KIN 123 1st Edition Lecture 7Guest Speaker on Alcohol Use and Misuse- Where does alcohol come from?o Active ingredient in alcohol is called ethanol (ethyl alcohol)o Produced from the fermentation of sugars and starches or the distillation of fermented solutionso Ethanol is a CNS depressant (slows everything down-doesn’t make you depressed)o Use of ethanol can cause serious health conditions- Basic statso 23 million Americans aged 12+ need treatments for an alcohol or illicit drug problemo The societal costs are staggering with alcohol abuse alone costing the nation $185 billion- Social drinkingo Someone who drinks regularly but they don’t get drunko No clinical signs of addiction to alcoholo Generally do not have nearly as severe deficits in mental functioning as those who drink heavilyo Depends on amount and frequencyo Most research says 3+ a day=high risk for cognitive deficits - Positive effects of moderate useo Relaxation and stress reductiono Protection against heart disease: studies suggest that 1.5 drinks a day significantly lowers a person’s risk for coronary artery disease (especially in men)o Diminished risk of death in middle-aged men. Protection not just from heart disease, butare less likely to die from cancer or other causes- Alcohol has a biphasic effecto Point of diminishing returns-a plateau, you have reached the peak of being buzzed, it canonly go down from there Notes on Alcohol from the text (Ch.8):- Alcohol can be a harmless way to have fun, but easily becomes harmful when abusedo Alcohol affects different people in different ways, so it is important to be safe and alert when you are in a situation where people are drinkingo For some it can even become an addiction- There are different types of alcoholo Beer- a mild intoxicant brewed from a mixture of grains -3-6% alcoholo Ales and malt liquors contain 6-8% alcoholo Wines-made by fermenting the juices of different grapes or other fruits-9-14% alcoholo Hard liquor- for example gin, whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka, and liqueur-made by distillingbrewed or fermented grains or other plant products-35-50% alcoholThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.o The concentration of alcohol in a specific beverage is labeled as proof value- Alcohol absorptiono When a person ingests alcohol about 20% is rapidly absorbed from the stomach into the bloodstream, while 75% is absorbed in the small intestineo Once the alcohol reaches the bloodstream, it begins to cause feelings of intoxication - Alcohol metabolismo The main site that alcohol is absorbed at is the livero About 2-10% is not metabolized and is excreted by the lungs, kidneys, and sweat glands, producing the common smells associated with drunk peopleo Alcohol readily enters the brain, affecting the neurotransmitters With chronic usage these effects become permanento Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) Can be determined by many different factors- Body weight- a smaller persons develops a higher BAC than a larger person after drinking the same amount- Percent body fat-higher percentage of body fat results in a higher BAC than a more muscular person of the same age- Sex-women metabolize less alcohol in the stomach than men because the stomach enzyme that breaks down alcohol before it enters the blood stream- Also depends on rate of consumption and rate of absorption - Effects of alcoholo Low concentrations Effects of alcohol begin to be felt at a BAC of .03%-.05% May include light-headedness, relaxation, and a release of inhibitions o High concentrations Pleasant effects begin to be replaced with more dangerous ones such as:- Interference of motor coordination , verbal performance, and intellectual functions - Coma usually occurs at BAC of .35% and any higher level can be fatal o Hangover The effects of alcohol wear off slowly, resulting in a hangover state which has symptoms such as- Headache, shakiness, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and impaired mental functioning - Increased heart rate and blood