Movie review

Never done a movie review but I figured I would write out a quick one, over thanksgiving break I went and saw the new disney movie Frozen. I must say it was one of the best movies I had seen in awhile even as disney is concerned, it had a perfect balance between comedy, great animation, a strong plot, and a great soundtrack that usually comes with these disney movies.

Heres a quick summary that disney gave of the movie, I highly recommend going to see this one its an instant classic.


Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, "Frozen" is the coolest comedy-adventure ever to hit the big screen. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction. (c) Disney

how to cut back on stress

Now that Finals are coming up the stress levels start to get out of control, but don't fear your not the only one and there are some quick fixes to get back on track.

1) Yoga-- it may look like just stretching but from personal experience nothing is more relaxing than a ten minute savasna sleep after a good yoga session. You will not only be helping your body but also your mind by doing this.

2) Go for a run-- most of us hate running however a good run here and there is a great way to get out of the dorm room and just run off all your stress. while your running try not to think of the work you have to do just focus on the moment your in.

3) meditate-- not all of us have the patience for it but it is one of the oldest stress reducers out there.

4) Take a break-- a simple idea really but sometimes all you need is to walk away from whatever your doing for some time then come back with your new found energy and finish it up.

These are all very effective ways to relieve stress and some may work better for some people and not so well on others, so give them all a try.

Tips for finals week

1) Dont procrastinate study early- If you have multiple finals and you start studying for them the weekend before you are going to be both stressed and ill prepared for your final. Start studying early but do it in small chunks, it will be more bearable.

2) Prioritize your courses-- this isn't high school finals anymore where you can spend equal time studying on each, make sure you spend the most time on the hardest courses and the ones that matter to your major the most.

3) Avoid intertwining subjects-- you may want to break it up so you study 30 min for O chem, then 25 for history, and finish up with 15 min for that PE final.DONT this will cause confusion focus on one topic at a time.


4) Focus--45 minutes of uninterrupted study time = 1 break. 1 break = 10 minutes.

5) Turn off the Media its study time!

the role of argument, from Steve Jobs

By using examples you can make a more sound argument because they are able to back up a claim with specific instances. On page 316 Steve Jobs uses an example of when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to argue, to the graduating class at Stanford, that they should make the most out of every moment. If this example was just a picture and small caption it wouldn’t be able to make the same argument, and would not invoke the same emotion as the whole written example does.

            In the example Jobs first describes the day he was diagnosed, talking about how it was at 7:30 in the morning and that there was a tumor found on his pancreas. This part you probably could have shown in a picture, however he then goes on to describe his interaction with the doctor and with that the emotions he felt from what the doctor was telling him. For example the doctors tell him he has no longer than three to six months left so he should go home and get his affairs in order. So what Steve Jobs thinks the doctors are trying to say is to prepare to die, and to make sure everything is “buttoned” up so that it will be easier for his family.  Later that day he received a biopsy and the doctors found that the cancer could be treated with surgery and that he would actually live. This is of course great news to hear, and he even describes from his wife’s point of view how the doctors were crying after finding out that the man they just condemned to death was actually going to live.

            In his final paragraph jobs states his point of the example, saying that life is limited and have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Some say a pictures worth a thousand words, but in this case a picture would not be able to give the same power as the entire written example did for Steve Jobs argument about making the most out of every moment.

Alcoholism solution paper

Andrew Bell

McNally

English 112

December 9, 2013

Alcoholism: Solving the Problem

            Alcohol is over forty percent easier to obtain than in 1980 because of its cheaper cost, lower tax, and now there is a liquor store on every street corner of major cities. The number of people suffering from alcoholism has more than tripled to an estimated 140 million people (Gunzerath 20). An alcoholic is defined as any persons who have an addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor, or the mental illness and compulsive behavior resulting from alcohol dependency (Becker 34).  People who consume high amounts of alcohol on a regular basis risk both damage to the liver as well as the brain. Today more than two million American’s suffer from alcohol-related liver disease such as cirrhosis (a chronic disease of the liver marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fibrous thickening of tissue). Not only can the brain lose functions such as long-term memory but it can also cause the permanent loss of brain cells (Edenberg 336).

            Alcoholism not only affects the people who are suffering from it, but also society as a whole. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted research that shows forty percent of all aggressive incidents involve alcohol. Twenty two percent of police’s time is spent on cases involving alcohol, and thirteen percent of all employees’ sick days are alcohol related (Gunzerath 15). Of course drinking and driving is still the chart topper and one of the biggest issues on the road today. Every thirty minutes, a person will be killed by a drunk driver, in 2012 over 10,000 people were killed in a drunk driver crash. This problem is becoming one of the most common causes of death for people on the road today.

            The problem is alcoholism is too prevalent and is on the rise globally. This has many contributing factors that are both in our everyday life but also some genetic aspects. Because this is a global issue that so far hasn’t been solved, even though many have proposed solutions to the problem but none so far have shown the kind of results that people are looking for. Some have imposed taxes in their countries making it more expensive to purchase alcoholic beverages in general, while others have just increased the penalty for alcoholic behaviors (Chaiyasong 91). Even still, some focus not on trying to forcefully make people quit but instituting a more gradual solution, this aim is to educate people on the problem of alcoholism and make the possibility of help more accessible (or rather required).

            All of these options have their own pros and cons, as well as a possibility to succeed. This is why I believe the solution isn’t simply one of these ideas, but instead a combination of all the ideas. My solution to the problem of rising alcoholism is: to increase the excise tax, to more strictly enforce punishments in alcohol related crimes, and to better educate the society on the problems and ways of helping alcoholics.

            To begin with, Alcoholism can develop from many different areas from your genes, environment, or simply the time of life you are going through. First scientists have found that there is a correlation between genes that are passed down from generation to generation that can make you more likely to develop and alcoholic lifestyle (Edenberg 337). Howard Edenberg researched these genes and found that it’s not a single gene, but a combination of several genes that cause this increased chance. Using family studies a scientist would examine a particular family that had a history of alcoholism, then they would compare the genes to a family with no history of it. What was found was not a precise gene that they could simply cause alcoholism, instead they found that the interaction of certain genes was he cause.

            In addition, an article was published in the Annals Of the New York Academy of Science, in this studies scientists focused on the correlation between a child’s certain situation they grow up in and how that effects their probability to become dependent on drinking. This study found that children raised in environments where alcohol was both consumed regularly and abused, their chances of developing similar behavior was far more likely than that of other people. Not only that, but also children who grew up or were around smoking had a much higher chance of becoming alcoholics. This peculiar connection between smoking and drinking is explained through the dependence of a substance, for example if the child’s father smoked to relieve stress then when the child was old enough they would recognize the ability of a substance to provide comfort.

            Another environment that relies heavily on drinking is college. Students in college have a recently found sense of freedom; most of the kids are experiencing this kind of freedom for the first time in their lives. This makes it a great time for experimenting with things without having to worry about being punished by their parents directly. Not only this but college parties have begun to idolize the idea of drinking as much as you can in one night. This sort of reaction formation can be very dangerous to the students because they will want to drink more and more often, and will begin to rely on it as the only way to have a “good time” (Demers 200). 

            The last factor has a huge impact on the probability of becoming dependent of alcohol. If for example someone is going through an emotionally hard time in their life such as the loss of a loved one, they may turn to alcohol as a way to drink away their sorrows. When this is repeated over and over the person will become dependent on alcohol as a way to forget the loss of the loved one, and will think the only way to be happy is to drink. Another way people can become alcohol dependent is by drinking to reduce stress (Becker 34). Howard Becker wrote in his article that alcohol has anxiety relieving properties, however at the same time it creates an imbalance of hormones that are created by the hypothalamus.

            If a person becomes dependent on alcohol they may even show signs of withdrawal if they don’t have the substance, making this a real disease. Just like with other addictions there are patterns of gender differences; Sharaf Khan et al wrote about the gender differences and the likelihood of a certain sex becoming alcohol dependent. They found that men were at a much higher risk to developing a disorder involving alcohol, such as alcohol dependence. While women are more likely to develop mood or anxiety disorders, yet these disorders have been found to increase the chance of developing into an alcohol disorder (Sharaf 1697). Another instance they found was the likelihood was greater for women to seek out help after being diagnosed with an alcohol disorder, while men had more of a “pride” issue and sought help much less often.

            Alcoholism is responsible for more than 2 million cases of liver disease, as well as the increased number of fatalities related to alcohol consumption. The damage that alcohol has on the body in high amounts is extraordinary. The loss of brain cells, which do not come back, as well as numerous types of cancer that can develop from the use of alcohol (“Alcohol Abuse and The Law”). Some other problems that an alcoholic risks developing are; arthritis, heart disease, hypoglycemia, kidney disease, malnutrition, and obesity are just a few physical diseases that alcoholics have a higher risk of getting. Mentally alcoholism can also cause depression, anxiety, insomnia, and has even been related to schizophrenia.

            However alcohol disorders don’t only effect the person who has developed the addiction but also society as a whole. One of two murders, one of four suicides, one of every three-road accidents, are all due to alcohol. People who are more associated with alcohol are more frequently involved in fights, and long term alcoholics have been found to have little to no control of their emotions. Because of this alcoholics tend to overreact in situations, and use alcohol as a way to burry their bad emotions. This makes their feelings lay dormant until the next time they can no longer control the bottled up emotions and explode. Alcohol related crimes have increased two-fold over the past decade worldwide.

            The article “ Treating Alcoholism Reduces Financial Burden On Care-Givers and Increases Quality-Adjusted Life Years” explains the burden the primary caregiver bears while looking after an alcoholic. The caregiver burden was measured before and twelve months after rehabilitation, also looking at the quality of life for both the caregiver as well as the alcoholic. The average caregiver spent 676 dollars a month on the alcoholic before rehab but after they only spent twenty. Not only did the caregiver save money but also the average time spent caring for the affected went from over 32 hours a month down to under eight (Salize 65). Alcoholism not only affects the person who has it but also society as a whole.

            Given that the rise of alcoholism globally is a problem that seems to be endless, many have tried to come up with solutions. Some stress that the only solution is through increased severity of punishments, for example in “Alcohol Abuse and The Law” an article published in the Harvard Law Review they propose huge fines, license revoking, and even jail time. These punishments would also be enforced strictly, because of the problem that arises when someone is told they are going to jail and get off with community service it increases the chance that they will do it again. Another type of punishment would be an increase in the likelihood of catching the alcohol abusers. We in some areas have already started this, for example with drunk drivers the police are setting up checkpoints along the roads to catch them. If someone is worried that they will get caught it will decrease the likelihood that they will participate in said actions.

            Contrary to punishment another solution was simply raising the tax on alcohol. In an experiment conducted by the Thai government where the tax on brandy, blended, and white spirits were raised in two rural cities. What they found was that a decrease in alcohol related issues was seen almost overnight in both cities, and also a decrease in the irresponsible consumption of these liquors. This was because the alcoholics who spent everything they had on alcohol could no longer afford it in their everyday lives, and the more responsible people could. A negative of this experiment was that one town in an attempt to revolt, began to illegally manufacture the alcohol. This of course led to an increase in arrests, which turned out to be a positive because the people saw the government was reinforcing the promised punishments (Chaiyasong 95). This experiment showed both sides of what could happen when you increase the tax on alcohol, one town it totally solved the problem, while the other really only made it worse.

            Another way people have tried to solve the problem is through better educating people about the problem as well as the opportunities for rehab. The article written by Meriam Janssen et al, talks about how educating the public on the rising issue of alcoholism alone isn’t enough to solve the problem, however it lays a solid foundation to work off (Janssen 11). By educating people on the risks of alcoholism and some early signs that usually come before alcohol dependence, the number of people that suffer from alcoholism will decrease which will help prevent the spread of the disease. However we don’t totally disregard the people who already are diagnosed alcoholics, there is still an opportunity to educate them on the support groups and all the different options for rehab, and the road to recovery. This solid foundation would help start a revolution against fighting the addiction to alcohol.

            Similarly, the article by Andree Demers et al focuses on when we should be educating the younger generations on alcoholism. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, found that educating kids about alcoholism in the later years of college around the time that drinking becomes legal for them isn’t soon enough. Some schools around the world have begun to educate children as young as fifth grade on the effects of alcohol on the body. When students were asked what they knew about alcohol teachers, and parents found that kids thought it was cool or seen as a right of passage into adult hood. Many blamed this on the praise media puts on it, using alcohol in movies or even making commercials about alcohol look cooler (Demers 191). Now in college students say that drinking is something that’s expected of you to fit in. That’s why we are educating at an early age, the hope is to make the younger generations better understand the risks of drinking even when they are old enough to do it legally.

            As stated above the solution to the problem isn’t a singular thing that needs to be enforced but a combination of multiple ideas that we have tried. The first step is educating, by making people aware of the problem there will be an increase in support to end the problem. Next is the increased tax, although this would probably one of the hardest ideas to get passed. If the tax was increased even a little the money being made from the tax could come back and fund the project to better educate people on alcoholism making sure nothing is done without purpose. Then, one of the most important steps would be enforcing the punishments, If people know that there are consequences and no way around them they will be less likely to participate in said actions. Lastly, if we made rehab something that was required by the courts as something everyone who was involved with alcohol incidents had to do. Not only people who had gotten in trouble but also make organizations like AA easier to access for people who are headed down the wrong path and need some outside health.

            Alcoholism is a problem that has been on the rise worldwide, and even though many have tried to enforce a solution none have worked so far. The ideas were all good but each had its own weakness, this is why by combining them is the only way. By combining the ideas of many you get all of the strengths but none of the weaknesses. The only way to stop the rise in alcoholics worldwide is to educate, tax, enforce punishment, and provide better ways to help cure the diseased. With this I believe we can end the pain and strife caused by alcoholism.

thanksgiving

This is my first ever year on my own as a freshman in college its the first time i have had this much freedom, and yet I still look forward to going home when I can because I live pretty far away from home thanksgiving was my first real opportunity to go home and see my friends and family. However now I can't go home, at least as soon as I thought I could because the soccer team is doing so well. Now the problem is I want to go home but I also want the team to keep going and hopefully set a new record for the furthest we have ever gotten, this will of course be at the expense of going home. I told my family and friends that there is always Christmas!! So for now I'll stay here with the team, and who knows maybe we will have a team thanksgiving dinner if we continue on our way to the final four!

Next part 3

As I finished the book I was very happy how the whole story finally began to tie in together. Some of the story lines melded together which I thought was a really cool way to bring the whole story to an end. For example when Brad was at the amusement park and ended up shooting a man in a white coat who just happened to be Dr. Bellermino. I also liked how it was a surprise as to which story lines were going to mix and it definitely wasn't the ones I thought were going to mix, Like when Dave first met Vasco, that was in my opinion a great way to close both those story lines.

Next Part 2

We then find out about two transgenic animals who are named Gerard and Dave. I personally like Gerard because of his wit and sarcasm, even though he is a parrot. But he is still very smart and very good at annoying people, I just find the idea of a bird that can do math and other higher level of thinking things is a really cool concept. This goes the same for Dave who is a half boy half chimp combo, he is taken from the research lab by his theoretical "Father" and brought back home to a suburb where he tries to live the life of a normal young adult.

Next

The book by Michael Crichton has so far proved to be both interesting and very confusing. Halfway through the book we are already looking at at least four or five separate story lines for example one story line focuses on the bounty hunter Vasco, While another is talking about Hagar in the rainforest trying to find the chimp that can curse in different languages. Crichton does a good job at making several different story lines that are all very different but still contribute to his main message of genetics through out his story.

Wartburg Soccer

The Wartburg mens soccer team beat Dominican 4 to 0 this friday, as well as a great win against Hope in the second half of overtime. the Knights will play Trinity this weekend in Dubuque, and if they win will have matched the record for the furthest the Wartburg Mens soccer team has ever gone!


Go Knights

Zubeen Azari

Zubeen is a sophomore on the soccer team here at Wartburg, he hails from Okoboji Iowa. He is a Bio major who is "Living the life" in college his schedule involves psychology, calculus, organic chemistry, Physics. He is approximately 5' nothing and has the build of a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. But his heart is as big as a mountain, he is always nice to everyone even if he doesn't actually like them. He is one of the great role models I have here at Wartburg College.

This Blog was written by request of the above.

Annotated Bibliography For a paper on Alcoholism

Bibliography

Becker, Howard. "Effects of Alcohol Dependence and Withdrawal on Stress Responsiveness and Alcohol Consumption." Alcohol Research. 34.4 (2012): 11. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

            The article written by Howard Becker provides information that there is a direct correlation between alcohol dependence and stress. If a person depends on alcohol to reduce stress they will soon be dependent on alcohol and find when they don’t have it they go into a withdrawal. Alcohol can help reduce stress because it has anxiety reducing properties, however it can also create an imbalance amongst the hormones created by the hypothalamus. Alcoholism is on the rise because more and more people (especially in college students) are becoming more reliant on alcohol as a stress reducer, which they soon become dependent on and have to have it on a daily basis.

            This source describes how alcohol can affect you and why so many people are becoming reliant on alcohol in there daily lives. By looking at how stress and alcoholism are directly related one can begin to see why so many have begun to abuse alcohol. Chronic alcohol exposure directly affects the reward circuitry in the brain and escalates your alcohol consumption as well as alcohol dependence.

            Howard Becker has a Ph.D. in psychiatry and Behavioral science, and is a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and the head of the Department of neuroscience. He has written over fifty peer reviewed articles that have been published in Alcohol Research and Science Magazine. He is considered to be one of the leaders in the study of alcoholism and its effect on the human body, especially looking at the brain. His article is unbiased and gives only facts about the rising problem of alcohol dependent people, and why the numbers are growing. Becker is a researcher that has conducted hundreds of experiments and always has data and research to back up his claims. In this article in particular he also includes footnotes and other hyper links that show you the background research done on the topic. The Magazine that this article is published in is also a credible source; the magazine has been publishing scientific articles on the effects of alcohol since the early nineties. All articles are peer reviewed for content as well as the author’s credibility.

Edenberg, Howard. "Genes Contributing to the Development of Alcoholism." Alcohol Research. 34.3 (2012): 336-338. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

            Howard Edenberg describes that the rise in alcoholics can be due partly to our genes. Some genetic factors can account for some of the risk of alcoholism, although finding the specific gene is a difficult process. Using family studies have accounted for most of the data gathered in this article, the scientists examine a family where alcoholism is present and see if any specific genes are special to the person who is dependent on alcohol compared to the rest of the family.

            Scientists have found that alcoholism is a disease that can be treated but can also be passed down through genes to younger generations. However, it is not a singular gene or even a group of genes. Researchers have found that the disease is the interaction between certain genes; there are in fact hundreds of them that may or may not have an effect. Also the impact of a certain gene depends on the person’s genetic history as well as their environment. One test used is the genome-wide association test, which looks at a large set of variations in the genes across an entire genome to see its exact effect related to alcoholism.

            Howard Edenbergs’ area of study focuses on regulation of gene expression, genetics of complex disease, molecular biology of alcoholism. He got his B.S. in 1968, followed by is M.S. in 1970, then his Ph.D. in 1973, and lastly had two post-doctorals that went from 1973-1977. The authors credibility seems to be sufficient enough just by looking at his educational background however he is also a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Indiana university school of medicine, and also is the director of center for medical genomics. His work on genes related to alcoholism has laid the groundwork for other researchers to look at a whole new cause of alcoholism that come straight from our own genes. His article was also published in Alcohol Research in 2012.

Onciu, Mihai, and Anastasia Iordache. "Legal and Forensic Issues for Chronic Alcoholism." Acta Medica Transilvanica. 18.2 (2013): 309-311. Print.

            Because alcohol has similar effects to that of drugs and can come at a cheaper price, as well as being easier to access makes it one of the most abused substances today. Alcoholism is a disease that affects not only physical, but also the mental and emotional state of the user. However not only does it effect the alcoholic themselves but also society as a whole; one out of two murders, one out of four suicides, one out of every three road accidents, all of these are due to alcohol. People who are more commonly associated with alcohol are more frequently involved in fights, and long-term alcoholics can even lose the ability to control their emotions.

            The article focuses not only on the alcoholics themselves but how they can affect society as a whole. Alcoholics tend to overreact in situations, and use alcohol as a way to bury their bad emotions. This simply makes the feelings lay in wait until the next time they start drinking then they simply let all the negativity out at once, usually resulting in feelings of guilt and depression which leads to poor choices being made that are often illegal acts. Alcohol related crimes have been growing non-stop for the past decade and have shown no signs of even plateauing. These crimes committed are not only affecting the alcoholic themselves, but their friends, family, and society as a whole.

            The authors are both from Transylvania, Mihai is a forensic pathologist, and Anastasia is a psychosocial researcher looking at relationships between alcohol and its affects on society. Both have been on the topic of alcoholism since they got their M.D.’s, and have found countless examples of how alcohol abuse is the most widespread addiction in the world today. This article was published in the Acta Medica Transilvanica, which is a journal that is published quarterly with peer-reviewed articles that present recent research results in public health and management. The site looks very credible and has all its information on the home page as well as copyright information and links to all its background data, including contact information and process for submitting an article.

Gunzerath, Lorraine, et al. "Alcohol Research: Past, Present, And Future." Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences 1216.1 (2011): 1-23. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

            This article introduces the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), which was founded to better understand, treat, and prevent future effects of alcoholism. This institution was created in 1970 in accordance with the Hughes act that states the sole purpose of the NIAAA is to solve all alcohol related problems, and try to better prevent these causes in the future. They helped to develop Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and showed that through rehabilitation alcoholics can recover. The NIAAA along with the American Psychiatric Association were the first to declare that alcoholism is in fact a disease and is an escalating problem for today’s generation.

            This article is important because it talks about how alcoholism is a problem and how a solution is trying to be found. The NIAAA was created in 1970 with the focus on alcoholism and how to stop the increasing number of alcohol related problems, since the number is still rising we are still trying to find a solid solution to the problem. It also focuses on alcoholism as a disease through Epidemiology (the study of causes) and describes the medical, psychological, social, legal consequences.

            The article was published in Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences; this is a science academic journal that focuses on providing multiple perspectives on research of present day scientific interest. Lorraine Gunzerath is a researcher at the National Institute Of Health, and has her degree in psychology focusing on personality psychology. Brenda Hewitt works as the assistant director at the Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities, and has been studying the effects of alcohol on the liver as well as other organs for almost a decade. Kai Li is a researcher at a substance abuse hospital, looking at how alcohol affects cognitive functions. Kenneth Warren works for the NIAAA and focuses his time on bettering public-acceptance of alcohol-use disorders.

"Alcohol Abuse And The Law." Harvard Law Review 94.7 (1981): 1660. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

            This article describes some solutions to the increasing number of alcoholics; specifically how to lower the number of drunk drivers, and other alcohol related incidents. The article suggests two solutions either increase the penalty or increase the likelihood of apprehending the alcohol abusers. In the case of drunk drivers, big fines, license revoking, and even jail time are already some punishments put in place by our laws today. However because of sympathetic juries some still get off with punishments like community service, not being consistent with punishments makes the punishment itself less effective. While they could also increase the number of arrests and likelihood of getting caught drunk driving. This is what some states have begun to do, cracking down on drunk drivers everywhere which will make people be more responsible with alcohol.

            This article is relevant because it looks at some solutions that we have tried and failed, but also some ones that we haven’t tried yet that could be effective. The article suggests that through educating people may help reduce the number of people suffering from alcoholism. Not only this but they also describe how being stricter on our punishments, such as increased fines or increased jail time. Also making sure that any law they enforce is also fair and constitutional to the people, for instance if they were going to impose a law suggesting random stops and searches of cars some may say its unconstitutional according to the fourth amendment that defends against unreasonable search and seizure.  

            The Harvard Law Review is an academic peer edited journal that publishes articles of; professors, judges and other recognized experts. It is a reliable source because all articles in the journal are all related to the law and portray the laws accurately. The article was a combination of multiple articles and research all compiled into one work about alcohol abuse in relation to the law.

Chaiyasong, Surasak, et al. "Impacts Of Excise Tax Raise On Illegal And Total Alcohol Consumption: A Thai Experience." Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 18.2 (2011): 90-99. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

            This article describes how the Thai government raised the excise tax on certain liquors, in an attempt to cut down alcohol consumption, and alcohol related issues. The experiment was conducted on two rural towns over a six-month period. What the researchers found was a immediate decrease in alcohol related issues because the people who spent all they had on alcohol could no longer afford it. A negative was that, in one of these towns illegal manufacturing of alcohol started. This led to arrests and punishments for almost all involved parties, this could also be a positive to the cause because people saw that the government was reinforcing their law with strict punishment. Once the people became more responsible with the alcohol the excise tax was reduced again, but they were told if it became a problem again the tax would again rise.

            This article is an example of a successful solution to the rise of alcoholism. This is part of what I’m proposing in my paper, as a solution to the rise of alcoholism in America, if we impose an excise tax on liquor people wont be able to be as reliant on it. This will help stop the high dependence people have on alcohol, just as it did in the two rural villages. The Thai government imposed this tax on brandy, blended, and white spirits, and the decrease in consumption was very obvious.

            This comes from a peer reviewed academic journal that focuses on multi-disciplinary papers on the prevention of substance abuse. Surasak Chaiyasong in the Thai federal government as a public administer. While Jon Schommer was an alcoholic beverage wholesaler, in the rural village. Supon and Chulaporn Limwattananon also worked in the federal government as municipal and public administers.

Salize, Hans Joachim, et al. "Treating Alcoholism Reduces Financial Burden On Care-Givers And Increases Quality-Adjusted Life Years." Addiction 108.1 (2013): 62-70. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

            This article was written on the effect an alcoholic has on their primary caregiver and the results a fully recovered alcoholic had on that caregiver. The caregiver burden was assessed both before and twelve months after the rehabilitation took place. They also looked at the quality of life for both the caregivers as well as the alcoholics. It shows that having an alcoholic in the family not only affects them but also the entire family.

            Alcoholism is just like any other substance addiction in that the person addicted will do whatever it takes to get there next “fix.” This article shows how much money they spend and that even when they run out they still bum it off their family to get it. The average family saved 676 dollars a month before treatment down to twenty dollars after. Not only did they save money, but the families also went from spending 32.3 hours caring for the affected before treatment to only 8.2 hours. These statistics speak for themselves in that they show that not only can alcoholism be cured for the alcoholic but also the whole family can be affected in a positive way if the rehabilitation works.

            This section was printed in Addiction, a peer edited academic journal that was first published in 1993. Focusing on major papers, reviews, and news about various forms of addiction. Hans Salize is a German researcher/psychologist, who focuses on mental disorders as well as the effects of alcohol on mental state. Christian Jacke is a German doctor who is a specialist in cardiology (deals with diseases and abnormalities of the heart) and angiology (studies of diseases of the circulatory and lymphatic system). Sven Kief and Michael Franz are both doctors at substance abuse hospitals.

Khan, Sharaf, et al. "Gender Differences In Lifetime Alcohol Dependence: Results From The National Epidemiologic Survey On Alcohol And Related Conditions." Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 37.10 (2013): 1696-1705. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

            The article focuses on the difference in gender and their reliance to become dependent on alcohol. In it researchers found that men are more likely to develop a disorder involving alcohol such as alcohol dependence. While women are more likely to develop mood or anxiety disorders, yet these disorders can increase the chance of alcoholism, but the numbers are still greater when it comes to males.

            When comparing the numbers of males and females suffering from alcoholism in America and even worldwide its obvious that there are more males than females. Researchers looked at differences in psychiatric and medical comorbidities (the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases), risk factors, and treatment utilization patterns. They found that women sought out treatment more often than males, and that males were at a much higher risk for developing a addiction or dependence on alcohol. There were however no gender differences for remission rates, and they found that women who were alcoholics had a higher chance to also have another family member being an alcoholic.

            Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research is a peer-reviewed journal that focuses only on alcoholism and related issues. It’s published by Blackwell publishing and has been published annually since 2003. Sharaf Khan is the director at a residential mental health and substance abuse facility in Turkey. Mayumi Okuda got her Ph.D. in psychiatry and worked at the New York state psychiatric institute before going to the department of internal medicine. Carlos Blanco is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Research Scientist in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at New York State Psychiatric Institute. He focuses on the combination of medicine and psychotherapy as a treatment for alcoholics.

Janssen, Meriam M., et al. "Effectiveness Of Alcohol Prevention Interventions Based On The Principles Of Social Marketing: A Systematic Review." Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention & Policy 8.1 (2013): 1-11. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

            The articles main focus is on the overall prevention of future substance abuse, especially when it comes to alcohol. It explains how working to educate the public on the rising problem of alcoholism isn’t enough to stop it but it lays a solid foundation to work off. The article also provides another solution, by using social marketing that involves integrating marketing concepts with other concepts that will help influence an individual or communities for the greater social good. They concluded at the end of the study that they could not accurately say that the social marketing technique actually had positive effects on alcoholism, because of inconclusive data.

            Social marketing is described through eight principles: customer orientation, insight, segmentation, behavioral goals, exchange, competition, methods mix, and is theory based. When the research team took other studies conducted about alcoholism they received over 270 experiments and academic journals, however only six of those studies had the right guidelines to fit into the experiment and out of the six none completely showed the eight principles listed above. This is why the scientists concluded it was inconclusive due to lack of data. These results showed that although they didn’t come up with a solid solution they still had a hypothesis to test and if social marketing could be applied to alcoholism and combined with educating people on the effects of alcoholism there may be a possible answer.

            Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention & Policy is a peer reviewed academic journal that focuses on substance abuse and addiction. It was first published by BioMed Central in 2006 and has released two issues. Meriam Janssen works in the Tranzo department at the scientific center for care and welfare in the Netherlands, she works mainly on substance abuse applied to alcoholism. Henk Garretsen is a professor in health care policy at Tilburg University. These authors are both specialists in their fields and have done appropriate research to back up the claims they make in the paper, which they also site.

Demers, Andrée, Nancy Beauregard, and Louis Gliksman. "College Alcohol-Control Policies And Students' Alcohol Consumption: A Matter Of Exposure?." Contemporary Drug Problems 40.2 (2013): 191-214. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

            The article concentrates specifically on the effects of alcohol consumption as a minor and the long-term effects it has, especially on college students. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, found that educating kids about the effects of alcoholism in the later years of college isn’t soon enough. Some schools in America have begun to include educating children as young as fifth grade on the effects alcohol can have on your body both physically and mentally. The hope is to make the younger generations better understand the risks of drinking even when they are old enough to do it legally.

            Researchers asked children from sixth grade all the way to there early college years about what they new about alcohol and its effects. They found that the lack of actual education had indirectly reinforced the praise that media puts on alcohol. Now we see alcohol in our daily lives from movies to television shows to even commercials advertising the specific drink. This is similar to when smoking was on the rise; when kids see there favorite actors drinking some whiskey at the end of a scene, or a character in a TV show crack open a beer, they think that it is not only something that is socially acceptable but something they are expected to do. Now in college some say that drinking is something that is expected of you, but not just have a drink or two, but binge drink every weekend. This puts the students at an incredibly higher risk of becoming alcohol dependent especially if the students drink to relieve stress.

            Contemporary Drug Problems is a peer reviewed academic journal, it was first published by Federal Legal Publications from 1999 too present day. Its primary focus is substance abuse and addiction, publishing articles dealing with legal aspects of contemporary drug problems. Andree Demers is a sociologist at the university of Montréal, and conducted multiple experiments that helped find the information on the general knowledge of students on alcoholism. Nancy Beauregard is an assistant instructor of Andree at the university of Montréal concentrating mostly on personal relations and sociology. Louis Gliksman is a senior scientist in the Social and Epidemiological Research Department at the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health. He is also a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and is a Mentor in the Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Trainin