Alcoholism: A Threat to Public Health
By Favour Patrick
Alcoholism remains one of the most pressing public health challenges in modern society, with far-reaching consequences on physical, mental, and social well-being. In this interview, Dr. Emeka S. Ukaegbu, a Prostatic Surgeon and CEO of Bishop Okoyi’s Memorial Hospital, Owerri, brings light on the causes, effects, and possible solutions to alcoholism. He also provides a medical and moral perspective on alcohol use, offering valuable insights into how society can curb the growing trend of alcohol dependence.
Q. What’s your name and your profession?
A. I am Dr Emeka S. Ukaegbu a Prostatic Surgeon, and the chief executive officer of Bishop Okoyi’s Memorial Hospital, Owerri, Imo state.
Q. What is alcohol?
A. Alcohol is a class of organic compound produced by fermentation of sugar by yeast, obtained by distillation and present in alcoholic drinks as ethanol and can be used as a preservative or antiseptic.
Q. What is alcoholism?
A. Alcoholism is a syndrome caused due to physical dependence of alcohol, where in sudden deprivation causes withdrawal symptom as tremor, anxiety, hallucination and delusions. This is also called Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Q. What are the causes of alcoholism, what leads people into alcoholism?
A. It can be caused by a lot of factors. These factors include genetic and environmental factors whose prevalence is dependent on alcohol, cost, availability, applicability, peer pressure and habit of addiction.
Q. What are the consequences of alcoholism?
A. Alcohol results in a lot of consequence, especially on the health. It can lead to cardiomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, cirrhosis of the liver and it also puts victims at risk to various types of cancer. Psychologically, it can lead to impairment of intellectual function, physical skill, memory and judgment
Q. We often hear people say a little alcohol is good for the body and now recent research has shown that no amount is good for the body, as it poses high risk to various types of cancer. How do we balance this looking at the society we are in?
A. Biblical and scientific balance. Moderation is the spice of life. Too much of anything is harmful. Hence, the virtue of St. Paul’s admonition to Timothy: “Stop drinking only water and use a little wine because of your Stomach and your frequentillnesses.” (1 Timothy 5.23)
Q. Which demography is alcoholism most prevalent? Young people (18-39), the middle aged (40-69) or the elderly (70 and above)?
A. Alcoholism is more prevalent among the middle aged of 40- 69. Most persons in this age bracket fall to alcohol as a form of consolation, mostly due to life problems.
Q. Can alcoholism be totally eliminated. If yes how?
A. Yes, can be totally eliminated by helping the patients understand the psychological pressure that led to the heavy drinking and also the health implications of alcoholism.
Q. What can be done to reduce the rate of alcoholism or totally eliminate it?
A. Proper sensitization by the government as well as others societal agents will go a long way. Catching the youths especially in the universities informing them about the dangers of alcoholism not just on the human health will go a long way in shaping the future generation.
Q. What is your advice to the general public as a health practitioner on the dangers of alcohol and alcoholism?
A. The public should be alerted, there should be massive campaigns and awareness by the government, NGOs and concerned individuals to the public, that beyond depressing activity of the central nervous system, alcoholism causes cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart muscle. This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood. It also results in peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves outside your brain or spinal cord. This can lead to numbness of some parts of the body.
