Alcohol Abuse – Just A Step Away From Violence In Any Direction
Last week in New York City on a St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday, a young man followed a younger woman into a bar bathroom, where he pummeled her into unconsciousness.
Depending on the account, this was either an unprovoked attack, an act of revenge, or self-defense on the part of the man – however it began, the end result is that a woman is now hospitalized, with serious injuries that include a fractured skull, a broken nose, and a broken eye socket.
Eyewitnesses corroborated the finalized story, which stated that the incident began when the man asked the woman to dance and was rejected by her. An hour later, she was on the way to the emergency room.
The woman’s attacker has since issued a public apology, and he may even be sincere about it. That does not change the fact that alcohol abuse was the primary factor in this incident, and that it may not have even happened without it.
The man had consumed beer, whiskey, and mixed drinks, all in a short amount of time, without moderation – alcohol abuse. He claimed to police that he woke up the next day with blood on his clothes and without memory of what had happened. This is right in line with the standard definition of alcohol abuse, which often leads to gaps in memory and “blackouts.” Alcohol abuse can also cause lapses in judgment, irrational behavior, and – as in this case – violence.
One does not have to be an alcoholic to have indulged in alcohol abuse. Particularly around the holidays, alcohol abuse is practically a tradition amongst even the most moderate drinkers. People throw caution to the wind and consume vast quantities of beer and liquor in the pursuit of a good time. The downside is that, with the impaired judgment that alcohol causes, people are susceptible to putting themselves in harms’ way, to visiting places and people that they might not otherwise have visited. Worse, people who are prone to acting out on violent impulses are that much more dangerous with the severely reduced inhibitions caused by alcohol abuse.
Alcohol abuse can lead the harmless into dangerous situations, and it can lead the harmful to become much more of a threat. Engaging in alcohol abuse will dramatically increase the possibility of encountering, causing, or being victimized by violence. This is not a moral judgment or a philosophical question, but a statistical inevitability. The local crime reports are the consistent, cold, clinical proof of that.
