Health Chapter 10
Drunkorexia
A colloquial term for the practice of skipping meals or exercising heavily before consuming alcohol More than 80 percent of college students in a new study said they have skipped a meal, induced vomiting or used a laxative in order to consume more alcohol*
Proof
A measure of the percentage of alcohol in a beverage
Binge Drinking
A pattern of drinking alcohol that brings BAC to 0.08 gram-percent or above; corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (adult male) or four or more drinks (adult female) in 2 hours.
Absorption and Metabolism 1
About 20 percent of alcohol diffuses through the stomach lining into the bloodstream.
Wine and Beer
Absorbed more slowly than distilled beverages
High-Risk Drinking and College Students
According to a recent study, 1,825 college students die each year due to alcohol-related unintentional injuries. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among 18- to 24-year-olds, and alcohol is the leading contributor to those deaths. Consumption of alcohol is the number one cause of preventable death among college students.
Abuse and Dependence
Alcohol abuse is drinking that interferes with work, school, social and family relationships, or entails violation of the law.
Effects of Alcoholism on Family and Friends
Alcohol abusers and alcoholics hurt more than just themselves. Children in alcoholic dysfunctional families generally assume at least one of the following roles: Family hero Scapegoat Lost child Mascot
More Long Term Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol is considered a carcinogen; that is, it can lead to cancer. Alcohol abuse also leads to: Inflammation of the pancreas Interference with immunity Affects sleep Blocked absorption of calcium Excessive use of alcohol is associated with early death from cancer and other causes. Alcohol can also inflame the pancreas, causing pancreatitis, and irritate the stomach lining. Violent vomiting can tear blood vessels in the wall of the esophagus.
More Short Term Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol use plays a significant role in the types of injuries people experience. Alcohol influences one's ability to make good decisions about sex because it lowers inhibitions. Alcohol is a key factor in many rapes and in domestic violence. Alcohol contributes to weight gain; the freshman 15. Alcohol, used either alone or in combination with other drugs, can lead to alcohol poisoning (also known as acute alcohol intoxication).
Treatment to Recovery
Alcohol withdrawal can result in a severe syndrome known as delirium tremens (DTs), which is characterized by confusion, delusions, agitated behavior, and hallucinations. Family members sometimes take action before the alcoholic does. Intervention is an effective method of helping an alcoholic to confront the disease. Treatment programs: Private treatment facilities Family therapy, individual therapy, and group therapy Pharmacological treatment Support groups Most alcoholics require a treatment program, although as many as one third stop drinking on their own. No single treatment works for everyone. Because many alcoholics have patterns that fluctuate, their alcoholism is probably a response to environmental factors such as stress and may be helped by treatment.
Costs to Society
Alcohol-related costs to society are estimated to be well over $223.5 billion annually when health insurance costs, criminal justice costs, treatment costs, and lost productivity are factored in. Most people with alcohol problems are employed. It is estimated that alcohol problems contribute to 500 million lost workdays annually. A recent study suggests that underage drinking costs society $62 billion annually or $2,070 per underage person.
Identifying an Alcoholic
Alcoholics can be found at all socioeconomic levels and in all professions, ethnic groups, geographical locations, religions, and races. Data indicates that about 15 percent of people in the United States are problem drinkers. Recognizing and admitting the existence of an alcohol problem is often difficult.
Standard Drink
Amount of any beverage that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol
Blood Alcohol Concentration and Gender 1
Because women tend to have more body fat and less water in their tissues than men of the same weight, they will become more intoxicated after drinking the same amount of alcohol.
3 Major themes for discussion of alcohol on college campuses
Binge Drinking Females and alcohol Mixing alcohol with other drugs
Alcohol Use in College
Binge drinking is consuming five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women within 2 hours. It brings the blood alcohol level (BAC) up to 0.08 percent. Large numbers of college students report having consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. About 40 percent of all college students engage in heavy episodic (binge) drinking. A significant number of students experience negative consequences as a result of their alcohol consumption. 35 percent of students report having done something they regret after drinking.
The Causes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Biological and family factors: Alcoholism is 4 to 8 times more common among individuals who have a family history of alcoholism. Social and cultural factors: Social pressure Family attitude toward drinking
Who Drinks And Why Do College Students Drink So much? Part 2
Drink specials enable students to consume large amounts of alcohol cheaply. College administrators often deny that alcohol problems exist on their campus. Students believe that alcohol will make them feel better, less stressed, more sociable, and less self-conscious. More than 80 percent of students drink alcohol to celebrate their twenty-first birthday, and they consume an average of nearly 13 drinks.
Short Term effects of alcohol
Drinking depresses the central nervous system (CNS). Drinking leads to dehydration and headache. Drinkers may suffer symptoms that include the "morning-after" effects. Alcohol irritates the gastrointestinal system. Excessive drinking can lead to a hangover. Congeners play a role in the development of hangovers. (A depressed central nervous system decreases respiratory rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure. Vital functions eventually become noticeably affected. In extreme cases, coma and death result. Alcohol may cause indigestion and heartburn if consumed on an empty stomach.)
Long-term effects of alcohol
Even moderate drinking can have negative effects on the nervous system. Alcohol affects the cardiovascular system. Antithrombotic effect One of the most common diseases related to alcohol abuse is liver disease. Cirrhosis Alcoholic hepatitis Chronic alcohol use is associated with diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems and some cancers. Heavy social drinkers and alcoholics show evidence of brain damage. Effects on the cardiovascular system depend on the amount of alcohol consumed. Moderate doses may reduce the risk of heart disease. Higher doses can elevate blood pressure. Excessive consumption may lead to weakening of the heart muscle, or cardiac myopathy. Alcohol in even small amounts alters liver function. Continued use of alcohol leads to damage and eventual destruction of liver cells. Destroyed cells are replaced by fibrous scar tissue, a condition called cirrhosis.
Pyloric Spasm
High intakes of alcohol cause these spasms that prevent the stomach contents from emptying. If irritation continues, it can cause vomiting
Blood Alcohol Concentration and Gender 3
In learned behavioral tolerance, a person learns to modify his or her behavior in order to appear sober despite a high BAC.
Why do people feel the effects of alcohol differently?
Many factors influence how rapidly a person's body absorbs alcohol and thus how quickly that person feels the effects of alcohol. For example, eating while drinking slows down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Efforts To Reduce Student Drinking
Most fraternities have elected to have "dry" houses. Programs that include cognitive behavior skills training and motivational interviewing have proven to be effective. (BASICS) as an effective program for students who drink heavily and have experienced or are at risk for alcohol-related problems. E-Interventions and web interventions also show promise Schools are trying a "social norms" approach in an effort to reduce alcohol consumption.
Who Drinks and Why Do college Students Drink So Much?
Most students are likely to drink in college, especially if drinking is approved of by parents and if they drank in high school. Many college functions support the use of alcohol. Alcohol advertising and promotion target students. College students are vulnerable to peer influence.
Relapse
Over half of alcoholics relapse within the first 3 months of treatment. Treating an addiction requires more than getting the addict to stop using a substance; it also requires getting the person to break a pattern of behavior that has dominated his or her life. Many alcoholics refer to themselves as "recovering" throughout their lifetime rather than "cured."
Treatment Programs
Pharmacological treatments: Disulfiram (Antabuse) Naltrexone http://time.com/3677044/alcohol-energy-drinks/ Acamprosate (Campral) Support groups: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Al-Anon, which helps adult relatives and friends of an alcoholic Alateen, designed, for teens living with alcoholic parents Women for Sobriety Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
College Student Drinking Behavior and the Impact of Student Drinking
Pre-gaming is a strategy of drinking heavily at home before going out to an event or other location; it has become increasingly common on college campuses. Recent studies confirm that drinkers and binge drinkers cause problems not only for themselves but also for those around them. There is significant evidence that campus rape is linked to binge drinking as well as sleep disruptions, vandalism, negative academic consequences, etc.
Distillation
Process in which alcohol vapors are condensed and mixed with water to make hard liquor
Alcohol and Prescription Drug abuse
Recent studies have shown that men and women with alcohol use disorders are 18 times more likely to report nonmedical use of prescription drugs than people who do not drink at all.
Absorption and Metabolism 3
The concentration of the alcohol; quantity consumed; amount of food in stomach; pylorospasm (spasm of the pyloric valve in the digestive system); your metabolism, weight, and BMI; and your mood all affect the absorption of alcohol.
Is there any cure for a hangover?
The only cure for a hangover is abstaining from excessive alcohol consumption. A hangover's symptoms include headache, muscle aches, upset stomach, anxiety, depression, diarrhea, and thirst. Congeners are metabolized after the ethanol is gone from the system, and their toxic by-products may contribute to the hangover. After drinking alcohol, the only true hangover cure is TIME!
Absorption and Metabolism 2
The other 80 percent passes through the lining of the upper third of the small intestine.
Fermentation
The process whereby yeast organisms break down plant sugars to yield ethanol.
Ethnic Differences Latino
The rates of alcohol abuse and alcoholism among men are high, though many Latinas abstain.
Blood Alcohol Concentration BAC
The ratio of alcohol to total blood volume
Females and Alcoholism
The trend is for women, especially college-age women, to drink more heavily at a later age than males do. Women become addicted faster with less alcohol. Women alcoholics have greater risks for cirrhosis; excessive memory loss and shrinkage of the brain; heart disease; and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon than do male alcoholics.
Ethnic Differences Asian Americans
Their rates of alcoholism are lower than those of the other groups. Asian Americans tend to have lower-than-average rates of alcohol abuse, although acculturation may weaken taboos that contribute to the lower rate.
Ethnic Differences Native Americans
Their rates of alcoholism are two to three times higher than the national average.
Ethnic Differences African American
Their rates of drinking are lower than those of white Americans, but those who do drink tend to drink heavily.
Ethyl Alcohol
This is beverage alcohol.
Drinking and Driving
Traffic accidents are the leading cause of accidental death for all age groups from 5 to 65 years old. Approximately 1 of 3 crash deaths, or nearly 11,000 fatalities each year, are alcohol-related. A recent survey showed that 23 percent of college students reported that they had driven under the influence of alcohol. Driving while intoxicated is a serious health and safety problem in the United States. Driving while intoxicated has serious legal consequences. Drivers should remain alert to signs that another driver is impaired and know how to drive defensively. If you are away from your home and drinking, find alternative means of transportation or follow the practice of having a designated driver who has not consumed any alcohol.
Blood Alcohol Concentration and Gender 2
Women have half as much alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the stomach before it reaches the bloodstream and the brain, as men.
Despite differences among individuals
alcohol produces some general behavior effects depending on the persons BAC
Those mixed alcohol with energy drinks (AMEDS)
also report not noticing the signs of intoxication (dizziness, fatigue, headache, and trouble walking).They are more likely to experience alcohol-related consequences, which include being taken advantage of, riding with a drunk driver, being hurt or injured, or needing medical treatment.
Champagne and carbonated drinks
are absorbed more rapidly than beer and wine
FAS, partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS), and alcohol-related neurodevelopment disorder (ARND)
are all classified as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). An estimated 40,000 infants in the United States are affected by FASDs each year. Alcohol consumed during pregnancy crosses the placenta and harms the fetus. Moderate to heavy alcohol use can cause FAS. Characteristics include physical abnormalities and mental impairment. FAS is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation in the Western world.
Carbonated beverages
cause the valve to relax and empty stomach contents more rapidly
Pyloric valve
controls the release of stomach contents into the intestine
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
is associated with alcohol consumption during the first trimester, which may affect organ development; alcohol consumed during the last trimester may affect CNS development.
Alcohol Abuse
is defined as recurrent alcohol use that has negative consequences, such as drinking in dangerous situations or drinking patterns that result in academic, professional, interpersonal, or legal difficulties.
Alcoholism
or alcohol dependence, is the condition that results when personal and health problems related to alcohol use are severe and stopping alcohol use causes withdrawal symptoms.
Students who report mixing alcohol with energy drinks
tend to drink more—8.3 drinks vs. 6.1 drinks. (The alcohol industry has used the popularity of energy drinks to promote its own products, introducing premixed alcohol and energy drink products such as Sparks, Rockstar 21, and Tilt. In addition, alcohol companies promote mixing energy drinks with alcohol products on their edgy websites. Red Bull, for example, promotes a top drinks list suggesting "Jaegerbombs" and "Tucker Death mix".)
The more alcohol you consume...
the longer it takes to absorb it. Alcohol also irritates the digestive system
Heavier people have larger body surfaces through which to diffuse alcohol; therefore
they have lower concentrations of alcohol in their blood than do thin people after drinking the same amount
