As a Latina, of Mexican ancestry I found it interesting to read an article some time ago by Mark Stevenson (Associated Press) untitled, “Vodka-maker Absolut apologizes, ends ad showing California, Texas as part of Mexico.” According to Stevensons, Absolut apologized for an ad campaign depicting the southwestern U.S. as part of Mexico amid angry calls for a boycott by U.S. consumers.
In a 2008 eMedicine article untitled “Alcoholism” it stated, “Physicians encounter alcohol-related cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, pancreatitis, and gastrointestinal bleeding, as well as intoxication and alcohol addiction, on a daily basis. Alcoholism is also associated with many cancers. Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff psychosis are also important causes of chronic disability as well as dementia. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a leading cause of mental retardation. In addition, accidents (especially automobile), depression, dementia, suicide, and homicide are important consequences of alcoholism. Alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States (after smoking and obesity). Annually, 85,000 deaths are attributable to alcohol at a cost of $185 billion. Almost half of these deaths are attributable to alcohol-related injury. Four percent of the global burden of disease is attributable to alcohol. Worldwide, alcohol is responsible for a percentage of a number of conditions, as follows: Cirrhosis-32%, Motor vehicle accidents-20%, Mouth and oropharyngeal cancers-19%, Esophageal cancer-29%, Liver cancer-25%, Breast cancer-7%, Homicide-24%, Suicide-11%, Hemorrhagic stroke-10%.”
Most are ignorant to the destructive contribution that alcohol has to health, family, and society. And as a result, some parents’ role model alcoholism as way of life while celebrities are paid to advertise the false pleasures attained in alcohol that encourage our youth to drink.
“Alcohol affects the different regions of the brain in different ways. In the Cerebral cortex part of the brain where thought processing and consciousness are centered, alcohol depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers, making the person less inhibited; it slows down the processing of information from the eyes, ears, mouth and other senses; and it inhibits the thought processes, making it difficult to think clearly. In the Cerebellum part of the brain: Alcohol affects this center of movement and balance, resulting in the staggering, off-balance swagger we associate with the so-called "falling-down drunk." The hypothalamus and pituitary coordinate automatic brain functions and hormone release. Alcohol depresses nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal and performance. Although sexual urge may increase, sexual performance decreases. The Medulla handles such automatic functions as breathing, consciousness and body temperature. By acting on the medulla, alcohol induces sleepiness. It can slow breathing and lower body temperature, which can be life threatening. Short term, alcohol can cause blackouts, short-term memory lapses in which people forget what occurred over entire stretches of time. The long-term effects on the brain can be even more damaging.” (Stephanie Watson, How Alcoholism Works)
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan teaches that the human brain produces certain hormones and chemical that give pleasure, help us bear pain, survive grief and the loss of loved ones. According to Minister Farrakhan, “God knew that He created life with the purpose of struggle and it is only through struggle that we attain to the greatness of character that cause us to be a reflection of God. So, in the struggle of life there are disappointments and there are chemicals in the brain that can help us bear the pain of disappointment. Drugs have been introduced into the society to take the place of God, the peace that belief in God can give and the strength that faith in God can give to allow every human being to handle the most difficult situations in their lives. It is the lack of faith in God, the lack of trust in God that allows us to put our trust in things. So, man’s trust is in drugs, man’s trust is in guns, man’s trust is in the things that cannot really give peace, as a result, suicide, AIDS, and all manner of disease and destructive behavior is now plaguing human beings.” (Million Family March, The National Agenda)
Given the damaging effects of alcohol it is vital that we understand why a central nervous system depressant was made a legal drug. It is only through knowledge that we can begin to stop self medicating and sentencing ourselves and generations to come to a life of pain, misery and death. As for the 1830s-era map used by Absolut to market vodka in Mexico the only reason that they were forced to remove it and apologize was because it displayed a part of Mexican history that included the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming once belonging to Mexico. It appears that U.S. consumer’s prefer to keep Mexican’s intoxicated so that we can remain a sleep to the knowledge of who we are, what has been taken from us and what is going on around us today.
“There is much misunderstanding among us because of our inferior knowledge of self. The lack of knowledge of self is our main handicap.” -The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
(Theresa X, a Latina in the Nation of Islam Stockton California Study Group, - email: noilatina@gmail.com and blog @ http://searchknowledge-theresa.blogspot.com)
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