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103 Alcohol Abuse Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Alcohol Abuse Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Alcohol abuse is a prevalent issue that affects individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Writing an essay on this topic can help raise awareness about the consequences of alcohol abuse and encourage discussions on prevention and treatment strategies. Here are 103 alcohol abuse essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The impact of alcohol abuse on physical health.
• Exploring the psychological effects of alcohol abuse.
• The correlation between alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
• The role of genetics in alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse among college students: causes and prevention.
• The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development.
• Alcohol abuse among teenagers: risk factors and prevention strategies.
• The relationship between alcohol abuse and mental health disorders.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on academic performance.
• The societal and economic costs of alcohol abuse.
• Exploring the link between alcohol abuse and sexual assault.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to liver disease.
• The role of advertising in promoting alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol abuse and its consequences on the workplace.
• The influence of peer pressure on alcohol abuse among adolescents.
• Is alcoholism a disease or a choice?
• The effects of alcohol abuse on memory and cognitive functioning.
• Alcohol abuse in the LGBTQ+ community: prevalence and challenges.
• The role of parenting in preventing alcohol abuse among adolescents.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on relationships and family dynamics.
• The representation of alcohol abuse in literature and media.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the immune system.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
• The role of law enforcement in preventing alcohol-related crimes.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to prescription drug misuse.
• Exploring cultural differences in alcohol abuse patterns.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on college campus safety.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing cancer.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on sleep quality.
• The role of social media in promoting alcohol consumption.
• Alcohol abuse among older adults: causes and interventions.
• The effectiveness of treatment programs for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to homelessness.
• The role of alcohol abuse in motor vehicle accidents.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the developing brain.
• The relationship between alcohol abuse and suicide rates.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the development of eating disorders.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on memory formation and retrieval.
• The use of medication-assisted treatment for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child neglect and abuse.
• The impact of alcohol advertising on underage drinking.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing liver cirrhosis.
• The role of education in preventing alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse among military personnel: causes and interventions.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on driving performance.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and gambling addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on college retention rates.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the developing fetus.
• The influence of family history on the development of alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to mental health stigma.
• The effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing pancreatitis.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the progression of HIV/AIDS.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the immune response to vaccines.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and intimate partner violence.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on decision-making processes.
• The effectiveness of school-based prevention programs for alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse among healthcare professionals: challenges and solutions.
• The role of alcohol abuse in the development of fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to substance use disorders.
• The impact of globalization on alcohol consumption patterns.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on the teenage brain.
• The role of community support in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child development delays.
• The influence of alcohol abuse on sexual risk-taking behaviors.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the immune response to infections.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and homelessness.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on emotional regulation.
• The role of spirituality in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent delinquency.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on academic achievement.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing neurological disorders.
• The effectiveness of harm reduction strategies for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on executive functioning.
• The role of cultural norms in alcohol abuse patterns.
• Alcohol abuse among first responders: causes and interventions.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to self-harm behaviors.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on the gut microbiota.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on attention and concentration.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and food insecurity.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the endocrine system.
• The role of trauma in the development of alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent mental health disorders.
• The effectiveness of peer support groups for alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing respiratory diseases.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on creativity and artistic expression.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on social cognition.
• The role of public health campaigns in preventing alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to child maltreatment.
• The influence of alcohol abuse on academic motivation.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the cardiovascular system.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and eating disorder recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on sensory perception.
• The role of cultural identity in alcohol addiction recovery.
• Alcohol abuse and its connection to adolescent substance use.
• The impact of alcohol abuse on the immune response to vaccines.
• Alcohol abuse and the risk of developing kidney disease.
• The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for alcohol addiction.
• Alcohol abuse and its effects on spatial cognition.
• The connection between alcohol abuse and social isolation.
• Alcohol abuse and its impact on the neurobiology of addiction.

These essay topic ideas provide a broad range of perspectives on alcohol abuse, enabling you to choose a topic that aligns with your interests and academic goals. Remember to conduct thorough research and support your arguments with credible sources for a compelling and thought-provoking essay.

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Essays on Alcohol

<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Essay samples on Alcohol\r\nWhen we take on an alcohol essay, understandably, we usually speak about its influence on human health. In the modern world, no topics are more studied than health and nutrition. \&quot;Thief of the mind\&quot; – this is how some people called alcohol back in the day. Even then, people knew that alcohol should not be abused. When people forget about or disregard the dangers of alcohol, it can take away the most precious thing a person has – their health or even their life. In alcohol essays, people usually study alcohol's effect on both physical and mental health, behavior, and longevity. Our alcohol essay samples will outline the main angles that essays on alcohol can take. You can find the best samples of essays below and refer to them when doing research for your own essay on alcohol.\r&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:769,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;11&quot;:4,&quot;12&quot;:0}">When we take on an alcohol essay, understandably, we usually speak about its influence on human health. In the modern world, no topics are more studied than health and nutrition. "Thief of the mind" – this is how some people called alcohol back in the day. Even then, people knew that alcohol should not be abused. When people forget about or disregard the dangers of alcohol, it can take away the most precious thing a person has – their health or even their life. In alcohol essays, people usually study alcohol's effect on both physical and mental health, behavior, and longevity. Our alcohol essay samples will outline the main angles that essays on alcohol can take. You can find the best samples of essays below and refer to them when doing research for your own essay on alcohol. </span>

Alcoholic Drinks and Social Interactions Alcoholic drinks are growing in fame and their use has become increasingly important in all social settings. They have been used to grace occasions that are casual to even the most formal social events. With the increase in the use of alcoholic drinks so has the...

Words: 1419

Many states and countries have varied age limits for individuals who should be drinking.  My position on this issue is that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 because it is hypocritical to deny a legal adult the privilege of drinking yet they have the rights to vote,...

According to Bowser et al., (2014), there has been increased prevalence in drug and substance abuse especially among young people. In the research titled, “Get drunk. Smoke weed. Have fun.” A Content Analysis of Tweets about Marijuana and Alcohol,” the authors’ general question was, “What themes of the most influential...

Words: 1219

About 1% of the population over a lifetime will be afflicted with schizophrenic illness. Alcohol is a depressant drug that can slow down the messages to and from the brain and body. This exploration proposition has investigated the difficulties looked by people who are dependent on alcohol and have schizotypy...

Words: 1966

Alcohol is one of the most frequently abused legalized drugs the world over is alcohol with Belarus having the highest level of alcohol consumption with an average of 17.5 Litres per capita annually.  For this reason, it is vital to examine the drug to determine its classification, origin and the...

Words: 1316

Katie Roiphe and Nicholas Dixon are individuals who have written articles concerning social matters in society. It is of importance to take a keen interest of these social aspects since they involve every person in the society in one way or the either, i.e. either directly. Katie Roiphe gives a...

Words: 1839

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In most cases, the teenager will tend to rebel and repel any measure that has been put to restrict their behaviors.  Restricting them from taking a staff like the alcohol at the age of sixteen years is one of the areas that will express resistance in.  Additionally, there are some...

Words: 2075

The legal drinking age can be defined as the age at which someone can buy and consume alcoholic beverages. The age limit set is widely different across the World, while some countries set a different age limit of when a person can purchase and when someone can drink alcoholic beverages....

Words: 1018

The Legal Drinking Age The legal drinking age is the age legalized by the law at which an individual can lawfully buy and drink alcoholic beverages. The law for minimal legal drinking age differ in various countries. Also, most laws apply only to drinking of alcoholic beverages in unrestricted locations while...

Drinking of alcohol by persons who are below 21 years is identified as underage drinking. In the United States of America, underage drinking is common given that around 11% of the alcohol consumed nationally is associated with people aged between 12 and 20 years (Patrick " McElrath 78). However, over...

Words: 1557

Can Alcohol Beverages Completely Destroy the Human Brain? The rates of consumption of alcohol across the globe have increased over the years. Research identifies that nations around the world are recording increased numbers of citizens that are admitted to rehabilitation centers. One of the major factors that promote increased consumption rates...

Words: 1505

Wallace, A.E, A Wallace, and W.B Weeks. "The U.s. Military As a Natural Experiment: Changes in Drinking Age, Military Environment, and Later Alcohol Treatment Episodes Among Veterans." Military Medicine. 173.7 (2008): 619-625. Print. The United States military bases before 1982 allowed alcohol drinking to all ages. However, in 1988, there were...

Words: 1154

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Addictions — Alcohol Abuse

Essay Examples on Alcohol Abuse

These essays serve as an invaluable resource for those looking to deepen their understanding of alcohol abuse and its impacts on individuals and society. Whether you're seeking inspiration, information, or guidance on structuring your own essay, our collection is designed to support your academic endeavors and inspire your writing journey.

Understanding ... Read More These essays serve as an invaluable resource for those looking to deepen their understanding of alcohol abuse and its impacts on individuals and society. Whether you're seeking inspiration, information, or guidance on structuring your own essay, our collection is designed to support your academic endeavors and inspire your writing journey. Understanding Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is a pervasive issue that affects millions of lives around the globe. It's characterized by the excessive or inappropriate consumption of alcohol, leading to adverse health, social, and legal consequences. Essays on alcohol abuse explore the causes, effects, and solutions to this complex problem, offering diverse perspectives that can enlighten and challenge readers. Through these essays, students can explore topics such as the psychological factors driving alcohol dependency, the social implications of alcohol abuse, and effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Our Essay Collection

Our collection of alcohol abuse essays encompasses a wide range of topics, ensuring that students can find essays that resonate with their specific interests and academic requirements. From analytical pieces that dissect the societal impact of alcohol abuse to personal narratives that offer a glimpse into the lives of those affected by it, our essays provide a comprehensive look at this multifaceted issue. Each essay serves as a starting point for your own research and writing, offering insights and perspectives that can enrich your work.

How to Use Our Essays:

• Inspiration: Let the diverse range of essays spark your own creative ideas for topics and approaches to your alcohol abuse essay.
• Research: Use the essays as a foundation for your research, helping you to gather relevant information, statistics, and case studies.
• Structure and Format: Analyze the structure of our essays to understand how to effectively organize and present your arguments and findings.
• Citing Sources: Learn how to properly cite sources and reference material, an essential skill for academic writing.

Our alcohol abuse essay samples are more than just resources; they are a beacon of inspiration for students embarking on the challenging task of writing about such a significant and sensitive topic. By exploring our collection, you can gain the knowledge, insight, and confidence needed to craft an essay that not only meets academic standards but also makes a meaningful contribution to the discourse on alcohol abuse.

Remember, the journey of writing an impactful alcohol abuse essay starts with understanding, empathy, and the willingness to explore the issue from multiple angles. We invite you to dive into our collection and let it guide you towards creating a compelling and thoughtful piece that reflects your unique perspective and voice.

Start exploring our alcohol abuse essay samples today and take the first step towards crafting an essay that resonates with readers and contributes to a deeper understanding of alcohol abuse and its implications.

The Impact of Alcohol Abuse: Causes, Effects, and Solutions

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What is Binge Drinking: Definition, Facts, Statistics and Effects

Study on the rate of alcoholism in united states, canada and ireland, alcohol addiction in the drunkard novel, alcohol consumption and why it should not be available after 11pm, substance abuse: drug types, alcohol, tobacco, and more, jane and sam-a case of prenatal alcohol consumption, discussion on the alcoholism and why alcohol should be illegal, aa meeting: a reflection paper, a critical reflection on visiting aa meetings, drinking liquor: teenager's sense of belongingness, group observation report: aa meeting, alcohol abuse among college students in the usa, alcohol issues in the christening novel, alcohol abuse – a national concern in ireland, lowering the drinking age to prevent underage drinking, a reflection on my experience visiting open aa meetings, binge drinking in college students, discussing the causes of alcoholism in teenagers, review of risks of moderate drinking, alcohol abuse - the main issue of struggles in sharp, relevant topics.

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Alcohol and Your Brain: The Latest Scientific Insights

Want to protect your brain here's what you need to know about alcohol consumption..

Posted March 18, 2024 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• What Is Alcoholism?
• Find counselling to overcome addiction
• Transient memory loss, “blackouts,” and hangovers related to alcohol consumption are brain health risks.
• Alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) is a risk factor for developing dementia.
• Heavy or excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous to the brain for a number of reasons.
• The impact of mild to moderate alcohol consumption (1-3 drinks a day) on brain function is less clear.

Depending on who you ask, you might be told to drink a few glasses of red wine a day or to avoid alcohol altogether. The reasons for such recommendations are many, but, by and large, they tend to stem from a study someone read about or saw reported in the news.

So why is it so hard to know whether alcohol is good or bad for us—especially for our brains? In this post, we’ll explore the current science and some practical ideas on how to approach the topic.

What Is Alcohol Anyway?

When people talk about drinking “alcohol,” they’re almost always referring to the consumption of ethanol. Ethanol is a natural product that is formed from the fermentation of grains, fruits, and other sources of sugar. It’s found in a wide range of alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, and spirits like vodka, whiskey, rum, and gin.

Evidence for human consumption of alcohol dates back over 10,000 years. Consumption of alcohol has and continues to serve major roles in religious and cultural ceremonies around the world. But unlike most food products, in the last century, alcohol has been wrapped up in nearly perpetual controversy over its moral effects and health implications.

How Does Alcohol Impact the Brain?

As anyone who’s consumed alcohol knows, ethanol can directly influence brain function. Ethanol is classified as a “depressant” because it has a generally slowing effect on brain activity through activation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathways.

In an acute sense, consumption of alcohol can lead to uninhibited behavior, sedation, lapses in judgment, and impairments in motor function. At higher levels, the effects can progress to coma and even death.

The Known Brain-Damaging Effects of Excess Alcohol

There is no debate here: Excessively high levels of alcohol consumption over short periods of time are toxic and potentially deadly, specifically because of its effects on the brain.

One critical fact to understand about the overall and brain-specific effects of alcohol is that the entirety of the debate around the risk/benefit ratio concerns mild to moderate alcohol consumption. As it relates to the effects of high amounts of alcohol on the body and brain, the research is consistent: It’s a very bad choice.

High amounts of alcohol use are causal risk factors in the development of disease in the heart, liver, pancreas, and brain (including the brains of children in utero). In fact, 1 in 8 deaths in Americans aged 20-64 is attributable to alcohol use. When it comes to adults, excessive alcohol use can cause multiple well-defined brain issues ranging from short-term confusion to dementia .

What Is “Excessive” or “High” Alcohol Use?

Key to the nuance in the conversation about alcohol use are definitions. Across the board, “excessive” or “high” alcohol use is linked to worse overall and brain health outcomes. So what does that mean?

While definitions can be variable, one way to look at this is the consumption of 4 or more drinks on an occasion (for women) and 5 or more for men. Additionally, excess alcohol is defined as drinking more than 8 drinks a week (women) and 15 a week (men), or consuming alcohol if you are pregnant or younger than age 21.

Beyond this, by definition, consuming enough alcohol to cause a “brownout,” “blackout,” hangover, or other overt brain symptomatology is evidence that the alcohol you’ve consumed is creating problems in your brain. Alcohol use disorder (or alcoholism ) is also a clear issue for the brain. It has been linked to a higher risk for dementia, especially early-onset dementia in a study of 262,000 adults, as well as to smaller brain size .

Is There a “Safe” Amount of Alcohol for the Brain?

In a highly publicized article from Nature Communications , researchers looked at brain imaging data from nearly 37,000 middle-aged to older adults and cross-referenced their brain scans with their reported alcohol consumption. The findings were profound: People who drank more alcohol had smaller brains, even in people drinking only one or two alcoholic beverages a day.

Conversely, other recent data suggest a lower risk for dementia in people consuming a few alcoholic beverages a day. This includes a 2022 study showing that in around 27,000 people, consuming up to 40 grams of alcohol (around 2.5 drinks) a day was linked to a lower risk for dementia versus abstinence in adults over age 60. A much larger study of almost 4 million people in Korea noted that mild to moderate alcohol consumption was linked to a lower risk for dementia compared to non-drinking.

How Do We Make Sense of This Data?

When it comes to the bottom line as it relates to alcohol consumption and brain health, the data are rather solid on some fronts, and a bit less so on others. There’s also the potential for confounding variables, including the fact that many people like to drink alcohol to enjoy and enhance social bonds (which we know are beneficial for the brain). Here’s a summary of what the most recent research is telling us.

• Experiencing transient memory loss, “blackouts,” or hangovers related to alcohol consumption is overt evidence of threats to brain health.
• The impact of mild to moderate alcohol consumption (1-3 drinks a day) on brain function is less clear, but it seems unreasonable to start alcohol use for brain health.

Austin Perlmutter, M.D. , is a board-certified internal medicine physician and the co-author of Brain Wash .

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Alcohol raises heart disease risk, particularly among women

Large study suggests more than one drink per day can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Young to middle-aged women who reported drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages per week -- more than one per day, on average -- were significantly more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared with those who drank less, finds a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session. The risk was highest among both men and women who reported heavy episodic drinking, or "binge" drinking, and the link between alcohol and heart disease appears to be especially strong among women, according to the findings.

The study focused on 18- to 65-year-old adults and is among the largest and most diverse studies to date examining the links between alcohol and heart disease. Heart attacks and other forms of heart disease are on the rise in younger populations in the U.S., fueling concern about worsening health outcomes. At the same time, alcohol use and binge drinking have become more common among women than in previous decades.

"When it comes to binge drinking, both men and women with excess alcohol consumption had a higher risk of heart disease," said Jamal Rana, MD, PhD, FACC, a cardiologist with The Permanente Medical Group, adjunct investigator in the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanente Northern California and the study's lead author. "For women, we find consistently higher risk even without binge drinking. I wasn't expecting these results among women in this lower age group because we usually see increased risk for heart disease among older women. It was definitely surprising."

The researchers used data from more than 430,000 people who received care in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health organization, including nearly 243,000 men and 189,000 women. Participants on average were 44 years old and did not have heart disease at the start of the study. Information on participants' alcohol intake was collected during primary care visits using the health organization's standard "Alcohol as a Vital Sign" screening initiative, which includes visual reference posters to help patients estimate alcohol quantities according to standard measurements.

Researchers analyzed the relationship between the level of alcohol intake participants reported in routine assessments from 2014-2015 and coronary heart disease diagnoses during the four-year period that followed. Coronary heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed, limiting blood flow. This condition can cause chest pain and acute events, such as a heart attack.

Based on self-report assessments, researchers categorized participants' overall alcohol intake as low (one to two drinks per week for both men and women), moderate (three to 14 drinks per week for men and three to seven drinks per week for women), or high (15 or more drinks per week for men and eight or more drinks per week for women). They separately categorized each participant as either engaging in binge drinking or not. Binge drinking was defined as more than four drinks for men or more than three drinks for women in a single day in the past three months. People who reported no alcohol use were not included in the study. The researchers adjusted the data to account for age, physical activity, smoking and other known cardiovascular risk factors.

Overall, 3,108 study participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease during the four-year follow-up period, and the incidence of coronary heart disease increased with higher levels of alcohol consumption. Among women, those who reported high alcohol intake had a 45% higher risk of heart disease compared with those reporting low intake and had a 29% higher risk compared with those reporting moderate intake. The difference was greatest among individuals in the binge drinking category; women in this category were 68% more likely to develop heart disease compared with women reporting moderate intake. Men with high overall intake were 33% more likely to develop heart disease compared with men who had moderate intake.

"Women feel they're protected against heart disease until they're older, but this study shows that even when you're young or middle aged, if you are a heavy alcohol user or binge drink, you are at risk for coronary heart disease," Rana said.

The results showed no significant difference in risk between people who reported moderate versus low alcohol intake, regardless of whether they also were categorized as binge drinking.

Alcohol has been shown to raise blood pressure and lead to metabolic changes that are associated with inflammation and obesity. Women also process alcohol differently than men. Researchers said the study calls attention to the health risks of alcohol consumption and underscores the importance of considering alcohol use in heart disease risk assessment and prevention efforts.

"When it comes to heart disease, the number one thing that comes to mind is smoking, and we do not think about alcohol as one of the vital signs," Rana said. "I think a lot more awareness is needed, and alcohol should be part of routine health assessments moving forward."

One limitation of the study is that people tend to under-report their alcohol intake when asked by a health care provider. As a result, the study likely provides conservative estimates of the heart disease risk associated with alcohol consumption. The researchers also said the manner in which alcohol screening is performed in a health clinic can influence how patients and clinicians discuss the risks of alcohol consumption, and that further research could help determine optimal strategies.

This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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Strange & offbeat.

Nearly a quarter of teachers use alcohol to cope with stresses of the job, survey suggests

A teaching union calls for suicide prevention training for all school leaders as teachers reveal what they are doing to get through the day.

Sunday 31 March 2024 07:11, UK

Almost nine in 10 teachers believe their job has adversely affected their mental health in the past 12 months, according to a survey.

Nearly a quarter of teachers had used alcohol in an effort to cope, while 12% have used antidepressants, the poll of 11,574 NASUWT teaching union members found.

Some 3% said the stresses of their work had driven them to self-harm.

One of the teachers who responded to the survey said they vomited before work and had cried at school due to "badly behaved students" who left them unable to teach a class.

Another said: "My energy levels have never been this low before.

"I have never felt so anxious and have very little confidence in myself.

"I feel as though my bucket is full most of the time at work and that I maybe can't deal with challenging pupils as well as I would normally."

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The teaching union warned of a "rise in suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts" within the profession, with a motion on the topic to be debated at its national conference this weekend.

The motion calls for suicide prevention training for school leaders, and fully-funded mandatory mental health training in schools and colleges.

Read more: Trainee teachers to be offered fee-free apprenticeship degrees Govt aims to cut teacher workloads by five hours a week with new taskforce AI increasingly used by students to do their school work and many teachers can't tell

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "Nobody should be brought to the brink of ending their own life because of their job.

"We need a two-pronged approach to addressing the epidemic of mental ill health among the teaching profession, which both tackles the factors driving work-related stress, while also putting in place greater support systems for teachers and school leaders."

He also said teachers need better welfare support, adding: "The status quo is not an option.

"Too many teachers are having their health destroyed and others are leaving the profession in a bid to save their sanity.

"There is no intrinsic reason why teaching should have such high levels of burnout. Things can and should be different and we need the next government to work with us to restore teaching to a profession where teachers can thrive, not just struggle to survive."

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

It comes after the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry , who killed herself after an Ofsted report downgraded her school - Caversham Primary in Reading - from its highest rating to its lowest over safeguarding concerns.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We recognise the extraordinary work that headteachers, teachers and other staff in schools provide, and we take their wellbeing very seriously.

"Our Education Staff Wellbeing Charter ensures that staff wellbeing policy is integrated within schools' culture alongside the expansion of our £2m investment to provide professional supervision and counselling to school and college leaders."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

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• When her daughter became a teen and started drinking, she got nervous about getting into trouble in Dubai.
• She left Dubai in order to give her daughter a "normal" teenage life.

My husband and I were sitting outside our house in Dubai , ignoring the noise coming from partying teenagers inside. They were shaking up cocktails with stealthily smuggled-in alcohol. We were making sure that none of them left our place in anything but a safe ride.

By that point, I had heard too many stories of teenagers in Dubai getting ratted out to the police and their parents getting into serious trouble. According to the United Arab Emirates government , the penalty for providing alcohol to anyone under 21 can include fines of up to 100,000 United Arab Emirates dirham , or $27,000, jail time, and deportation.

But teenagers will be teenagers .

It's in their nature to push the limits of what's possible and allowed — be it by parents or the law.

An international upbringing

We moved to the Middle East when our daughter Christina was four years old. We started in Doha, Qatar, then Muscat, Oman, and finally settled in Dubai, UAE. It was a charmed life, full of sunshine, daily pool sessions, a safe upbringing, and, as part of an international expat community, friends from all around the globe.

She learned about many cultural variations, religions, and global traditions, all of which, I am pleased to report, turned her into the open-minded young woman she is today.

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But as with all expat life , you have to take the good with the somewhat challenging. Especially in Dubai, where we spent most of her teenage years. There, life was far from normal.

Daily life, but not as we know it

Dubai is known for its bling , its extravagance, and its riches. And should also be known for its utterly spoiled expat brats. Kids allowance is often the size of other people's salary back home. There, it's common for families to have drivers and maids. Weekend brunches in five-star hotels with free-flowing champagne are also attended regularly. It's not the kids' fault when they grow up thinking this sort of life is normal.

My husband and I indulged as well, this was, after all, why we moved abroad in the first place: Tax-free pay and a better lifestyle. But as Christina grew up, we became more aware that when she headed off to university, away from the Middle East, she would come down to earth with an enormous bump and few useful life skills.

With little viable local transport and a climate that made walking impossible for several months of the year, my daughter had never even taken a bus by herself. Instead, she was used to being brought back by car to our house after a sleepover at a friend's house. The mother would park her personalized Rolls Royce with its Burberry seat covers next to my dusty little Jeep. Another friend lived on the man-made Palm Island with her own private beach, while yet another regularly enjoyed weekends away in the family's private jet.

Reality check Down Under

After six years we decided that Dubai had too many potential, and life-changing consequences for raising a teenager. We packed up and moved to Australia, in order to allow our daughter a sample of "normal life" as a teenager.

The normal life we envisioned included taking the tramway to school, and realizing that not every family can spend the equivalent of the GDP of a small country every weekend.

She hated us for taking her away from her friends, from the only life she had known, and would simply not appreciate that it was for her own good. But that's normal teenage behavior too.

It wasn't easy, but we weathered the storm, Dubai friends came to visit, we met koalas and kangaroos, she partied without consequences, got her learner driver's license, and finished high school in Melbourne, before heading to university in the UK. She even forgave us for the move. Eventually.

Got a personal essay about living abroad or parenting that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: [email protected] .

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A Look at Washington State’s ‘Strippers’ Bill of Rights’

Signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, the legislation provides wide-ranging protections for adult dancers.

By Aimee Ortiz

Washington State recently enacted a law that includes wide-ranging workplace protections for adult dancers, who have long fought for such measures across the country.

The law, known as the Strippers’ Bill of Rights, was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 25. It includes anti-discrimination provisions and mandatory club employee training.

Supporters of the law say that it includes incentives for establishments to comply, as it carves a path for them to obtain liquor licenses. The state traditionally has prohibited venues that allow sexual performances to sell alcohol.

“It is crucial that we confront the stigma surrounding adult entertainment and recognize the humanity of those involved in the industry,” State Senator Rebecca Saldaña of Seattle, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation, said in a statement .

“Strippers are workers,” she said, “and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force.”

Madison Zack-Wu, the campaign manager for Strippers Are Workers, a dancer-led organization that supported the bill, said in an interview that “the most important part of this policy is that it was created by dancers, for ourselves in our own working conditions.”

What protections does the law include?

Strippers face many risks at work, including sexual harassment, abuse, violence, discrimination and injuries resulting from the physical work of dancing for hours.

Under the new law, club or establishment employees must undergo training aimed at preventing sexual harassment, identifying and reporting human trafficking and learning how to de-escalate conflicts and provide first aid.

The law also requires adult entertainment establishments to have security workers on site and keypad codes for dressing rooms as well as working panic buttons within reach of dancers in private rooms where they are alone with customers. Also, clubs must prove that they are keeping lists of customers who’ve been banned to keep dancers safe.

Additionally, the law eliminates “back rent,” which is debt that accumulates when dancers do not make enough money to pay their customary “stage rental fee,” or house fees, for the night. The law also limits the amount that establishments can charge dancers.

“We believe so deeply in this policy and believe in the changes it will bring and know that they’re absolutely necessary for largely reducing violence and financial scarcity,” Ms. Zack-Wu said.

Could it face legal challenges?

Beth Ross, a lawyer in California who litigated a 1994 class-action suit against the Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theater, then a well-known San Francisco strip club, said that she did not see any obvious legal challenges that would invalidate the new law.

However, she emphasized, “Really the question is how will this law be enforced?”

“Is this a really good set of ideas on paper, or is this a law that has teeth that will be of genuine benefit to the women who do this very dangerous legal type of work?” she said.

Ms. Ross said she believed that the law was unlikely to be challenged because of the path it creates for strip clubs to sell alcohol.

“The ability to serve alcohol in these clubs is something that these clubs have wanted forever,” she said.

Have any similar efforts been successful?

Adult dancers across the country have long fought for workplace protections, and the new Washington State law is a good step forward, advocates and experts say.

Unionization efforts have ramped up in recent years. In 2023, a group of strippers at a California club called Star Garden unionized after a long fight that led the dancers to picket the club.

Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who specializes in labor law, said the new law was “the result of the hard work of organizing done by these workers in a very, very dangerous industry.”

But she cautioned that it was a “halfway point” for the legal protections that sex workers, including strippers, need.

“I’m concerned that it absolutely does not go far enough,” she said. “I think that the workers deserve much more.”

Aimee Ortiz covers breaking news and other topics. More about Aimee Ortiz

Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

CHICAGO — When she started writing her college essay, Hillary Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment. Some say they felt pressure to exploit their hardships as they competed for a spot on campus.

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life’s hardest moments to show how far she’d come. But she and some of her classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

“For a lot of students, there’s a feeling of, like, having to go through something so horrible to feel worthy of going to school, which is kind of sad,” said Amofa, the daughter of a hospital technician and an Uber driver.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action . The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

“A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination,” he wrote.

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds. Brown University asked applicants how “an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you.” Rice University asked students how their perspectives were shaped by their “background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity.”

WONDERING IF SCHOOLS 'EXPECT A SOB STORY'

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, he knew the stakes were higher than ever because of the court’s decision. His first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child.

Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “And if you don’t provide that, then maybe they’re not going to feel like you went through enough to deserve having a spot at the university. I wrestled with that a lot.”

He wrote drafts focusing on his childhood, but it never amounted to more than a collection of memories. Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. The essay had humor — it centered on a water gun fight where he had victory in sight but, in a comedic twist, slipped and fell. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music.”

“I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to write this for me, and we’re just going to see how it goes,’” he said. “It just felt real, and it felt like an honest story.”

The essay describes a breakthrough as he learned “to take ownership of myself and my future by sharing my true personality with the people I encounter. ... I realized that the first chapter of my own story had just been written.”

A RULING PROMPTS PIVOTS ON ESSAY TOPICS

Like many students, Max Decker of Portland, Oregon, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he constantly felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” he wrote.

As a first-generation college student, Decker thought about the subtle ways his peers seemed to know more about navigating the admissions process . They made sure to get into advanced classes at the start of high school, and they knew how to secure glowing letters of recommendation.

If writing about race would give him a slight edge and show admissions officers a fuller picture of his achievements, he wanted to take that small advantage.

His first memory about race, Decker said, was when he went to get a haircut in elementary school and the barber made rude comments about his curly hair. Until recently, the insecurity that moment created led him to keep his hair buzzed short.

Through Word is Bond, Decker said he found a space to explore his identity as a Black man. It was one of the first times he was surrounded by Black peers and saw Black role models. It filled him with a sense of pride in his identity. No more buzzcut.

The pressure to write about race involved a tradeoff with other important things in his life, Decker said. That included his passion for journalism, like the piece he wrote on efforts to revive a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Portland. In the end, he squeezed in 100 characters about his journalism under the application’s activities section.

“My final essay, it felt true to myself. But the difference between that and my other essay was the fact that it wasn’t the truth that I necessarily wanted to share,” said Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity. “It felt like I just had to limit the truth I was sharing to what I feel like the world is expecting of me.”

SPELLING OUT THE IMPACT OF RACE

Before the Supreme Court ruling, it seemed a given to Imani Laird that colleges would consider the ways that race had touched her life. But now, she felt like she had to spell it out.

As she started her essay, she reflected on how she had faced bias or felt overlooked as a Black student in predominantly white spaces.

There was the year in math class when the teacher kept calling her by the name of another Black student. There were the comments that she’d have an easier time getting into college because she was Black .

“I didn’t have it easier because of my race,” said Laird, a senior at Newton South High School in the Boston suburbs who was accepted at Wellesley and Howard University, and is waiting to hear from several Ivy League colleges. “I had stuff I had to overcome.”

In her final essays, she wrote about her grandfather, who served in the military but was denied access to GI Bill benefits because of his race.

She described how discrimination fueled her ambition to excel and pursue a career in public policy.

“So, I never settled for mediocrity,” she wrote. “Regardless of the subject, my goal in class was not just to participate but to excel. Beyond academics, I wanted to excel while remembering what started this motivation in the first place.”

WILL SCHOOLS LOSE RACIAL DIVERSITY?

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court’s ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at some public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It’s been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

The first drafts of her essay focused on growing up in a low-income family, sharing a bedroom with her brother and grandmother. But it didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay tells how she came to embrace her natural hair . She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her afro. When her grandmother sent her back with braids or cornrows, they made fun of those too.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“I stopped seeing myself through the lens of the European traditional beauty standards and started seeing myself through the lens that I created,” Amofa wrote.

“Criticism will persist, but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!”

Ma reported from Portland, Oregon.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .