ABSTRACT
Alcoholism can take on a variety of definitions, depending on the context in which it is discussed. In common and historical usage, alcoholism typically constitutes any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite negative personal and social consequences(Adelekan,2013). Medical definitions describe alcoholism as a disease influenced by genetic, psychological, and social factors any of which may precipitate on-going difficulty in controlling overall alcohol consumption. More generally, alcoholism may also point to concerns such as a preoccupation with or compulsion toward the consumption of alcohol, and/or an impaired ability to recognize the overall negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption (Adewuya, 2006). Although not all of these definitions specify current and on- going use of alcohol as a qualifier, some do, as well as remarking on the long-term effects of consistently heavy alcohol use, includingdependence and symptoms of withdrawal.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2004), alcoholism is a chronic behavioural disorder manifested by a dependence on alcohol and byconsumption or drinking of alcoholic beverages in excess of the dietary and social uses to the extent that interferes with the drinker‘s health, social and economic functions. Anderson, (2006), defines alcoholism as the repetitive intake of alcoholic beverages to such an extent that repeated ly or continually harm the drinker.Babor (2008), further defined alcoholism as ―drunkenness plus serious life problem and the inability to stop drinking without help. Such persons usually have both physiological and psychological dependence on alcohol.
Babor (2010), further defined alcoholism as ―drinking more than is good for one over an extended period of time‖. While Endal, (2010) defined alcoholism as ―a disease which is characterized, by a compulsive drinking of alcohol in some form‖. Alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant impairment that is directly associated with persistent and excessive use of alcohol. Impairment may involve physiological, psychological and social dysfunction (Borland, 2009).
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