Alcohol and marijuana are commonly used in the United States, with alcohol being legal but often abused while marijuana is illegal yet frequently misused. However, the legality of these substances does not determine their safety or potential harm. Some advocate for legalizing marijuana due to its lower mortality rate compared to alcohol, which causes over 100,000 deaths annually. Both can have immediate negative effects on users such as impaired speech, judgment and coordination for up to two hours after use. Marijuana use may also cause red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, slowed reaction time, paranoia, hallucinations decreased social inhibitions and memory loss; excessive drinking can lead to coma or even death. While drinking and driving is a leading cause of road accidents in the US associated with alcohol consumption; there is no direct correlation between smoking marijuana and road acciden
...ts.
Despite being different substances, both alcohol and marijuana can negatively impact driving ability. Alcohol impairs judgment, vision, and coordination which often leads to reckless driving behavior. On the other hand, the effects of marijuana on driving are still under debate. Some studies suggest it causes slower reaction times, distraction-proneness, impaired driving ability and decreased coordination; however a study by a software company found that individuals who smoked marijuana drove more quickly and had fewer collisions in a driving simulation game.
Long-term consumption of alcohol can result in various health issues such as vitamin deficiency, liver cirrhosis, heart disease, stroke risk, mental performance decline or impairment, hepatitis, peptic ulcers and cancer. It also affects brain function leading to memory impairment as well as loss of coordination and blackouts. In comparison to alcohol use over time -
long-term cannabis use can cause lung and throat cancer along with respiratory problems while decreasing motivation among users.
It is important to note that both substances are addictive with alcoholism considered a disease while there is some disagreement amongst experts regarding whether or not marijuana is addictive. Alcoholism is influenced by genetics whereby those whose parents were addicted have an increased likelihood for developing addiction themselves.Although abruptly stopping alcohol intake can cause symptoms like sickness, shaking, and delusions that may result in death, moderate drinking (2-6 drinks per week on multiple occasions) could actually decrease the risk of heart disease by thinning blood. In contrast, there are no known benefits to moderate marijuana consumption; excessive use of either substance could lead to severe health complications. However, it seems that alcohol has a greater negative impact on overall well-being: excessive use in men decreases sexual pleasure while women experience increased testosterone levels. Additionally, some argue that marijuana replaces natural "feel good" chemicals in the brain and leads to physical addiction.
- alcoholism essays
- Casino essays
- Cell Phone Addiction essays
- Heroin essays
- Smoking essays
- Social Media Addiction essays
- Tobacco essays
- Birth Control essays
- Drug Addiction essays
- Eating Disorders essays
- Epidemiology essays
- Hiv essays
- Hygiene essays
- Obesity essays
- Social Care essays
- Teenage Pregnancy essays
