Imagine having your life controlled by a single substance, something that we see daily and something that we call alcohol. Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world. It is something that we all have, or will encounter at some point in our lives, and the majority of us have probably already had interactions with a person who has an alcohol-related problem. Roughly one-third of the American population is affected by alcoholism, which is nearly 65-70 million people.

I am a 15-year-old girl, and I’ve grown up with an alcoholic father. It can be tough, and I’ve personally seen how it can control a person’s life. It affects a person’s life beyond the alcoholics themselves. It’s a very serious disease that can potentially harm every organ in a person’s body, it can be the cause of many of America’s social problems and it can leave a person addicted and alone. It leads to more issues and irreversible damage than most people realize.

Alcoholism can permanently alter and negatively affect a person’s life and the lives of others around them. Remember this next time you lift that third glass of wine, or order another drink at the bar. Alcohol is dangerous, and with anything comes responsibilities — the responsibility to know when to stop, and to be safe.