Alcohol Flashcards
3 most common psychoactive drugs
- Alcohol- has the longest history by far
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
Impact of alcohol on society and culture
There have been times in history where the water was toxic, so it was necessary to drink alcohol. Alcohol was a major part of religions, births, marriages, funerals. In some cultures, it was part of the truce process after war- truce wasn’t official until everyone got drunk afterwards
3 forms of alcohol
Wine, beer, hard liquor- depends on the process of fermentation
Fermentation
A chemical reaction where sugar (glucose) is dissolved in water and exposed to air. This creates an environment for living microorganisms (yeasts). Yeast produces byproducts, like alcohol and carbon dioxide (released into the air). As yeasts grow, so does the percentage of alcohol
Distillation
Most fermented beverages do not exceed 15% alcohol content, so distillation is used to increase the alcohol content in a beverage. Hard liquor also requires distillation. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so it is heated in a distillation apparatus until it evaporates from the solution. It is cooled back to liquid in a condenser, so the receiving flask of the apparatus will contain pure alcohol
Alcohol contents of a beverage
In the US, contents of a beverage are denoted by volume. For example, a 16 oz beverage containing 50% alcohol contains 8 oz of alcohol
Proof
A term typically used for distilled spirits. It equals 2x the percentage of alcohol/volume. For example, 90 proof vodka/2= 45% alcohol
Origin of the term “proof”
The term originated in England. When 57% alcohol/volume is poured over gunpowder, it ignites an open flame. The English refer to alcohol as “over proof” (greater than 57%) or “under proof” (less than 57%).
How long have humans been using alcohol?
Humans have used alcohol for thousands of years. The first wines were probably made from fruit juice, and the first beers are thought to have been produced in Egypt 5000-6000 years ago. The earliest reference to distilled spirits was in China, one thousand years ago
Devastating impacts of alcohol
Alcohol is consumed in excess by many. It makes domestic violence more likely and can cause death
Alcohol in colonial America
Puritans viewed drunkenness as sin, yet they had no problems with the consumption of alcohol as long as the person didn’t get drunk. The tavern was the center of town, in addition to the church. It was the location for discussing- politics, business, trade, gossip and pleasure, and male comradery. The drinker’s dictionary (1737) by Ben Franklin
included more than 235 terms for a drunk person
History of alcohol consumption in the US
By 1790, the average adult citizen in the US drank 6 gallons of alcohol per capita, per year. By 1830, it increased to 7 gallons, which is 5 drinks per day per adult. People started to become aware of problems associated with drinking, especially as society started to become more urban and industrial. The Temperance movement started to gain strength- at this point, they were looking at reduction or reasonable consumption rather than total abstinence
The impact of saloons on culture
As we moved west due to manifest destiny, men began gathering in saloons to drink. Saloons were generally associated with aggressive men with no home or no family connections, like trappers, settlers, or cowboys. Consumption of large quantities of whiskey was associated with manliness at the time, but it was also associated with thievery, gambling, prostitution, and political corruption. Men generally vastly outnumbered women in these towns, and saloons became centers for toxic masculine behavior. The saloon was where a lot of old western ideas came from. For these reasons, saloons led to the emergence of the temperance movement with more fervor- now they advocated for full abstinence from all alcohol
Prohibition
Occurred from 1920-1933. Prohibition was directly responsible for the rise of organized crime in the US- people were secretly importing and consuming alcohol, and most people drank illegally. Once repealed, many different state laws emerged to restrict alcohol. In Indiana, blue laws sales are illegal on Sundays. In Alabama, beer must be sold at room temperature. In Hawaii, you can’t order more than 1 drink at a time. In Illinois, happy hours are illegal
Which decades saw drastic increases in drinking?
There was a small increase in drinking 1933-1940, and a considerable increase in drinking from 1960-70. Gen X (born 1965-80) and older millennials who were adolescents/young adults in the 80s and 90s tended to be heavy drinkers. This age group were more likely to be allowed to drink small sips of alcohol when they were young, and they watched their parents drink a lot. There was a college culture (culture of alcohol) during this time period. Currently- 9% of adults aged 35-44 (includes elder millennials) continue to drink even though it has negatively impacted their life
