AlcoholGoldberg Chapter 6

SOC 204 Drugs & Society

Is someone close to you an alcoholic?

A. Yes, more than one person

B. Yes, one person

C. No

Yes, m

ore th

an one p

erson

Yes, o

ne per

son No

55%

23%23%

Alcohol

• Fermentation

• Distillation

• Proof

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

CONTENT

Alcohol is metabolized in your liver

A. True

B. False

True

False

0%

100%

You can increase your rate of metabolizing

alcohol by exercise or by taking caffeine

A. True

B. False

True

False

92%

8%

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 system

B. Cerebellum

C. Cerebral cortex

D. Basal ganglia

Limbic

syst

em

Cerebellu

m

Cerebra

l cort

ex

Basal g

anglia

0% 0%

42%

58%

Alcohol sedates by increasing

glutamate’s action – an agonist

response.

A. True

B. False

True

False

48%52%

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. Yes

B. No

C. I’m not sure

YesNo

I’m n

ot sure

57%

13%

30%

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 AlcoholIndividual

Family 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

Which do you most identify with?

A. Addict

B. Co-dependent

C. Hero

D. Scapegoat

E. Lost Child

F. Mascot

Addict

Co-dependent

Hero

Scapego

at

Lost

Child

Masc

ot

18%

0%

6%

24%

18%

35%

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

ViolenceAs 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 dependence

Accidents and Alcohol

▫ Drinking while driving Emergency room admissions

▫ Fire-related fatalities

▫ Alcohol-related boating accidents

▫ Drowning fatalities

YouTube

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.True

B.False

True

False

6%

94%

The younger one is when drinking

alcohol for the first time, the more

likely one will become a problem

drinker.

A.True

B.False

True

False

15%

85%

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.True

B.False

True

False

16%

84%

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 b

ed and le

t...

Put them

on th

eir sid

e

0%

100%

0%

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

There is a safe level of alcohol to

consume while pregnant

A. True

B. False

True

False

30%

70%

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 o

n it.

We n

eed help

.

Group?

What g

roup?

24% 24%

0%

52%