Sports And Alcoholism

Sports and alcohol are practically synonymous with one another. Large alcoholic beverage companies usually sponsor and thereby make possible sporting events at local, state, national and international levels. We see it on television advertisements, in the newspaper and other print sources, and we see it at sporting events: alcohol is considered a part of sports in most developed countries around the world. Even youth sporting events feature beer for parents and prizes or sponsorship by local or regional breweries or distilleries. Sports and alcohol have deep associations and likewise sports and alcoholism are strongly linked. But because of the violence, vandalism and unruly behavior that are often a part of drinking and sports, this long standing history is past due for an overhaul.

Sporting events like football, basketball, hockey, MMA, NASCAR and boxing are all high-testosterone events. Tendencies for aggression are amplified greatly by the addition of alcohol. Couple this with deep-running sports teams rivalries and it's easy to see how things can quickly get out of control. Sporting events have occasionally become deadly in many parts of the world.

The general attitude about alcohol and sports is that a person should drink whether their team won or lost. This fosters an environment of binge drinking that for many people can lead to alcoholism. This is especially true for sports fanatics who spend a lot of time attending or taking part in sporting events. With increasing exposure to alcohol an abuse problem can set in easily.

Because of the seemingly natural association of alcohol and sporting events, some studies have shown that attitudes about the legalities of serving alcohol are exceedingly lackadaisical at sporting events. Identification is rarely checked when a fan orders a beer during a busy game especially is they are seated far from the aisle. Teenagers and young adults are often able to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages while at sporting events. Additionally, laws regulating the serving of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated persons are for the most part ignored or misinterpreted, or the concessionaire may not be able to tell if a person is intoxicated in loud stadiums where customers are thronging them from all sides. For minors this means early exposure to the possibility of alcoholism. For already intoxicated fans being served more alcohol, the results could be deadly.

Each year there are thousands of reports of serious assaults between fans of different teams, beatings that included innocent bystanders, vandalism of stadium or other nearby public property and theft from concessions. A large percentage of these events are attributed to alcohol consumption.

Addiction and alcoholism experts agree that behaviors such as those displayed at sporting events such as binge drinking, blacking out, fighting and getting into legal trouble while intoxicated are all likely indicators of a potential alcohol problem. Additionally, because sports are considered tradition among many families, any associated drinking will be considered tradition as well. This poses a significant threat to younger generations who are not being taught that sports can be enjoyed without alcohol.

If you or someone you love is a sports nut that often gets into trouble with alcohol, they might have a drinking problem. Because of the high incidences of drunk driving deaths, alcohol related arrests and other problems associated with sports and drinking, getting help right now could mean the difference between jail, injury, and even death.