Chapter 9 - Alcohol - Lecture notes 9 PDF

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Chapter 9 notes, filled in study guide, class discussion, extra notes, article 1...

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Study Guide Exam 2 Chapters 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Chapter 9 Alcohol A. Origin Fermentation is the production of alcohol from the interaction yeast, sugar, and water. -naturally occurring process B. Fermentation occurs in the natural environment. Most fruits including grapes contain sugar. Yeast is found in the air in high concentrations where plants grow. If grapes or berries are crushed and come into contact with water and yeast from the air, fermentation will occur. Beer and berry wine date back to 6400 BC. C. Distillation involves the evaporation and condensing of alcohol vapors to produce beverages with alcohol content higher than 15 percent. Yeast dies above 15% and the process is stopped This is a man-made process. This process includes heating a solution until it boils, then collecting the vapor. This is possible because water has a higher boiling point than alcohol. Therefore, the vapor is mostly alcohol. D. Early Views on Alcohol Use Before the American Revolution (1775-1783) most people drank more alcohol than water, clean water was scarce, alcohol killed bacteria – this is safer. -heavy alcohol use was encouraged, however Drunkenness was viewed as misuse of a positive product. Perceptions of alcohol changed after the American Revolution – there was a sharp rise in the amount of alcohol use and as a consequence the negative aspects of alcohol intoxication were more apparent than ever. Alcohol itself was viewed as the cause of serious problems. Alcohol was the first substance to be demonized in American Culture. E. Temperance Movement -Social movement against the consumption of alcohol beverages (1790)

This is the first time Americans formed a united social movement against alcohol use. Heavy drinking = health problems Alcohol use damages = morality -basically changes self-control or the way we value things

Alcohol addiction = a disease -temperance societies -initially promoted abstinence from distilled spirits only -later promoted total abstinence -became fashionable to “take the pledge” F. Eventually Federal Prohibition was initiated via the 18th amendment in 1919. This amendment banned the sale of alcohol. People still drank illegally in speakeasies and private clubs. Many people obtained “prescriptions” for alcohol from Doctors. -by 1917, 64% of American’s lived in dry territory -18th amendment banned sale of alcohol -people still drank illegally in speakeasies and private clubs and legally through purchases of parent medicines -enforcement was challenging and expensive Outcomes of prohibition included organized crime become more organized and more profitable However, alcohol dependence and related deaths declined. Prohibition was repealed by the 21st amendment (1933). This was due to the loss of major source of federal and state revenue from taxes. Also, many people disobeyed the drinking laws which led to a general sense of disregard for the law and general lawlessness. -reasons for the repeal: -alcohol taxes has been a major source of revenue -concerns that wide spread disrespect for prohibition laws encouraged a general sense of lawlessness -outcomes of repeal included: -alcohol per capita sales and consumption increased -returned to pre-prohibition levels after WW2 G. Patterns in U.S. alcohol consumption Consumption patterns are influenced by cultural factors including perceived risk of alcohol and drinking norms. Similar to other drugs, alcohol use peaked in the early 1980s and then declined. However, it is now on the rise again.

A recent report (Grant, Chou, Tulshi, 2017) showed that: Alcohol Use has increased recently -65.4% - 72.7% High-risk drinking has increased recently -9.7% - 12.6% Alcohol Use disorder has increased recently -8.5%- 12.7% The largest change was seen in alcohol use disorder.

High risk drinking is defined as: For women - no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 drinks per week. For men no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. H. Article 1: Effects of alcohol induced working memory decline on alcohol consumption and adverse consequence of use. Important points to focus on for Exam 2 will be highlighted in class. -working memory requires you to: -attend to and hold small amounts of information in your mind for a short period of time -organize a set of mental processes -alcohol decreases working memory acutely in a dose-dependent manner -is this decline equivalent across all individuals? -does the degree of decline relate to alcohol behaviors and consequences -aims: -relationship between working memory decline following drinking alcohol and does that matter? -sample: -heavy drinkers, both males and females -mean age is 39.2 -drank 60% of the past 60 days – about 6 a day -3 sessions, within subjects, separate days -working memory and processing speed assessed at baseline and 20 minutes following beverage consumption -results: -poor working memory after alcohol admin was associated with greater number of drinks consumed per drinking day -significant indirect relationship observed -does it matter – yes!

-a person whose working memory goes way down tends to show that they drink a lot more -independent variable -dose – high or low -dependent variable -alcohol consumption -discussion: -how alcohol effects working memory -the changes of working memory that came from alcohol use shows -the volume of consumptions and problematic alcohol use -higher house income more likely to drink -higher education more likely to drink -smoking is opposite of this -alcohol related deaths -88000 people die from alcohol related causes annually -tobacco -poor diet -alcohol -in 2014 alcohol impaired driving accounted for about 10,000 deaths -12 fl oz beer = 8-9 fl oz malt liquor = 5 fl oz wine = 1.5 fl oz gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey -beer = 5% alcohol, malt = 7% alcohol, wine = 12% alcohol, hard liquor = 40% I. Alcohol Pharmacology Absorption ***Some alcohol is absorbed from the stomach, most in the small intestine.*** -remember small intestine Slower if there is food or water in the stomach. Faster in the presence of carbonated beverages. -Vodka diluted with carbonated water 18.75% -Vodka diluted with water (18.75%) -Neat Vodka (37.5%) -this is the level of absorption -does absorption seem contradictory? -vodka water results in steeper incline in BAC than vodka neat, but water in the stomach slows alcohol absorption – seems contradictory -If a sufficient amount of water in consumed prior to alcohol consumption it will increase the time it takes for newly consumed liquids to reach the small intestine where most alcohol is absorbed

-however, on a fairly empty stomach, Vodka water will increase the surface area of the liquid resulting in more efficient absorption in the small intestine -any time you have a full stomach, you will slow the absorption of alcohol Distribution Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of the concentration of alcohol in blood. Alcohol is distributed throughout body fluids but not fatty tissues. Thus, a lean person will have a lower BAC than a less lean person of the same weight – because the alcohol will not absorb into fat and there is less available water. -a 140lb female with 40% body fat has much less water concentration than a 140lb female with 25% body fat -females have higher body fat ratios than males, on average – contributing to the difference in BAC between males/females Metabolism Most alcohol is metabolized in liver. On average, the liver metabolizes about 0.25 ounces of alcohol per hour. (a little less than one standard drink) If rate of intake equals rate of metabolism, BAC is stable. If rate of intake exceeds rate of metabolism, BAC increases. Metabolism is based on a stable rate. Exercise, coffee, and other strategies do not speed up the rate of metabolism. -liver responds to chronic intake of alcohol by increasing enzyme activity -contributes to tolerance among heavy users -THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO SPEED UP METABOLISM, YOU CAN SPEED UP ABSORPTION BUT NOT METABOLISM -for heavy alcohol users: -when alcohol is present, metabolism (break down) of other drugs is slower -when alcohol is not present, metabolism of other drugs is faster Mechanism(s) of action Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. **** know this Alcohol enhances the inhibitory effects of GABA. Alcohol also affects dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine neurons. -similar to barbiturates and benzodiazepines -alcohol also affects dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine neurons ****-if you are enhancing the inhibitory effect – you are decreasing activity**** -after you get past the fun effect of alcohol, it is an inhibitory

J. Behavioral Effects Alcohol affects mood - mood changes can include euphoria, reduced anxieties, reduced inhibitions. -effects are dose-dependent -blood alcohol concentration determines effects -for example: -at low blood levels, complex and abstract behaviors may be disrupted -at higher blood levels, simpler behaviors may be affected -mostly, the first one-three drinks is a placebo, you don’t feel enough at this point -alcohol prohibits self-referential thoughts Effects are greater when BAC is rising. Effects also depend on the rapidity of consumption. For example, effects on behavior are greater when BAC rises rapidly. Effects are influenced by the individual’s alcohol experience. For example, a higher BAC is needed to impair a chronic heavy drinker – the brain is used to compensating for depressant effects. Effects are influenced by expectations. For example, placebo effects explain many of the effects on social behavior. – increased confidence -put the chart in here K. Crime and violence Homicide: Although a causal relationship isn’t proven, data show that homicide is more likely to occur in situations in which drinking also occurs. -specifically in males, interacts with testosterone Assault and other crimes of violence: Assault, spousal abuse, and child abuse are correlated with drinking. Family violence, sexual assault and assault Date rape: Alcohol is the most significant date rape drug. Suicide: Alcohol is involved in about one-third of all suicides.

L. Disease Cirrhosis is one of the leading causes of death among Americans. It occurs after many years of steady drinking. Liver cells die and are replaced by fibrous tissue leading to impaired liver function. Cirrhosis is not reversible but abstinence will slow progression. -if not, liver cancer can develop If one does not stop drinking once severe cirrhosis has developed it can progress into liver cancer – which is fairly common.

-does not develop on its own, does not progress on its own, you need to keep drinking over multiple years for this to occur Cancer Heavy alcohol use increases risk of many types of cancer in addition to liver caner. Heavy alcohol use plus cigarette smoking is particularly dangerous. -and liver cancer Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Facial and developmental abnormalities associated with mother’s alcohol use during pregnancy Related to peak BAC and to duration of alcohol exposure. -diagnostic criteria (at least one must be present) -growth retardation before and or after birth -pattern of abnormal features of the face and head -evidence of CNS (central nervous system) abnormality -prevalence: .5%-2% per 1,000 births (so it is very unlikely) -drinking during pregnancy increases risk of spontaneous abortion ****-data do not prove that low levels of alcohol use during pregnancy are safe or that they are unsafe****...