By HAROLD KELLER

The month of April has been declared “Alcohol Abuse Awareness Month.” Alcohol, the most abused drug, has killed many innocent people and destroyed many families.

Over a period of years, alcohol abuse will affect you mentally, spiritually and physically. The physical damage may remain hidden for years, but I assure you that the good health that most of us take for granted is threatened by heavy use of alcohol. The life expectancy of a heavy drinker (two or more drinks a day) is 13 years less than normal life expectancy.

Some of the long-term effects of alcohol include:
• Malnutrition – Alcohol robs the body of some vitamins and minerals and interferes with the digestion of food that is eaten. Alcohol has no food value.
• Brain Damage – Tissue is destroyed and cannot be replaced.
• Liver Damage – This includes cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, and also includes alcoholic hepatitis and cancer of the liver.
• Heart Disease – An increased risk of heart disease and attack.
• Cancer of the mouth, esophagus or stomach, due to irritation by alcohol.
• Muscles and bones become weakened.
• Ulcers and gastritis, due to irritation of the stomach lining by alcohol.
• Damage to developing fetus if the mother drinks while pregnant.

These long-term physical effects of alcohol abuse, together with the mental and emotional effects, such as blackouts, hallucinations, failure of judgement and personality disorders, should be enough to discourage the use of the drug, alcohol.

The possible physical, mental and emotional effects are alarming, but the spiritual damage is by far the most serious. It cuts us off from the good life that Jesus promised here on earth and will deny us from enjoying eternal happiness with Him hereafter. I Corinthians 6:10 says that the drunkard will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group. Call him at (985) 652-8477.