Alcohol, oh dear alcohol

Being a medic, and on the task of writing an article to the public can be scientifically boring. In the sense of that you would be telling only the same medical church rhetoric of leaving some sins that will kill people early. Alcohol, that chemical compound that makes people bound and split, that very same that is taken as a sin and a goodie at the same time will be the subject. Making you dance and suicidal, hype or nursing a hangover, that spirit which John of Vigo called “alcofoll” in the 16th century has it all. It is so much in use that even children as young as less than ten years old are drinking it, it is used as fuel, industrially and even medically; it is used in dishes, in place of sleeping pills, and literally as an excuse of bad behaviors or categorically taking up someone’s character. But why alcohol, what is the stake of ever having discussions involving that very bitter sweet fluid, made with cereals and a good amount of sugar? The issue with alcohol is not ethanol itself, but its products made in the body. Up to three actually, but making enough damage from head to toe, and from blindness to death. Now, every binge, taken excessively will be taken as a sin, in terms of what it will cause either early on or in the future. It starts as a small beautiful belly, for either gender, a few more drinks and little exercise will make one breathless when wanting to reminisce the good old times of soccer or a jog. Little by little, more and more calories will be taken in, in the order of 220 calories per 100ml of liquor, with no way of burning them effectively the next day, adding to the fats one has, besides of course spending money on it and the social issues associated to it. From the little belly and when the heart starts beating weirdly to when the little tummy and the head start aching. A medical checkup, five- ten years down the lane, and the liver, in the same belly beatitude made itself a circus; it has started failing to hold the amount of alcohol it gets, routinely for fun. So, a break is needed, finally. No more alcohol will be taken, drastically; church and small groups are involved. Friends become accountable to the good life decision incentive. Only once, a relapse can come; a cold large bottle of a golden-colored lager is seen on every blink, as a thirsty lad would mirage an oasis in the middle of Sahara. A happy sigh is made as that cold thing makes its journey down the throat, a kind of not normal quantity is taken in a little time and makes one a slave. To the extent of getting a throw off, confusion and convulsions. Oh, few did I say, as breathlessness and passing out were not involved on this short word terrorism. We all got this relative or a friend who passed away due to an ailment linked to excessive alcohol intake. And our very Rwanda National Police keeps reminding us to not drink and drive. But let’s be pragmatic and accompany one sip of alcohol with its effect down a thirsty throat. A sip, a mouthful of a binge starting with the mouth has been heavily linked with oral cancer. Getting a little deeper down the throat leaves it with more irritation and brings more and more blood vomiting, same as what it would be doing to the stomach. Trust that fluid can cause permanent handicaps, including on skin, brains, heart, liver, kidneys, you name it. No one will tell you that it is sweet. Liquors will even make you shiver; but there is more to alcohol that makes it a hunted commodity. Yes, the same alcohol, in the language I have been trying to avoid, is taken as a factor of heart protection, mainly to the wires bringing blood in and out called vessels. It was once used as a sleeping tool for the would-be operated-patients, centuries ago. Medics will even go further and tell that a few milliliters here and there can help. I agree, in professional terms. I disagree with the effective use of that advice, making those happy hours a daily job. ’Thou shalt not drinketh’ is not written in the Holy Bible. And yes, Jesus Christ changed water into wine. Enough with excuses; this is not an advocacy article to stop alcohol worldwide. This text will not probably change the world. Looking at the trends of Non Communicable Diseases in Rwanda, we will continue to be told that alcohol is one of the major contributing factors for NCDs. We will always be safe from Malaria with bed nets, HIV with protection condoms, several other infectious diseases with hand-washing, but with alcohol, it’s a different story. Let’s not be naïve and take the necessary measures by avoiding excessive intake of alcohol or better still avoid this substance altogether. The writer is M.D. Ministry of Health - Nyagatare Hospital and Public Relations Officer/Rwanda Children’s Cancer Relief.

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Alcohol, oh dear alcohol