Throughout history, humans have engaged in practices that alter their psychological state. There are many reasons why people want to change their mental and emotional state. It's not hard to imagine the logic behind the very first alcohol-induced experience, born of curiosity. Perhaps one of our ancestors ate a fermenting fruit and experienced a pleasant sensation that piqued his curiosity. Curiosity is still one of the prevalent reasons for alcohol consumption today. We are bombarded with messages promoting alcohol use and are curious to find out what it feels like to consume alcohol. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Another reason for consuming alcohol is to reduce stress. We live in difficult times and alcohol is seen as a way to relieve our stress. Self-medication for other problems extends to alcohol ingestion. Alcohol can relieve physical and emotional pain. If the person consuming alcohol also uses medications to relieve pain, the effects of alcohol may be intensified. Alcohol is often served at social gatherings and is a normal part of the environment in places such as taverns where people gather with others. Many believe that alcohol instills a sense of social confidence and promotes relaxation in the company of others. This occurs due to the uninhibited effects of alcohols. There is no doubt that loneliness can serve as an incentive to use and abuse alcohol. Isolation may be another reason to consume alcohol. People who have poor support networks, limited mobility and limited access to transportation may turn to alcohol. This type of situation is particularly widespread among the elderly. People enjoy the psychoactive effects of alcohol for various reasons. It provides a sense of relief and dissociation from reality. A sense of adventure or perhaps a spiritual quest is often cited as a causal reason for alcohol consumption. Perhaps the most problematic reason for alcohol use is peer pressure. Many teenagers and college students find themselves in situations where alcohol is present. Because young people often lack self-confidence or the ability to refuse to handle the pressures of such situations, they often begin to experiment with alcohol. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize EssayPeer pressure, or direct or indirect encouragement from people in the same age group to engage in activities that they may or may not want to engage in, is an important factor in the development of risky behaviors (e.g., use alcohol, drug use, and tobacco use). Peers act as an influential role model by introducing, providing, or pressuring risky activities (e.g., alcohol use) to other peers. By modeling these behaviors on their peers, college students view alcohol use as a positive and socially acceptable experience. However, what college students fail to consider are the negative consequences of drinking alcohol, especially in the context of a peer group. For example, the leading cause of death for adolescents between the ages of 17 and 20 is alcohol-related car accidents. Additionally, approximately 400,000 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 engage in unprotected sex due to alcohol use. More than a quarter of these students report being too drunk to know whether they consented to sex. Therefore, it is crucial to understand peer pressure, as well as which ones..