and berries does the same job but better (Brazier, 2017). If alcoholic beverages were banned, we would still have supplements that provide the same benefits of alcohol but are indeed better (Brazier 2017). Money is a social determinant of health. The middle class and upper class can consume red wine because it is expensive. The lower class and parts of the middle class drink cheaper alcoholic beverages like beer since that is what they can afford. When taken with a meal, red wine has more benefits than beer (HTC, 2018).

An alcohol-free environment is a next step in making Canada healthier and safer. Where I would send the Opinion Editoral? I think it would be most suitable to send my opinion editorial to Toronto Star. It is a well-known newspaper read by approximately 821, 000 in the GTA during the weekday (Toronto Star, 2014). I would want people who lost a family member, people suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, and people that have been cured of alcoholism to read my opinion editorial. Individuals that would have suffered from such afflictions would understand the misery that comes with them. They would agree to ban alcohol considering it would decrease the likelihood of many individuals suffering the pain they encountered.