In Gurmat, the drinking of alcohol is strictly forbidden. The word for alcohol is 'Sharaab' which means 'sharaarat' mischief, and 'aab' means water, thus it means mischievous or evil water, which is the root of sins and evil actions. People get drunk and act stupid because they are buzzing and lose control over some senses. It is seen as poison and a mere corrupt worldly pleasure in sikhi.
Sri Guru Amar Das ji writes about alcohol in the following way,
"SALOK, THIRD SAROOP (FORM): One person brings a full bottle, and another fills his cup. Drinking the wine, his intelligence departs, and madness enters his mind; he cannot distinguish between his own and others and he is struck down by his Lord and Master. Drinking it, he forgets his Lord and Master, and he is punished in the Court of the Lord. Do not drink the false wine at all, if it is in your power."
(SGGSJ Ang 554)
By drinking alcohol the intellect is destroyed. Vaheguru is forsaken and the gem of human life is wasted. Those who have evil thoughts drink alcohol. This makes them more lustful which in turn leads them to hell. For Sikhs now alcohol has become a major thorn in our nation. Alcohol has caused the Sikh people so many problems in domestic, religious life etc and when the Sikhs begin to obey this injunction our fortunes will surely change for the better as individuals and as a community. Most young people tend to develop bad drinking habits in university which leads to other things; don't be one of them people that realise when it is too late.
(1) Intoxication (getting drunk)
The immediate effects of alcohol depend upon the amount of alcohol in the blood and whether the person is an experienced drinker. As the blood alcohol rises, drinkers feel more relaxed and are often more talkative. They become less aware of their behaviour and judgment is often impaired. Loss of co-ordination and drowsiness may occur. The risk of accidents rises, particularly for those involved in operating machinery and driving cars. An individual with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 has twice the risk of having a motor vehicle accident as one with a blood alcohol level of zero.
(2) Long term affects
Alcohol Dependence (addiction)
Tolerance: Ability to drink progressively larger amounts without apparent intoxication.
Withdrawal: Anxiety, agitation, confusion, shakes, fits etc which occur when alcohol consumption is suddenly stopped.
Alcohol seeking behaviour: Craving, continuing to drink despite adverse effects.
Medical Liver disease: Liver inflammation and fat deposition. These may progress to liver failure. Cirrhosis (scarring)
Stomach and bowel diseases: Heartburn and indigestion due to an inflamed gullet (reflux) or stomach (gastritis). Diarrhoea. Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) leading to abdominal pain or inability to absorb food. Cancer of the liver, gullet, and bowel.
Brain damage: Memory loss and difficulty learning (dementia), Poor co-ordination and balance
Other neurological diseases: Damage to nerves, leading to numbness in the legs and difficulty walking
Heart & blood vessel diseases: Heart failure (leading to shortness of breath and ankle swelling), Palpitations, High blood pressure (hypertension)
Sexual & reproductive disorders: Damage to the testicles leading to impotence Damage to the unborn baby
Bone & joint disorders: Gout (painful swelling of the joints, most commonly the big toe), Osteoporosis - thinning of the bones which may lead to fractures (broken bones)
Accidents: Head injury, Blood clots around the brain, Broken bones (especially the ribs), Road accidents and Accidents at work or home
Nutrition: Malnutrition or Obesity
Psychological: Difficulty sleeping, Anxiety and agitation, Depression and inability to cope, Confusion and panic attacks, Alcoholic 'blackouts' and Suicide
Domestic problems: Loss of friends, Difficulties in marriage or others significant relationships, Separation and divorce and Neglect of children
Occupational: Lateness or absences from work, Demotion/failure to gain promotion
Financial problems: Loss of regular income from employment Hardship from money spent on alcohol Gambling debts
Legal problems: Drink-driving offences/loss of license, Property crime, Assault and Homicide
Alcohol dependence is indicated by evidence of tolerance and/or symptoms of withdrawal upon cessation of drinking.
Alcohol abuse is characterized by recurrent performance problems on the job or at school that result either from the after effects of drinking alcohol or from actual intoxication on the job or at school. People with alcohol abuse disorders often continue to consume alcohol despite the knowledge that continued use causes significant social or interpersonal problems for them. And people with alcohol use disorders often consume alcohol despite knowing that they suffer from alcohol-related medical problems such as liver disease.
Once, Guru Gobind Singh's horse balked at the sight of tobacco plants. At that time a man seeking peace of mind bowed before him. The Guru told him that he could not attain peace because of his tobacco cultivation. Even the horse found the tobacco repulsive. The peasant then resolved to cultivate grains instead of tobacco.
Smoking tobacco seriously damages health and pollutes the soul and body. It is a bad habit which wastes money and causes nothing but misery. A lot of people smoke around their children causing health problems to their own children. It is a disgusting habit and is a major taboo in the Sikh religion. Passive smoking is just as bad, if you don't smoke, why would you want to take in second-hand smoke. So the company of smokers should be avoided too.
The packet of fags says smoking kills, but some dumb people still buy them, and some women even smoke while they are pregnant (not the best start to give your child). Tobacco is nothing but poison, there is no good purpose at all. The weak minded need fags to relieve stress, but the ill effects that it causes their body and pocket causes them more stress. So many people die every day due to smoking related diseases, don't be one of them. Smoking isn't cool, it isn't a fashion, it shows that you are weak minded and don't care about yourself.
Picture of a burnt out lung caused by smoking
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What is tobacco? Tobacco is a plant related to the potato and nightshade group (Nicotiana tabacum). Its leaves are prepared by drying them. People smoke, chew or inhale the dried leaves.
Chemicals in tobacco - Cigarettes contain over 4 000 chemicals including tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, radioactive compounds, irritant substances (for example, hydrogen cyanide, acetone, ammonia, arsenic, phenol, naphthalene). The main ones that cause problems are tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide.
Tar: is the main cause of lung, mouth and throat cancer in smokers and it aggravates bronchial and respiratory diseases
Nicotine: is a highly addictive drug that first stimulates the brain and then depresses it. It is also a poison and has a dramatic effect on the circulatory system, increasing the heart rate and constricting small blood vessels
Carbon monoxide: is an odourless, colourless and very poisonous gas. It is taken up faster by blood in the lungs than oxygen. The blood has less oxygen to supply the cells of the body
There is no safe level of tobacco use
Effects of smoking tobacco: The health effects of smoking tobacco are different depending on a number of factors, including how the tobacco is smoked, how much tar it contains, how much nicotine it contains and so forth. Many people who smoke tobacco as cigarettes make an effort to switch to low tar, low nicotine cigarettes. There is no evidence yet that smoking low tar; low nicotine cigarettes will reduce the risk of illness.
Short-term effects of smoking tobacco: Central nervous system: feelings of alertness and being wide awake, followed by feeling relaxed. Respiratory system: decreased lung capacity making it harder to breathe and exercise. Circulatory system: increased blood pressure as nicotine causes blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise; the heart beats faster. Musculoskeletal system: increased muscle tension; lowered skin temperature (nicotine causes blood vessels all around the body to constrict. It is harder for blood to get to toes and fingers.)
Long-term health effects of smoking tobacco: Smoking tobacco particularly damages the respiratory and the circulatory systems. Regular use results in diseases that cause death or severe disability.
Effects of smoking when pregnant: Chemicals from the tobacco smoke pass through the mother's blood to the baby through the placenta and reduce the oxygen and blood flow to the baby. Smoking tobacco during pregnancy or being exposed to tobacco smoke increases the chances that the baby will weigh less than normal when born and will have a smaller chest and head. There is also a greater chance of miscarriage, premature birth and complications during and after birth.
Babies born to mothers who smoked tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to get respiratory illnesses in the first few years of life. Smoking tobacco or being exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy is also linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ('SIDS' or 'Cot Death') when a baby dies suddenly, usually while sleeping.
Passive smoking: 'Passive smoking' refers to breathing in smoke from people holding burning cigarettes, cigars or pipes near you or breathing in 'mainstream' smoke exhaled by a person smoking near you. Smoke that drifts from the end of a lit cigarette contains a large number of chemical carcinogens and other toxic substances. Sometimes these amounts are 30 times higher than smoke inhaled by a smoker.
Recently, scientists have found strong evidence that passive smoking can be harmful to health. It can lead to increased bronchitis, pneumonia and other chest illnesses in children and lung cancer and other lung disease in non-smokers. Children can also show signs of slow learning and growth and behaviour changes.
Passive smoking is particularly dangerous for babies and children who have small, delicate lungs. It can also be very dangerous for adults who have asthma or an existing lung or heart problem. Several jurisdictions have enacted effective smoke-free legislation. They include South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia.
Withdrawal: Withdrawal from nicotine can be very unpleasant for the person. Withdrawal symptoms may include:
These symptoms can be helped by suggesting that the person use nicotine patches or chew nicotine gum (nicotine replacement therapy). Nicotine patches and gum are available over-the-counter at chemists. Nicotine patches are also available by a doctor's prescription through your local chemist.