Social problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Social problems - Essay Example Unlike tobaccos and cigarettes, there are no warnings placed on advertisements and containers of alcohol beverages. The reason behind this tolerance and encouragement of the government is that they earn huge revenues from taxes from the sale of these products. The government for one does not encourage the use of illicit drugs because they do not earn anything from the sale of these drugs unlike with the sale of alcohol and tobacco. In April 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that almost six million people die from tobacco use and 2.5 million from harmful use of alcohol each year worldwide (Join Together Staff, 2011). The report goes on further to state that tobacco is predicted to be the cause of death of 7.5 million people worldwide by 2020, accounting for 10 percent of all deaths, while alcohol-related deaths accounts for 3.8 percent of all deaths worldwide. These figures show that alcohol and tobacco use is as dangerous as using illicit drugs. However, this is not the belief of a lot of people. One reason why many people view the use of tobacco and alcohol differently from the use of illicit drugs is that they believe that if done in moderation, the use of alcohol or to some extent tobacco cannot be harmful to one’s health. Unlike with the use of illicit drugs, there is the perception that even if consumed in moderation, it still adversely affects one’s health. For some people they believe that there is no such thing as a â€Å"moderate use† of an illicit drug. There are some parents who tolerate their teen children’s consumption of alcohol especially during special occasions or family celebrations. This gives the idea to these youths that drinking is acceptable; thus, when they are out with their friends, drinking becomes part of their lives. Parents then give the notion that alcohol is good while illicit drugs are not. The difference in the views of people about the use of alcohol