AlcoholGoldberg Chapter 6SOC 204 Drugs & Society

Is someone close to you an alcoholic?

A. Yes, more than one person

B. Yes, one personC. No

Yes, m

ore th

an one person

Yes, o

ne per

son No

54%

17%

29%

Alcohol

• Fermentation• Distillation• Proof

Pharmacology• Absorption• Distribution• Metabolism• Mechanism of Action• BLOOD ALCOHOL

CONTENT

Alcohol is metabolized in your liverA. TrueB. False

True

False

0%

100%

You can increase your rate of metabolizing alcohol by exercise or by taking caffeine

A. TrueB. False

True

False

100%

0%

Alcohol’s Effects

• Alcohol acts on the cerebrum affecting▫ Judgment▫ Reasoning▫ Inhibitions▫ Motor activity▫ Impairs the senses

• Mouse Party

BAC (%)Behavioral Effects

•0.05 Lowered alertness, release of inhibitions, impaired judgment•0.10 Slower reaction times, impaired motor function, less caution•0.15 Large, consistent increases in reaction time•0.20 Marked depression in sensory and motor capability, intoxication•0.25 Severe motor disturbance, staggering, great impairment•0.30 Stuporous but conscious—no comprehension of what’s going on

•0.35 Surgical anesthesia; about LD1, minimal level causing death

•0.40 About LD50

Alcohol primarily impacts this part of the brain:

A. Limbic systemB. CerebellumC. Cerebral cortexD. Basal ganglia

Limbic

system

Cerebellum

Cerebral co

rtex

Basal g

anglia

0% 0%

79%

21%

Alcohol sedates by increasing glutamate’s action – an agonist response.

A. TrueB. False

True

False

95%

5%

Alcoholism

• Alcoholism ▫Condition in which an individual loses control over

intake of alcohol

• Substance Use Disorder▫Physical, social, intellectual, emotional, or financial

problems resulting from the use of alcohol▫Withdrawal symptoms▫Tolerance▫Blackouts

Alcoholism

•Some consider alcoholism to be a disease▫Compared to heart disease or diabetes▫1956 American Medical Association

declared it a disease▫Disease can be used as a legal defense▫Receive treatment rather than punishment

Do you agree alcoholism is a disease?

A. YesB. NoC. I’m not sure

YesNo

I’m not s

ure

42%

23%

35%

Alcoholism

•Genetics▫50-60% of alcoholism vulnerability has a

genetic basis▫Environmental factors affect the impact of

genetics

Alcoholism

•Psychosocial factors▫20% of alcoholics have a mood or anxiety

disorder▫Individuals are more likely to drink heavily

when in a group▫Expectations about alcohol are predictors

of dependence▫Associated with a greater number of sexual

partners

Alcoholism

•Culture▫Attitudes toward alcohol affect rates of

alcohol abuse

Alcohol Withdrawal

•Characteristics of alcohol withdrawal:▫Craving for alcohol▫Delirium tremens (DTs)▫Extreme arousal▫Auditory and visual hallucinations▫Physiological symptoms▫Cognitive symptoms

Impacts of AlcoholIndividualFamily Society

Family Effects•Children of alcoholics

▫Often experience sleep difficulties, depression, loneliness, and stomach problems

▫Alienated from parents, have poor communication skills, less trust, and more emotional longing

▫Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

•Adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs)▫Feelings of failure and self-deprecation▫Feel a great need to be in control

Addict• Behaviors

▫Use of chemicals

▫Abusive▫Controlling▫Withdrawal of

love, attention, affection

▫Blaming▫Anger▫Self-

righteousness

Underlying feeling:

SHAME

Co-Dependent

•Behaviors▫Rescuing▫Excusing▫Denial▫Helplessness▫Martyr

Underlying feeling:

ANGER

Hero

•Behaviors▫The “Good Kid”▫High achiever▫Successful▫Overly

responsible▫Intellectual

Underlying feeling:

INADEQUACY

Scapegoat

• Behaviors▫ Acting out▫ Defiant▫ Peer-

oriented▫ Sullen, angry▫ Irresponsible▫ Chemical use▫ Law

breaking, truancy

Underlying feeling:

HURT

Lost Child

•Behaviors▫Withdrawn▫Loner▫Day dreamer▫Unnoticed

Underlying Feeling:

LONELINESS

Mascot

•Behaviors▫Attention-

getting ▫Humor▫Clowning▫Super cute▫Overly active▫Silly

Underlying Feeling: FEAR

I know that for Friday’s discussion, I need to interview two people.

A. Got itB. I do now!

Got it

I do now!

50%50%

Which do you most identify with?A. AddictB. Co-dependentC. HeroD. ScapegoatE. Lost ChildF. Mascot

Addict

Co-dependent

Hero

Scapego

at

Lost

Child

Masco

t

14%

5%9%

5%9%

59%

COSTS•Hero

▫Compulsive drive, pressure, suicide•Scapegoat

▫Addiction, criminal behavior, drop out•Lost Child

▫Isolation, abuse victim, eating disorders

•Mascot▫Immaturity, distant relationships,

manipulation

Correlations with Violence

As alcohol use escalates, so does violence▫Domestic partner

violence 66%▫Sexual Assault 37%▫Homicides 40%▫Child abuse 70%

http://www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/ALCOHOL_AND_VIOLENCE.pdf

Suicide

▫About 7% of alcoholics commit suicide

▫16% of men and 10% of women entering alcohol treatment have contemplated suicide

▫38% of people who hanged themselves had alcohol in their system

▫32% of veterans who attempted suicide were diagnosed with alcohol abuse or disorder

Accidents and Alcohol▫Drinking while

driving Emergency room admissions

▫Fire-related fatalities

▫Alcohol-related boating accidents

▫Drowning fatalities

YouTube

Prohibition

• Temperance Movement – view of alcohol

• Prohibition • States 1851• Federal 1919

• Repealed in 1933• Since 1933, states

regulate alcohol • Federal taxation

Total estimated U.S. per capita ethanol consumption in gallons per year by state, 2007

Source: Data from NIAAA

© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Who drinks and why

• Cultural Differences• Trends in US• Regional Differences• Gender Differences• Drinking Among College Students

Most college students reduce their binge drinking after graduating from college.

A.TrueB.False

True

False

14%

86%

The younger one is when drinking alcohol for the first time, the more likely one will become a problem drinker.

A.TrueB.False

True

False

29%

71%

Underage Drinking• Underage drinking is

associated with premature death, disease, injury, property damage, motor vehicle crashes, alcohol-related crime and loss of productivity

• There is a significant relationship between drinking before age 13 and suicide attempts

Underage Drinking

•High school students who engaged in binge drinking were six times more likely to drink and drive ▫7.2% of 8th-grade students binge drink▫16.3% of 9th-grade students binge drink▫23.2% of 12th-grade students binge drink

Moderate alcohol drinkers have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than abstainers.

A.TrueB.False

True

False

32%

68%

Physiological Toxicity

• Overdose• Hangover

When someone passes out from alcohol use:

A. Put them on their back

B. Put them to bed and let them sleep it off

C. Put them on their side

Put them on th

eir back

Put them to

bed and let..

.

Put them on th

eir side

0% 0%0%

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

There is a safe level of alcohol to consume while pregnant

A. TrueB. False

True

False

33%

67%

Physiological Toxicity - Brain•Wernicke-Korsakoff

syndrome develops because alcohol impedes the body’s ability to utilize thiamine (a B vitamin)

•Alcohol use is associated with psychological symptoms: depression, anxiety

Physiological Toxicity - Liver

•Three main conditions associated with alcohol:▫Fatty liver▫Alcohol hepatitis▫Cirrhosis

•Cirrhosis is irreversible, even if alcohol use stops

Physiological Toxicity – Digestive System• In moderate amounts, alcohol aids digestion by

increasing gastric juice in the stomach

• Too much alcohol can irritate the stomach, leading to internal bleeding

• Heavy alcohol use is implicated in acute pancreatitis

• Alcoholics often have malnutrition because alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to utilize nutrients

Physiological Toxicity – Circulatory System

•Moderate alcohol use reduces risk of heart disease, boosts good (HDL) cholesterol and helps prevent type 2 diabetes

•Effects of heavy alcohol use:▫Degeneration of the heart muscle▫High blood pressure▫Cardiac arrhythmias▫Ischemic heart disease ▫Strokes

Physiological Toxicity – Immune System• Studies show that

moderate alcohol use reduces immunity

• Alcohol interferes with white blood cells, particularly T lymphocytes, which help to resist infections

How’s your group doing?

A. We rock. B. Working on it.C. We need help.D. Group? What

group?

We ro

ck.

Work

ing on it.

We need help.

Group?

What g

roup?

43%

5%10%

43%