Topic 3 - Inter-relationships: Smoking, Alcohol and Organ Transplants

Question 1

What are the short term effects of drinking alcohol?

Answer 1

E.g. slow reactions, blurred vision and lower inhibitions.

Question 2

Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide. What effect does carbon monoxide have on the body?

Answer 2

It decreases the amount of oxygen the blood can carry.

Question 3

What are the long term effects of drinking alcohol?

Answer 3

E.g. cirrhosis of the liver and brain damage.

Question 4

Name one addictive drug and one carcinogen in cigarette smoke.

Answer 4

E.g. nicotine is an addictive drug and tar is a carcinogen.

Question 5

Discuss the ethical issues surrounding giving an alcoholic a liver transplant.

Answer 5

E.g. There’s a shortage of donors in the UK so there’s a long waiting list for transplanted organs. People who have damaged their liver through drinking too much alcohol might not be considered for liver transplants unless they stop drinking, as more alcohol would damage their new liver. Some people think that those who have harmed their own organs don’t deserve an organ transplant as much as those whose organs have been damaged through illness. But organs are transplanted into those who are most likely to benefit.