The physical and sexual effects of alcohol consumption on the individuals within our society are troublesome, as well. We, as Christians, need to be aware of the possible reproductive and fertility complications of drinking in both males and females. God told us to be fruitful and multiply, and most Christians do want to have a family at some point, so it would be wise to take note of these difficulties, as the reproductive system of both males and females are often affected. In men, there can be a loss of pubic hair, a loss of libido, reduced potency, shrinkage in size of testes and penis, decreased sperm counts and even infertility. In women, there can be sexual difficulties, menstrual irregularities, and shrinkage of breasts and external genitalia. Christian women should especially be aware that there can also be fetal deformities and fetal alcohol syndrome in infants born to even minimal alcohol drinkers and that there can also be physical, emotional, and behavioral developmental delays in children of alcoholics. Also young children who are allowed to drink or accidentally drink their parents’ alcohol may experience hypothermia, low blood sugar levels, and depressed respiration, and can also have interactions between the alcohol and their medications, with an increased likelihood of unwanted side effects, and a decrease in the effectiveness of their medicines.
Many Christians are adult children of alcoholics. These adult children are often considerably affected by their parents drinking, with one fifth of adult Americans having lived with an alcoholic while growing up. The Bible teaches us that the sins of the fathers will be visited on the children up to the third and fourth generation. Children of alcoholics have a much greater risk for having emotional problems than those whose parents were not alcoholics. Alcoholism runs in families and children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics. Most adult children of alcoholics have suffered some form of neglect or abuse. They may have a variety of problems including guilt, anxiety, embarrassment, confusion, anger, depression, and the inability to have close relationships. They may even see themselves as the cause of their parents’ drinking. As a child they may have worried constantly about the situation at home, fearing the alcoholic parent would become sick or injured, and may also have feared fights and violence between the parents. Parents may have given them the message that it was an awful secret to be kept in the family. The child, being ashamed of the situation, likely did not invite many friends home and was probably afraid to ask anyone for help. The adult child often does not trust others, having an inability to have close relationships because of having been disappointed so much by the drinking parent. The alcoholic parent had likely inconsistently changed from being a loving parent to an angry one, no matter how the child behaved. The child probably felt lonely and helpless to change the situation. The adult child sometimes feels anger at the alcoholic parent for drinking, and may even be angry at the non-alcoholic parent for lack of support and protection. Adult children of alcoholics suffer from a lack of close relationships, withdrawal from their peers, frequent physical complaints, abuse of drugs or alcohol themselves, aggression toward their own children, and depression or suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Not only are children influenced by the examples their parents set for them, but today, most children have seen so many media presentations that encourage drinking, smoking, and the use illicit chemical drugs that they have come to believe that alcohol and drug use is acceptable. Experimentation with alcohol and drugs is all too common during adolescence, even with Christian young people. Unfortunately, teenagers don’t often see the link between their actions and the consequences of those actions. They also tend to feel immune to the problems that adults experience. Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age increases the likelihood of using more dangerous drugs which can cause significant harm to themselves and others. Teens use alcohol and other drugs for many reasons, including curiosity, to reduce stress, because it feels good, to feel grown up or to fit in. Teenagers most at risk for having serious alcohol and drug problems are those with a family history of substance abuse, those who are depressed, those who have self-esteem issues, and who feel like they don’t fit in. Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs, both legal and illegal. Legally available drugs include alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants and over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications. The most commonly used illegal drugs are marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), opiates, heroin, and designer drugs (Ecstasy). The use of these illegal drugs is increasing, especially among younger teens. The use of marijuana and alcohol in the high school years has become much too common, even in the Christian community. Christian parents need to be aware that their child may face extreme peer pressure to try out some of these substances and they are not immune to this influence, just because their Christians. Drug use is associated with a variety of negative social consequences, including increased risk of serious drug use later in life, school failure, and poor judgment which may put teens at risk for accidents, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide. Teenage alcohol and drug abuse and the related poor judgment often results in a cycle of self-esteem issues and irresponsible behaviors. More than half of the estimated costs of drug abuse were associated with drug-related crime. These costs included lost productivity of victims and incarcerated perpetrators of drug-related crime, lost legitimate work due to drug-related careers; and other costs of drug-related crime, including Federal drug traffic control, property damage, police, legal, and corrections services. Most of the remaining costs resulted from premature deaths, lost productivity due to drug-related illness, and healthcare expenses.
