What is the Attraction To Alcohol>Alcoholism is a Widespread Problem>What the Bible Says About Alcohol Abuse

What the Bible Says
About Alcohol Abuse 

 

Alcoholism is an addiction, and although treatable, most alcoholics have an incredibly difficult time admitting that they have a problem. This also leads to loss of control, which means that once a person begins drinking alcohol, he or she cannot control the amount of intake.

Israel was a wine-producing country. Because of this people had to be aware of the dangers of drinking too much wine. The Bible has very specific things to say about alcohol in particular and allowing anything or anyone other than God to be in control of one’s life.

Alcohol and drunkenness is first mentioned in Genesis 9:20-29. Noah, who was a great hero of the faith, planted a vineyard. When he decided to drink some of its wine, he could not control how much he drank and he ended up getting drunk. One of his sons found him lying uncovered (naked) in his tent and mocked him. His other two sons covered him up without looking at him and they were praised and blessed for that.

This story is believed to have been included in the Bible in order to show that godly people can still sin and that their bad influences affect their families as well.

The second mention of alcohol in the Bible is in Esther 1:10-11.This story is told in an effort to show how self-restraint and practical wisdom are weakened by too much alcohol and that poor decisions are made when people are not thinking clearly.

This is the story of King Xerxes who was drunk from wine. He commanded his servants to bring him Queen Vashti who was his wife to dance and show her body to him and his group of visiting male dignitaries. It was against Persian custom for women to appear in that way in front of groups of men and the Queen knew that her husband was drunk and that was clouding his choices so she refused to come to him.

The King was angered and in his drunkenness thought that her refusal to come to him would mean that all women would stand up against their husbands. Because of this he sent through a new law that the Queen could no longer be in his presence and that all women had to respect their husbands wishes and that every man would be ruler over his wife.

This completely changed his relationship with his wife, of course, and the relationships between men and their wives all over the country.  

 Did You Know

 

Women process alcohol differently than men.  Women who are alcoholics or even occasionally drink too much alcohol face much greater health risks than men who drink the same amounts. 

Women who drink will get drunk faster than men get and become addicted to alcohol faster than men become.  Although men are more likely to drink alcohol and drink in larger amounts, gender differences in body structure and chemistry cause women to absorb more alcohol, and take longer to break it down and remove. 

In other words, upon drinking equal amounts, women have higher alcohol levels in their blood than men, and the immediate effects occur more quickly and last longer.  These differences also make women more vulnerable to alcohol’s long-term effects on their health. 

Research has shown that they also suffer the consequences of abuse-related illnesses a lot quicker than men do.  The effects on the liver are more severe for women than for men and women have a higher risk of having alcohol-related liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.  Proportionately, more women die of alcohol related cirrhosis than men do.

Some alcohol-related illnesses that female alcoholics are at risk for include heart disease, ulcers, reproductive problems, pancreatitis, memory loss, and osteoporosis.  In the late stages of alcoholism, women can develop hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition faster than men according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

Several recent research projects have determined that excessive alcohol consumption in women can result in breast cancer and different cancers of the digestive tract. 

A recent study showed that women who drink two to five alcoholic drinks per day have a 41 percent increase in their risk of getting breast cancer.  Research has shown that excessive drinking in women actually causes the brain to shrink. 


 

Proverbs 23:29-35 specifically gives instruction for people not to get drunk. It talks about how people who get drunk have sorrow and strife in their lives. To make wine an end in itself, a means of self-indulgence or as an escape from life is to misuse it and to invite the consequences of the drunkard.  

Interesting Facts

There are many alternatives to alcohol that can actually help a person to feel more creative, less stressed, more confident and even warm. 

Exercise is one activity that can help relieve stress and help a person deal with his or her problems.

 

The soothing comfort of alcohol is only temporary. Real relief comes from dealing with the cause of the problems that cause one to drink. To drink initially is not such a bad thing but it is the lack of control that comes with drinking and drunkenness that the Bible speaks against. Drunkenness causes irresponsibility and poor decision making that leaves people with a lifetime of consequences to deal with.

Alcoholism in the News

09/06/2008
Bingeing women 'take risks' (The Age)
Women who binge drink are far more likely to catch sexually transmitted diseases and agree to risky sex acts they would otherwise avoid, warns a new study.

Bingeing women 'take risks' (The Age)

09/06/2008
No Sympathy for the Sex Addict (New York Times)
Hollywood has shown little tact in portraying people diagnosed with sex addiction.

No Sympathy for the Sex Addict (New York Times)

09/06/2008
Veterans on TV: 'It's not horrible.' (Orange County Register)
'Generation Kill' and 'Army Wives' draw praise for accuracy.

Veterans on TV: 'It's not horrible.' (Orange County Register)

09/06/2008
No Sympathy for the Sex Addict (New York Times)
Hollywood has shown little tact in portraying people diagnosed with sex addiction.

No Sympathy for the Sex Addict (New York Times)

09/06/2008
Times Celebrates Alcoholism [Happy Hour Servicey!] (Gawker)
Today's New York Times wants you to know about a lovely-sounding new intoxicant that just might be worth braving the Lower East Side for. For centuries people in many parts of South America have been...

Times Celebrates Alcoholism [Happy Hour Servicey!] (Gawker)

09/06/2008
Performer gets 3-year probation in sex case (The Buffalo News)
Steven M. Cooper, one of area's best known theatrical and advertising personalities, was spared a jail term Friday but ordered to continue the sex offender and alcoholism treatment he has been undergoing in recent months.

Performer gets 3-year probation in sex case (The Buffalo News)


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Better Your Health

Alcoholism is a Widespread Problem
◦ What the Bible Says About Alcohol Abuse
◦ The Difference Between Alcohol Dependence And Alcohol Abuse
◦ What is the Attraction To Alcohol
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 1
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 2
◦ A Brief Summary Regarding Alcoholism
◦ Alcohol Abuse and the College Campus
◦ The Brain And Alcohol
◦ Health Risks For Women Alcoholics
◦ Holiday Survival Guide For The Alcoholic
◦ How A Child See's Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Detoxification Steps
◦ Alcoholism and the Workplace
◦ The Children of Alcoholics
◦ Common Questions About Alcoholism
◦ Tests for Alcohol Use
◦ Do All Alcoholics Need a Rehab Center
◦ The Dangers and Penalties Of Drinking and Driving
◦ The War On Drunk Driving
◦ How To Determine When Someone Needs Professional Help
◦ Some Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
◦ Diet Hints To Assist With Alcoholism Withdrawal
◦ Helping Someone To Overcome Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Risk Is Linked to Early Aged Drinking
◦ A Portrait Of An Alcoholic
◦ The Symptoms of Alcoholism
◦ Basic Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Hard Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Cautions Concerning Non Alcoholic Beer
◦ The College Campus And Alcoholism
◦ Dangers of Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 1-6
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 6-12
◦ What Causes An Alcoholic Blackout
◦ New Shot to Treat Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism's Physical Effects
◦ Group Support For Alcoholism
◦ Threats From Alcoholism
◦ The Truth About Alcoholism
◦ Treating The Three Main Issues In Alcoholism
◦ Treatments for Alcoholism
◦ Vitamins and Supplements For The Alcoholic
◦ Recovering From Alcoholism
◦ Help Your Teen Avoid Becoming An Alcoholic
◦ What Is Alcholism
◦ Family Members Drinking Too Much
◦ Explain Alcoholism
◦ Who Are The Alcoholics
◦ Women Fighting The Consequences of Alcoholism
◦ Al Anon Support For The Alcoholic's Family
◦ Health Consequences Of Alcoholism
◦ Medications Used For Treating Alcoholism
◦ Screening Tests For Alcoholism
◦ What Is The Difference Between Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
◦ How to Stop Drinking Alcohol without AA
◦ The Truth About Alcoholics Anonymous
◦ Alcoholism - Curable or Just Controllable
◦ The Causes of Alcoholism
◦ So How Much Drinking Really Is Too Much?
◦ Is Alcoholism Hereditary
◦ What Children Need to Know About Alcohol
◦ How to Recognize When Children are Drinking
◦ What You Need to Know about how to Set Up an Intervention for an Alcoholic
◦ How to Quit Drinking Without Gaining Weight
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