Alcohol in Society

Addiction – Alcohol Addiction

In this course, Dr Dean Burnett (Cardiff University) explores alcohol addiction. In the first lecture, we think about the long-standing presence of alcohol and alcohol addiction in society, and how this impacts how we think about it. In the second lecture, we think about how age can influence attitudes towards alcohol and other drug use. Next, we think about some key therapies for alcohol addiction, from mild dependency to treating severe withdrawal symptoms. In the fourth and final lecture, we look at three studies on alcohol addiction which approach a variety of groups and cultures to assess prevalence, influencing factors and responses to treatments. Photo by Michael Discenza on Unsplash.

Alcohol in Society

In this lecture, we think about the presence of alcohol and alcohol addiction in society, focusing in particular on: (i) the fact that alcohol is one of the most common addictions in modern, European society; (ii) a key factor in the prevalence of alcohol addiction being its ease of access and societal acceptance; (iii) the early presence of alcohol in ancient societies, highlighting the time it has had to become intertwined with life; (iv) caffeine as an example of a modern, acceptable drug, despite its comparisons to less acceptable drugs, with regard to people’s dependence on it; (v) the social expectation factor of alcohol consumption and the somewhat socially celebrated negative outcome of drinking it – the hangover; (vi) Michael Pennington’s (Johnny Vegas) quote, which highlights the disparity between the acceptance of alcohol consumption and the rejection of those who become dependent on it; (vii) a 2023 article from The Independent, which uses its headline and subheading to present positive and negative outcomes from alcohol consumption; (viii) another 2023 article from The Independent, which uses the headline and subheading to present only negative outcomes from vaping; (ix) a comparison to the Mail Online reporting on the same topics; (x) an assessment of the articles in the context of social acceptance and responses to different forms of addiction, this being centred around alcohol consumption and the use of e-cigarettes.