Health, Under the Siege of AlcoholThe value of health and water is realized when they are scares or in short supply, goes the Habasha maxim. Under normal circumstance, we are indifferent to and less concerned about them.
Life is much enjoyable when the physical, mental and social health is well maintained and preserved as well. These faculties, being in order, assure the man to lead quality life, that all aspire to acquire whatever it costs. Caring for these faculties, the body and the mind, is what man prioritizes in life. Life, after all, is the most precious gift freely given to man and this must be well protected. Existence or manner of living is dependent upon healthy body and mind. Apparently, the body is what the mind is; the body implements what the mind commands.
The correlation between these two must be well-balanced and sustainable until the end. Mutual relationship becomes the focal point of health as disparity between the two cause catastrophic consequences in the individual’s life. If either of the two is at odds, the two lose the power to make health sustainable and ascertains longevity. As a matter of fact, all of us desire to live. Nevertheless, any damage that happens to our health, denies us that joy of long and a happy life.
The body of man is perfect in organization and beautiful in form. It is demanded of man to possess a powerful mind and will and also the body possibly should not be heir to no disease that is caused by alcohol consumption. All the faculties of man should be equally developed and harmoniously balanced.
Our body has well-arranged living machinery where every function is wonderfully and wisely made. It is necessary that this human machinery should be kept in healthful condition if the human agent will obey the law of health such as avoiding alcoholic drinks. Thus, a healthy experience demands growth and growth demands that a careful attention be paid to the law of nature that the agents of the body may be kept in a sound state, untrammeled or unhampered in their action and the progress does not become difficult.
High percentage of crime is attributable to liquor. Nine tenth of those who end up in prison are those who drink alcohol too much. When the appetite for alcohol is indulged, the man voluntarily places to his lips the alcohol which debases him below the level of animal since he fails to think like a human being. A person under the influence of alcohol is rather oblivious of what is going on around him; he goes at logger heads with any one that crosses his way. This is like selling oneself, body, soul and spirit, to Satan. When a person fails to act soberly, obviously, the societal disapproval of his acts to the level of indirectly ostracizing him.
The adverse effect of alcohol is not limited to only the direct agent under the influence. It flows over to the members of the family, friends and all who around him. A drunkard husband never considers the wellbeing of his wife and children. Driven by intoxication, in many instances, he is observed brutally beating his wife. At times, she is bruised and maimed, often she runs away since there is no one to come for her rescue. The psychological impact on the children is appalling; they become the battle ground between their parents.
The bad news of excess alcohol consumption does not end there, more than anything else, it affects the off springs who are the direct victims of the circumstance. The children often become scapegoats for both their parents who place their vengeance on them. Innocent children, who cannot defend themselves, the damage becomes worse on them. The husband, spending a lot of money on alcohol consumption, the amount that could have otherwise been used for household expenses, in justification of his position, he blames his wife and the children for the problems that exist in the family.
To cover up for his dishonesty he resorts to violence to which the poor wife and the children fall prey. The wife is demanded of, without receiving money from him, to place food on the table for the family. She is not bread earner rather she is a house wife, with an additional responsibility of caring for the children. Owing to the awful treatment of her husband, both the mother and the children starve for there is virtually no way the wife can provide food as she is demanded.
Literally, she, fearfully and distressfully begs her husband to provide for the family and so do the children for their learning materials and clothes if possible. Therefore, If the situation is not averted, which is not in most instances, the children will definitely go to the street in search of livelihood, and the wife, too, will take the same measure for search of a job and most of all for her personal security as well. The whole scenario depicts how some irresponsible individuals disrupt the smooth flow of family life and a burden to the society.
Setting aside proper intoxication, even mild intoxication has psychological effects. If someone yields to alcoholic temptation, he does not know where to stop. Appetite clamors for indulgence and is gratified to the ruin of the subject. The brain is clouded, reason no longer holds the reins, and lays the individual on the neck of lust. The vices of almost every type are practiced as the result of indulging the appetite for alcohol. The person, who loves the stimulants, becomes sensual; the animal passions control the power of the mind and virtue is not cherished.
Alcohol exerts its influence upon the taste that the highway to drunkenness is entered upon all unsuspectingly. The taste for alcohol is cultivated; the nervous system disordered and the individual state feels secured goes on and on, until every barrier is broken down, every principle sacrificed. With this individual, the strongest resolutions are undermined and the determination is too weak to keep the debased appetite under the control of reason. Some are never really drunk, but are always under the influence of mild intoxication. They are feverish, unstable in mind, not really delirious. They do not suffer from violent mental disturbance such as wild talk and wild excitement. But are somewhat truly unbalanced for the nobler powers of the mind are perverted.
Diseased condition resulting from the use of alcohol is a tendency to disease of various kinds – liver complaints, trembling nerves and determination of blood to the head. By the use of alcohol, many bring upon themselves permanent diseases. Some die of consumption or fall under the power of apoplexy. Every vital function refuses to act; the stomach loses its natural figure, and something stronger drink is needed to arouse to action. The physicians tell them that they have liver complaint, yet if they never give way to the temptations, their abused life forces would recover their vigor.
Some argue that how can somebody engage in the raising of hopes for beer-making, or in the manufacturing of alcohol for market? If they love their fellow man as themselves, how can they help to place in his way that which will be a snare to him? To compensate for alcohol, apples and grapes are God’s gifts; they may be put to excellent use as healthful articles of food, or they may be abused by being put to a wrong use.
The writer believes if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water drink sometimes before or after the meal is all that nature requires. Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues than alcohol. The lesson presented here is one which we would do well to ponder. Our danger is not from scarcity, but from abundance.
We are constantly tempted to excess. We must observe strict temperance in the use of bounties, as well as total abstinence from every injurious or debasing indulgence. As a result of indulgence, we see how many of all professions and of heavy responsibilities, men of exalted station, of eminent talents, and of high reasoning powers, sacrifice everything for the indulgence of appetite until they are reduced to the low level of animals. God save us from this curse!
The Ethiopian Herald December13, 2019
BY JOSEPH SOBOKA
