Lecture 7: Alcohol Flashcards
Explain a brief history of alcohol consumption
- The Magna Carta (1215) -the size of a beer handle described (seen to encourage use.)
- In 1606 – public intoxication declared an offence.
- The industrial revolution [18th C] -breakdown of traditional ways in which drinking takes place.
- Traditionally ‘low alcohol’ beer was drunk in Britain - production of gin increased when the Government taxed imported spirits.
- Drinking spirits results in more rapid
intoxication - Popular picture of drunken ‘working class’ in gin bars - negative reputation survives today in England - “gin-mills” / ‘gin’ soaked /”Mother’s Ruin”
Explain the temperance movement and the history of the alcohol ban
= Initially advocates believed in moderation rather than prohibition, byt 1830- 1840 most temperance organisations began to advocate for ‘abstinence’
- Waves of state led prohibition ; 1851 – 1919
–> Concern by middle class, protestant groups that the large influx of migrants (who drank alcohol) were undermining their society – prohibition was one way of controlling them.
- 1920-National Prohibition legislation accepted by US House of Reps. The beginning of prohibition was hailed
- Despite prohibition there was an increase in organised crime/ costs of law enforcement/ People continued
to drink.
- 1933 - Law repealed
What is the prevalence alcohol use and hazardous drinking?
Alcohol use: 76%
Hazardous drinking: 16.6%
What is the chemical structure of alcohol?
- Ethanol C2H6O
- Source of energy (29
kj/gm) - Simple sugar + yeast (fermentation) produces relatively low alcohol beverages <18% (beer and wine)
- Distillation is required to produce greater concentration of alcohol
What is a standard drink measure?
10 grams of pure alcohol
What are the guidelines to reduce long term health risks and to reduce risk of injury?
Reduce long term health risks:
Women - 2 drinks per day and no more than 10 a week
Men - 3 drinks per day and no more than 15 a week
Reduce risk of injury:
Women - no more than 4 drinks on any occasion
Men - no more than 5 drinks on any occasion
Explain Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
= grams of alcohol per
100 ml of blood
–> Overdose – profound intoxication can occur at BAC’s above 0.25%
–> Due to tolerance and individual variability in responses effects of a given BAC can vary
Explain alcohol absorption
- Well absorbed orally
- Rapidly absorbed from small intestine (80%) rest from stomach (diffusion)
- Alcohol is soluble in both water and fat and so rapidly diffuses across
body membranes - Reaches the brain within 5 minutes of ingestion
- Peak blood concentration within about 40 min.
Explain alcohol distribution
- Alcohol is distributed rapidly through body water accumulating in tissues with high water content
- Readily crosses blood-brain and placental barriers
- In general females have smaller proportions of body water than males – and body water declines with age.
- Females will have higher BAC than males after drinking same amount
- Elderly will have higher BAC than younger people
Explain the two steps of alcohol metabolisation
First metabolic step:
- Alcohol metabolised into acetaldehyde by the enzyme ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase)
- This is a rate limiting step
- The enzyme responsible for metabolising alcohol is quickly saturated at very low alcohol concentrations
- This limits the rate of metabolism
- Constant rate of metabolism = approx. 7.5 g/hour
_ Second metabolic step_:
- Acetaldehyde is rapidly metabolised by the enzyme ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase) into acetic acid.
- This normally occurs very rapidly
- Acetaldehyde is very toxic – so if ALDH is inhibited a toxic reaction can occur
What are consequences of chronic alcohol use?
- Abuse
- Cancer
- Liver disease
- Dependence
- Brain damage
- Accidents
- Cardiovascular, hypertension, strokes,
cardiomyopathy - Social dysfunction
- Caloric intake; weight gain
What is Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks (AmED) and what is the hypothesis/results connected to it?
= Alcohol mixed with drinks that contain caffeine/sugar such as coke
Hypothesis:
- caffeine masks the depressant effects of alcohol; people believe they are functioning better than they actually are, and increase alcohol consumption [wide–awake drunks].
- Drinking AMEDs often keep a person awake longer, allowing them to drink more and/or stay up later which may increase a person’s participation in other risky behaviours.
Results:
- International research has not found consistent evidence that ingesting AmED results in reduction of alcohol induced performance impairments
- Primary motive for AmED use was to feel more energetic and to stay out longer drinking
- They also reported that AmEd consumption (compared to alcohol use only) allowed them to drink more without feeling drunk, to be in control, and to feel better in the morning
- AmED users reported that they were more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviours when drinking alcohol alone
Explain proof
= the amount of alcohol in distilled liquor; 100 proof liquor is 50% alcohol, 80 proof liquor is 40% alcohol and so on
