Alcoholism

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Alcoholism

• Umesh Bhati
• 513 A

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• The human brain doesnt fully develop until the
  early 20s. Alcohol use before then drastically
  impacts learning and memory.

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Health Consequences of Alcohol Use

• Increased risk of cardiovascular
  diseases(Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke,
  Hypertension)
• Increased risk of cancer(liver, stomach, colon,
  pancreas, breast, mouth, throat)
• Impaired immune system
• Malnutrition
• Reproductive problems

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Behavioral Consequences of Alcohol Use

• Contributes to 50 of all motor vehicle
  fatalities
• Contributes to unsafe sex and increased risk of
  AIDS
• Contributes to risky behavior and accidental
  death

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Academic Consequences of Alcohol Use

• 40 of poor academic performance at college has
  been linked to drinking
• 7 of first year dropouts are related to alcohol

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Why People Start Drinking

• Peer pressure
• Need to belong and be accepted
• Media depiction of drinking
• Easy access (often at home)
• Absence of religious attachment
• Cultural / sociological traditions
• Social "lubrication"
• Makes one "feel good"

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There are more than 150 medications that should
not be mixed with alcohol.

• For example, drinking alcohol while taking
  acetaminophen (Tylenol) can increase the risk of
  serious liver damage.

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Alcohol affects men and women differently. Women
become more impaired than men from drinking the
same amount of alcohol. This is because women

• Are generally smaller in size
• Have less body water
• Have less dehydrogenase(Dehydrogenase is an
  enzyme in the stomach that breaks down alcohol.)
• Have more estrogen

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• Low risk drinking
• 1 drink a day for women
• 2 drinks a day for men

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• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant.
• In small amounts it can have a relaxing effect.
• But, in large amounts it can cause impaired
  judgement, slurred speech, reduced reaction time,
  and difficulty walking.

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Social factors

• Alcoholism high in some cultures
• Americans, Swiss, Irish, Polish, Russians.
• Low in others
• Chinese, Koreans,
• Orthodox Jews.

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Alcoholism is low in cultures where

• Children learn alcohol is a beverage.
• Served in dilute forms.
• Abstain okay.
• Parents model moderate drinking
• Getting drunk not seen as comical.
• Everyone knows ground rules.

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Media images of alcohol

• Ireland has highest heavy drinking rates in
  Europe.
• Youth bombarded with alcohol ads.
• Have begun to restrict advertising.
• Change the culture.

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Pharmacology

• Absorbed rapidly form GI tract

Proximal Small Bowel
Stomach Large Bowel
Mouth Esophagus
gtgtgt gtgt

• Rapidly equilibrates in blood and all tissues.

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Treatment for Alcoholism

• ? Successful treatment/cessation
• Family, friends, peers MUST be supportive
  involved
• Support groups
• Alcoholics Anon
• Pharmacologic intervention antabuse
• Best if linked to the above