Alcohol

Alcohol is a drug. It is a potentially addictive drug that can ruin your life and hurt your health. One in ten people who drink regularly become alcoholics and lose control of how much they drink. They can also lose control of their life, their family and their friends.

In the United States, alcohol is the nation's greatest drug problem. Twenty years ago there were 20 million alcoholics there and the number has grown much more since then. In the United States more money is spent on alcohol than all the churches and charity organisations in the whole country.

When more than one standard drink of alcohol is consumed, it produces physical and mental problems that relate to who you are as a person, and who you are as a Christian. It disrespects God and limits your ability to control your own mind and body.

Alcohol seriously affects your judgement. Without bodily coordination you do strange things. You may become shamed and embarrassed in front of your friends or family. You may kill people or serious injure them if you drive a car while drunk. Thousands of young people get killed in car accidents all the time around the world because of people who are drunk.

Your moral control of your body is lost when you are drunk, and you may say or do things that can permanently hurt yourself or your friends and family.

Some people think that a drunk is funny. The truth is that no drunk is ever funny. Drunks lose control of their lives: physically, morally, emotionally and mentally. It is not funny when people lose control of their brains - it is tragic. God made people to be in control of their thoughts, their words and their bodies. Alcohol takes these things away. When people take alcohol they are abusing themselves.

Some people think that alcohol gives you a "lift" or makes you feel more active. But this is not true because alcohol is a depressant. It slows your thoughts processes and your judgement faculty. It slows your control of your body - how you walk, and how you talk. When you lose control of your body you can just fall asleep.

Sometimes you are with other people who expect you to drink alcohol with them, but you do not need to drink as well. Be firm about your decisions and if the other people don't respect you, then they probably aren't very good friends and maybe you should go home. You can live a full, exciting life without alcohol ruining your life - all you need to do is respect yourself and honour God.