11

Islam & Intoxicants

By F. Kamal

Intoxicants (Alcohol & Illegal Drugs) and Islam

Susan is victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — a birth defect she acquired because her mother drank while pregnant. What did Susan do to deserve this?

John & Sherry are two children who grew up traumatized in a home punctuated by the daily bouts of violence and beatings their alcoholic father inflicted on their helpless mother.

Jill suffers from cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is caused by alcohol, and kills 10,000 to 24,000 people a year 1 and is entirely preventable.

Jack – a two year old – is the latest victim of a drunk driver. What did Jack do to deserve this?

While these people are fictitious, the startling gash that alcohol cuts across America every day is all too real. The actual statistics are shocking and at the same time sobering.

Deaths

“Alcohol and other drugs are a factor in 45.1 percent of all fatal automobile crashes” 2

“Between 47 percent and 65 percent of adult drowning and 59 percent of fatal falls are associated with alcohol.” 3

“An estimated 75 percent of esophageal cancers in the United States are attributable to chronic, excessive alcohol consumption” 4

“Nearly 50 percent of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx are associated with heavy drinking.” 5

“25 to 40 percent of all Americans in general hospital beds (that is not in a maternity or intensive care unit bed) are being treated for complications of alcoholism.” 6

“Twenty-eight percent of all admissions to one large metropolitan hospital’s intensive care units (ICUs) were related to ATOD problems (9 percent alcohol, 14 percent tobacco, and 5 percent other drugs). The ATOD-related admissions were much more severe than the other 72 percent of admissions, requiring 4.2 days in ICU versus 2.8 days as well as being much more expensive—about 63 percent greater than the average cost for other ICU admissions.” 7 8

Intoxicants also play a big role in dysfunctional families, the breakup of families, casual sex & abortions, domestic violence, child abuse and incest. Here are some more unfortunate statistics.

“In 1987, 64 percent of all reported child abuse and neglect cases in New York City were associated with parental AOD [alcohol and other drugs] abuse.” 9

“A study of 472 women by the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo, NY, found that 87 percent of alcoholic women had been physically or sexually abused as children, compared to 59 percent of the nonalcoholic women surveyed (Miller and Downs, 1993).” 10

“A 1993 study of more than 2,000 American couples found rates of domestic violence were almost 15 times higher in households where husbands were described as often drunk as opposed to never drunk.” 11

“Battered women are at increased risk of attempting suicide, abusing alcohol and other drugs, depression, and abusing their own children.” 12

“Alcohol is present in more than 50 percent of all incidents of domestic violence.” 13

“A survey of high school students found that 18 percent of females and 39 percent of males say it is acceptable for a boy to force sex if the girl is stoned or drunk.” 14

Intoxicants also affect mental health & suicide statistics in a big way.

“In one study of youthful suicide, drug and alcohol abuse was the most common characteristic of those who attempted suicide; fully 70 percent of these young people frequently used alcohol and/or other drugs.” 15

“Approximately 10 percent of adult dementia in the United States is a result of alcohol-related brain damage.” 16

How about crime? Intoxicants play a deadly role here too.

“Alcohol is a key factor in up to 68 percent of manslaughters, 62 percent of assaults, 54 percent of murders/attempted murders, 48 percent of robberies, and 44 percent of burglaries.” 17

“Among jail inmates, 42.2 percent of those convicted of rape reported being under the influence of alcohol or alcohol and other drugs at the time of the offense.” 18

“Over 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women arrested for property crimes (burglary, larceny, robbery) in 1990, who were voluntarily tested, tested positive for illicit drug use.” 19

“In 1987, 64 percent of all reported child abuse and neglect cases in New York City were associated with parental AOD [alcohol and other drugs] abuse.” 20

“A study prepared by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated the total economic cost of alcohol and drug abuse to be $245.7 billion for 1992. Of this cost, $97.7 billion was due to drug abuse. This estimate includes substance abuse treatment and prevention costs as well as other health care costs, costs associated with reduced job productivity or lost earnings, and other costs to society, such as crime and social welfare” 21

These costs have only gone up every year. And of course, these numbers do not even begin to suggest the magnitude of the personal and emotional cost and turmoil of intoxicants in America.

It can be a sad tale for many who find themselves in the darkness of intoxicant abuse. Looking back, it must be a huge shock and surprise to them–the fact that first innocuous drink or smoked joint could have begun that path of ever spiraling decent into the terrible predicament that some may now be trying so desperately to escape. After all, no one ever imagined it could happen to them! Certainly, innocent third parties, like their families, may be shaking their heads, never having imagined such a path would be carved out in life for them. 22

Muslims note, that Islam has dramatically reduced alcohol consumption in several societies, nations, and communities and has paved over some of the potentially dark trap doors that could be stumbled upon leading to intoxicant abuse. Muslim societies, more so than other communities, have been able to successfully limit intoxicants in their societies since Islam prohibited it over 1400 years ago (Quran 5:90 & 2:219)23. Muslims would point out that today, even though not every Muslim follows Islamic injunctions prohibiting alcohol, an astoundingly large number do. Because most Muslims do not drink, it is very likely that well over a billion teetotalers have been created as a direct result of Islam.

Sources:

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism — NIAAA see

www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alalerts.htm

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention NCADI — CSAP see

http://www.samhsa.gov/centers/csap/csap.html

National Institute on Drug Abuse — NIDA see www.nida.nih.gov/.

(Excerpt from book "Easily Understand Islam")

Click to read sample chapters from the book below

Table of Contents

beginning

Section I: The Basics

What Islam is Not

What Is Islam?

Section II: General Articles

Why is there Evil and Suffering?

Why I Believe in God — A Muslim Speaks

The Quran, Modern Science, and More

Islam & Racism

Islam: A Solution for America’s Social Problems?

God and Muslims

Selections from the Quran

Some Muslim Virtues (Sayings of the Prophet)

Section III: Other Topics

Islam & the Environment

Islam & Intoxicants

Heaven and Hell

Forgiveness

Section IV: Islam & Christianity

Similarities

Common Ground: Judaism, Christianity & Islam

Differences

Muhammad in the Bible

Trinity

Jesus: Man and God?

Vicarious Atonement in the “Blood of the Lamb”

The Bible & Modern Science

The Bible and the Word of God

Quran Preserved?

Section V: Islamic Resources

Islam Resources