Alcohol Outline

Introduction:

I. Thesis Statement: Alcohol has many negative effects, not only on the individual, but their
families too.
II. Attention Getter: Have you ever met someone who suffers from alcohol addiction? Well I
am sure you have because according to the NSDUH, 15.1 million people suffered from an
alcohol use disorder in 2015. My father was 1 of these 15.1 million and still contributes to
this statistic to this day. My mother is in the same boat as my father just not to the severity
of him. My dad has lost his job due to drinking and does not have a job to this day because
all he wants to do is drink and sleep. I have a hard time with my father because of his
drinking habit and what it has done to me and my family. Alcohol has nearly destroyed my
family. It has ruined all of our relationships and it almost ruined me.
III. Preview: Today I will be telling you about the origin of alcohol, the effects alcohol has on
the brain, and what it does to families.

The first thing I am going to discuss is the origin of alcohol.

Body:
I. Origin
A. Early production of alcohol started when farmers realized that fermentation took
place in fallen fruit. Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance. When
the farmers discovered this, they found that the fermented fruit had a fizzy flavor
and tasted rather pleasing. They discovered that they could make formulas that
could be altered in order to make a pleasant alcoholic drink. First production of
alcohol in an organized fashion occurred about 10,000 years ago. This was a
fermented drink derived from honey and wild yeasts.
B. According to drugfreeworld.org, Alcohol has been around as early as 7000 B.C. The
first alcoholic beverage that was made was mead which is a fermented drink that is
made from honey and water. Fermented beverages such as this existed in many
different places such as China and India. Fermented grain, fruit juice, and honey
have been the main uses in the making of alcohol. It became a very popular thing
throughout many civilizations. Greek literature even warns about excessive
drinking.
C.

Now that you have learned where alcohol came from and a little about what its contents
contain, I am going to tell you about the effects it has on the brain.

II. Effects alcohol has on the brain

 A. Alcohol has many effects on the developing brain. The brain is developing through
our teenage years into our mid to late twenties. When someone starts drinking at a
young age, it could lead to lifelong impairments in brain functions. Functions that
are directly affected are memory, skills, and coordination. Young adults are mostly
affected because they seem to really like to binge drink. Binge drinking according to
the NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), for men it is four
drinks in two hours, for women it is three drinks in two hours. This kind of drinking
has extremely harmful effects on the brain.
B. After the brain is developed, the effects of alcohol are different. When alcohol is
consumed in low doses, it provides a relaxing effect, reduces tension, as well as
slows reaction time and reduces coordination. When it is consumed in moderate
doses, it can alter emotions, slur speech, and cause drowsiness. When alcohol is
consumed in high doses, it can cause unconsciousness, vomiting, and even breathing
difficulties. Alcohol also often acts as a depressant in the CNS (central nervous
system). Chronic drinking can reduce brain size, cause vitamin deficiencies, and
even damage frontal lobes of the brain. According to the previously cited NIAAA,
more than 80,000 deaths a year are alcohol-related in the United States.

Now that I have shared the origin of alcohol and how it effects the brain, I am going to tell
you how harmful it also is to families who have someone that suffers from alcohol
addiction.

III. Effects alcohol has on families

A. Alcohol has a major effect not only on an individual, but their families. Alcohol can
destroy marriages and destroy relationships with other family members. People
who have drinking problems can cause fights with their spouse and children.
According to Americanaddictioncenters.org, 60-70 percent of physical violence
among couples occurs because they abuse alcohol. Alcohol also causes one to
neglect responsibilities. The alcohol impairs their cognitive function causing
disruption in their work and home life. This affects families greatly. When someone
is an alcoholic, they spend most if not all their time drinking. This greatly effects
each member of the family. My father has not had a job for over a year now because
all he does is drink. This has majorly affected not only my relationship with him but
my mothers as well.
B. Alcoholism has a major effect on children. According to the previously cited
americanaddictionscenter.org, children who grew up in a home where someone
abused alcohol are more likely to develop emotional troubles compared to those
that grew up in sober homes. Children who grew up with someone who abuses
alcohol are also four times more likely to abuse alcohol themselves.

Conclusion:
I. Summarize your main points: Now I have informed you on alcohol and where it came
from as well as how it was created, how alcohol has a major impact on our brain functions,
and how the use of alcohol can destroy families.
II. Close your thought circle: I have seen this first hand in my family as both of my parents
suffer heavily from alcohol addiction. This addiction affects me and my brother each day.
My father has put drinking above us and that is all he cares about. His father was the same
exact way and he swore he would never be like his father. I started heading down the same
path. I always said I would never touch alcohol because of what it has does to my family. I
would use the excuse that I would never be like them because I have self-control. It was not
until I realized that they said the exact same thing. After this I figured out what it was doing
to me and the people around me. I finally found a good path in my life that would change
my life and end the pattern of abuse that had been set for me. I was drinking just as they
were until I found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This has changed my
path and it is going to change the path for the rest of my family to come.
 Source Sheet

"Alcohol: A Short History." Foundation for a Drug-Free World,

www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/a-short-history.html. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018.
"Alcoholism and Family/marital Problems." American Addictions Center, 13 Oct. 2018,
americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/family-marital-problems/. Accessed
17 Oct. 2018.
"Young Adult Drinking." National Institution on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Apr. 2006,
pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa68/aa68.htm. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health