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A Perspective on Alcohol. John Ashton. A Perspective on Alcohol. An SDA’s Perspective A Scriptural Perspective A Scientific Perspective A Social Perspective. An SDA’s Perspective. An SDAs Perspective Fundamental 22 Christian Living.
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A Perspective on Alcohol John Ashton
A Perspective on Alcohol • An SDA’s Perspective • A Scriptural Perspective • A Scientific Perspective • A Social Perspective
An SDAs PerspectiveFundamental 22 Christian Living We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christ-like purity, health, and joy in our lives…..It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible….Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.
An SDAs PerspectiveOur Stance on Alcohol The Seventh-day Adventist Church, officially organized in 1863, early in its history addressed the use of beverage alcohol and tobacco. The Church condemned the use of both as destructive to life, family, and spirituality. She adopted, in practice, a definition of temperance which urged "total abstinence from that which is injurious, and the careful and judicious use of that which is good." The position of the Church with respect to the use of alcohol and tobacco has not changed. …The church continues to believe that Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 is applicable today, that "Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost" and we "should glorify God" in our bodies. We belong to God, we are witnesses to His Grace. We must endeavor to be at our best, physically and mentally, in order that we may enjoy His fellowship and glorify His name.
A Scriptural Perspective-The Case For • John 2:1-11 Jesus turns water to wine • Luke 5:37-38 Wineskins (Job 32:19 Wineskin without a vent ready to burst) • Luke 5:39 New Wine vs Old Wine • 1 Timothy 5:23 A Little Wine is good for the stomach • Proverbs 31:6-7 If you are dying or in bitter distress, drink to forget your poverty and trouble • Eccl 10:16 Wine gives happiness (party brings laughter) • Psalms 104:15 Wine makes you glad
A Scriptural Perspective- The Case Against • Don’t look at wine Prov 23:31 • Makes you look foolish Prov 20:1 • Causes you to fight Prov 20:1 • Results in violence Prov 4:17, 23:29 • Wine is the root of addiction Prov 23:25 • Wine defiles the drinker Dan 1:5-8 • Don’t give to others Habakkuk 2:15 • Alcohol is not for Kings or Rulers Prov 31:4 • Alcohol is not for Priests Lev 10:9-10
A Scriptural Perspective- The Case Against • Don’t get drunk on wine 1 Thess 5:6,8 • Wine will ruin your life Eph 5:18 • Wine looks good, but will come back to bite you Prov 23:31 • Alcohol brings anguish and sorrow Prov23:29 • Alcohol deadens the senses Prov 23:35 • Wine robs you of understanding Hosea 4:11 • The joy and song of wine will turn bitter Isaiah 24:9 • Drunkards won’t make it to heaven (without Gods grace) 1 Cor 6:9
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Alcohol is a carcinogen • Alcohol is a mutagen • Alcohol is a Terategen • Alcohol damages nearly all organ systems when drunk in excess • Brain Damage • Mental Health • Sexual Health • Heart Disease • Stroke • Obesity
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • What is alcohol? • Water H-O-H • Methanol (wood alcohol) 3H-C-O-H • Ethanol ( drinking alcohol) 3H-C-2H-C-O-H • Alcohol has an –O-H structure similar to water and can enter our organs and cells.
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • When alcohol is drunk it is absorbed directly through the wall of the stomach and intestines and enters directly into the bloodstream where it is circulated to every part of the body • Induces a much greater level of intoxication in women than in men. (Women, being usually smaller, have less water in their bodies than men to dilute the alcohol.)
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • But alcohol is a poison to the body • A carcinogen ~ i.e. Causes cancer • A mutagen ~ i.e. Causes mutations • A Teratagen ~ i.e. Causes birth defects • Because the body recognises alcohol as a poison it tries to get rid of any alcohol by eliminating it from the body and using enzymes to chemically detoxify the alcohol
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • What happens to the alcohol? • 90-98% is oxidised to acetaldehyde (5 times more toxic than alcohol & 90-95% of that has to be detoxified in the liver by converting it to acetate – as in vinegar) • 1-5% is excreted in urine • 1-5% is exhaled through the lungs ( hence breathalyser )
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • No of Drinks BAC% Effect • 1-2 .04 Less inhibitions • 3-4 .06 Impaired judgment • 5-6 .10 Impaired coordination • 6-8 .16 Slurred speech • 8-10 .20 Difficulty walking • 10-15 .30 Wild behaviour • 15-25 .45 Unconsciousness • 25+ .60 Death
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Sexual Effects of Alcohol • Inhibits testosterone production • Causes impotence in older men • Causes delayed orgasm in women • Stimulates conversion of testosterone to oestrogen and feminine fat deposits in men (including breast development ie leads to feminisation of men) • Damages male sperm • May damage female egg
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Foetal Alcohol Syndrome • Maternal alcohol consumption is the leading cause of brain damage in children • Foetal Alcohol Syndrome –> facial features, intellectual impairment, diminished muscular and nervous development • Maternal alcohol consumption in test animals leads to abnormal (feminised) sexual behaviour or impaired sexual ability in male offspring
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Effects on the Brain • High levels– inability to adequately process mental inputs. • Low levels • Premature ageing of the brain • Brain damage is common in social drinkers • Middle aged moderate drinkers have measurably atrophied brains • At a BAC of 0.08% the eye’s ability to focus is impaired • Alcohol interferes with the ear’s protective mechanism against loud noise.
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Effects of Alcohol on the Heart • Antioxidants in wine protect against heart disease – probably by preventing cholesterol from oxidation. • Habitual heavy drinking damages heart muscle and leads to increased risk of heart disease. • Risk of hemorrhagic stroke increases with increased alcohol consumption – even at low levels. • In 2006 researchers at Heidelberg University warned that a regular daily administration of alcohol should not be recommended and that educating the public that alcohol be used as a coronary therapeutic agent would create more damage than benefit because of damaging effects on various other organs.
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Alcohol-Cancer Relationship • Alcohol is a carcinogen or cancer promotor. • Study of 89,000 nurses found 30% increased risk of breast cancer associated with half to one and a half glasses per day. • Women who drink moderately have a 40-100% risk of getting breast cancer
A Scientific PerspectiveWhat happens when we drink Alcohol? • Alcohol-Cancer Relationship • In 2006 the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimated that world wide, there were about 389,000 cases of cancer attributed to drinking alcohol each year resulting in around 233,000 deaths. • Among women, breast cancer comprised 60% of alcohol-attributable cancers.
A Social PerspectiveMy Drinking can Harm Others 2010 data • 70% of Aussies impacted by others drinking • 43% impact is physical abuse, verbal abuse or fear • 1/3 of Aussies impacted by a drinker they know well • 70,000 alcohol related assaults • 24,000 alcohol related domestic violence • 20,000 substantiated alcohol related child abuse cases • Leading cause of road death • 2nd biggest drug killer (after tobacco) • Linked to 55% of rapes • Alcohol contributes to 25% of divorce • Youth promiscuity and STDs • Cost $36 Billion every year
A Social PerspectiveMy Drinking can Harm Others • Alcohol and Social Problems • Alcohol is a major factor in teenage antisocial behavior and sexual promiscuity. • Youth 7 times more likely to have sex if drinking and less likely to use a condom. • The sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia can have no physical symptoms and can lead in 10%-40% of cases to PID and Infertility. • In QLD alone in 2010 there were15,159 new cases diagnosed up to end of October! • Estimated that up to 35% of sexually active young people are now infected. • Condoms do not efficiently protect against Chlamy
A Social PerspectiveAlcohol and sexual promiscuity A recent report for health professionals published on Medscape warns that currently in the United States, more than fifty percent (>50%) of all young adults aged 18 to 25 years have caught at least one of 25 types of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) The most commonly reported STI is Chlamydia infection, with 3 million new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S.A. When left untreated, Chlamydia infection increases a female's risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, infertility and HIV infection. Up to 75% of females and 50% of males exhibit no obvious symptoms and 30-40% of all sexually active females are reported as being infected with the disease.
A Social PerspectiveWhy do people drink? Because it is seen as being cool, sexy and sophisticated Because everybody else is drinking To feel good To have an excuse /inhibition to do stupid things which are later talked about Because alcohol is not going to harm THEM Because they have become addicted. Because they have become an alcoholic.
My name is Australia and I’m an alcoholicby Joshua Blake –student Uni Qld – SMH 27/8/2010 “We have created a culture where young people who do not get drunk and party hard are considered abnormal. How do I know this? I’m a 19-year-old who regularly sees my peers getting drunk and viewing it as some sort of rite of passage. I see others my age who consider getting drunk the only means of having fun. I’m up against a social expectation that assumes I regularly partake in binge drinking events……… Those of us not keen on this excessive drinking culture are constantly being pressured to drink, and we are labelled boring or immature when we don’t partake.”
Some final thoughts No one knows if they will become addicted! Just one glass of alcohol affects our ability to make decisions and increases our chances of doing something we will regret later. If we drink alcohol it encourages others to do so also – they may become addicted and make a wreck of their life or someone else’s life. Therefore, I believe we are to set an example that reduces harm to others – we should not drink alcohol.
Some final thoughts If we currently drink alcohol ~ We can at any time choose not to drink? If we find we are tempted to drink, seek help from a close friend or pastor who you can phone when you are struggling. If we find it hard to stop drinking seek professional help from help organisations listed in the phone book -ASAP We can always talk to God about our problems and He loves us dearly will always forgive us - for He understands.
Reference material See: Uncorked,the hidden hazards of alcohol by John F. Ashton and Ronald S. Laura, Signs Publishing, Victoria, 2009 ISBN 978 1 921 292 361
References • News Clippings • http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw-act/generation-binge-top-cops-fears-over-drink-until-you-drop-culture/story-e6freuzi-1225970519075 • http://www.news.com.au/national/thousands-arrested-in-grog-crackdown/story-e6frfkw0-1225973562029 • http://www.news.com.au/national/wilson-duques-life-ended-after-bashing-that-allegedly-involved-john-hopoate/story-e6frfkvr-1225980852334 • http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/madness-on-street-fuelled-by-the-booze/story-e6freuy9-1225980629631 • http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/14/3112913.htm • http://www.news.com.au/national/four-in-five-australian-women-drink-during-pregnancy/story-e6frfkvr-1225882075492 • http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/is-alcohol-controlling-you/story-fn6ck8la-1225976394500 • http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/01/3081073.htm?site=midnorthcoast • http://www.news.com.au/cop-to-face-drink-driving-charges/story-e6freoof-1225989050805?from=public_rss • http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/no-words-can-ease-the-pain/story-fn6ck4a4-1225983984317 • Video Clips • Brian Welch (Korn) testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs7i_ckEHVA • Homeless Golden Voice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaGLDKBE8Ho • An SDA Perspective • SDA Fundamental Beliefs http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html • SDA Official Statement on Chemical Use, Absue & Dependency http://adventist.org/beliefs/statements/main-stat7.html
References (cont) • A Scientific Perspective • IARC Press Release on Alcohol link to Breast Cancer & Colorectal Cancer http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2007/pr175.html • Breast Cancer Risk: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20080414/alcohol-may-raise-breast-cancer-risk?print=true • Mutagenic, cancerogenic and teratogenic effects of alcohol • Information on Feotal Alcohol Syndrome: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Foetal_alcohol_syndrome • Study on male rats prenatally exposed to alcohol: http://www.northern-neurosciences.com/behavneurosci.pdf • AHA recommendations on Alcohol in relation to cardiovascular disease: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4422 • Alcohol & Brain Damaage: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm • Alcohol & Mental Health: http://www.therightmix.gov.au/resources/documents/P01994G_Alcohol_-_Mental_Health.pdf • Alcohol & Sexual Health: • http://www.share.uwa.edu.au/sexual_health/alcohol_and_sexual_health • http://www.aegis.com/news/ads/2002/AD020235.html • http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2211065/the_hidden_truth_behind_alcohol_and_pg2.html?cat=5 • Calories Comparison Fat Vs Alcohol: http://www.nutristrategy.com/nutrition/calories.htm • Australian Alcohol consumption guidelines: http://www.alcohol.gov.au/internet/alcohol/publishing.nsf/Content/guidelines
References (cont) • A Social Perspective • AER Foundation 2010 Harm to Others Study – Summaryhttp://www.aerf.com.au/Harm_to_Others_Summary.pdf • ANZPAA Alcohol Misuse Statistics for Australia: http://anzpaa.org.au/current-initiatives/operation-unite/alcohol-misuse-statistics • Australian Bureau of Statistics on Alcohol: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyReleaseDate/0B973AF7706E8B15CA2571D4001C8654?OpenDocument • National Drug Research Institute: http://db.ndri.curtin.edu.au/media.asp?mediayear=2010 • Alcohol & Marriage: http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/alcoholism-and-marriage.html • Flood Damage Bill to Australia (to compare cost of alcohol abuse in the AER Harm to Others Study): http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/counting-cost-of-queensland-floods/story-e6frfh4f-1225988029312