They say don't forget the reason for the Christmas season - which, of course, is to celebrate the birth of Christ. But, December is also prime time for parties and get-togethers, where an open bar is often the main attraction.
But today a Ministry of Health Forum took a sober look at the impact of alcohol on national life. Jomarie Lanza has this story.
You've seen the dozens of fatal road traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers on the roads and altercations in homes and at social events where alcohol consumption has led to violence.
Alcohol fuelled trauma and violence is a societal issue that has become more prevalent over time. A 2017 chronic kidney disease survey details that 46.4% of persons revealed to have consumed their first alcoholic beverage before 18, and because these numbers continue to rise, The Ministry of Health and Wellness is taking a step towards increasing awareness and knowledge on the harmful use of alcohol -and it comes at a time as we approach the season of celebrating and drinking.
Karen Lewis Bell, PAHO WHO Representative for Belize
"This forum I think is long overdue. Yes I know we are going into the holiday season where there are a lot of parties and a lot of drinking but the holiday season of Christmas is not the only time we see an increase in road traffic accidents in any country including in Belize. And so the important thing is nobody is saying that you can't drink, nobody is saying that alcohol is totally bad for you in fact you know a glass of wine may be good for your cardiovascular health the important thing is you should not have excessive intake of alcohol, you should not be drinking alcohol to the point where you are not in control of your behavior, not in control of your musculoskeletal function in terms of you know being able to drive and respond quickly in terms of your reflexes and that is when it becomes dangerous."
So what are some of the impacts consumers may not know about? Director Public Health & Wellness, Melissa Diaz Musa went all in on those facts.
Melissa Diaz Musa, Director Public Health & Wellness, MOHW
"But alcohol affects our health in various ways, alcohol is associated with liver disease, namely cirrhosis, many people may have heard of cirrhosis where the liver is affected and can no longer function. Alcohol is associated with gastrointestinal tract issues like the food pipe and the colon it is very closely related to an increase in cancers specifically liver cancer, pancreatic cancer which is a very dangerous cancer, it is associated with breast cancer with a high percentage of breast cancers being linked to alcohol use or misuse but as well we are talking right now with its link to other non communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer as I had mentioned, mental illnesses. There is a direct link with alcohol and low mood, depression, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorders and we know that sometimes people utilize alcohol to reduce their inhibitions to feel relaxed the use it for social anxieties and other things but we do know that this is just a Band aid really because the long term effects if you continue to use it your tolerance goes up, you will need more alcohol you will be dependent on alcohol instead of addressing certain issues other ways."
So we know how it can affect your physical well being but what about the psychosocial effects? Child Psychologist, Susanna Hoy Mitchell describes it as a domino effect.
Susanna Hoy Mitchell, Child Psychologist, MOHW
"It goes very very vast, so alcohol does not just affect the individual the psychological footprint extends throughout the entire community, most importantly within the home we are seeing children not only modeling behaviors of their parents when it comes to alcohol use but also a heightened amount of stress and tension within the home, aggression agitation, lack of modeling of social coping skills, lack of modeling of emotional regulation, worsening of children in education or academics. More neurodevelopmental disorders for these children the list goes on, heightened disruptions within the school system, behavioral problems, attentional problems."
And while we do live in a society where drinking is seen as a favorite pastime, or a way to socialize, the focus now is on the impacts of casual drinking.
Karen Lewis Bell, PAHO WHO Representative for Belize
"Yes I know that the Caribbean, many countries in the Caribbean produce rum and you know alcohol as you say for some persons is a right of passage there is no parties without alcohol, young people feel that if they can't hold their drink that they would be considered to be less than others, but the important thing is what are the harmful use of excessive intake of alcohol it can cause a lot of health issues and here in Belize we know for a fact that it contributes significantly to injuries and deaths from road traffic accidents it does contribute to interpersonal violence it does contribute to violence general in society and in the homes and more importantly it does cause a lot of harm to the internal organs of the body."
