SOC212 - 6. Alcohol & Addiction Flashcards
(54 cards)
Introduction
Alcohol most popular mood-altering drug consumed in Canada + U.S.
physical + behavioral consequences of alcohol consumption
Physiological Dimensions
Alcohol doesn’t lead to physiological habit in way that some other drugs do
Large quantities disturb activities in organs controlled by the brain
Physiological Dimensions
Chronic alcohol consumption can cause gastrointestinal disorders, pancreatitis, liver disease, nutritional deficiency, cardiovascular defects, myopathy, birth defects, etc
Other Health-Related Effects
Intoxication can result in automobile fatalities.
Other Health-Related Effects
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): cluster of defects in newborn infants connected with drinking by mother during pregnancy
identified only in children born to mothers who drank heavily while pregnant and often combined it with smoking and illegal drugs
Physiological Effects
Moderate quantities can relax tensions + worries, it may ease fatigue associated with anxiety
Research identifies non-universal behavioral consequence of drinking alcoholic beverages
Physiological Effects
Drunken actions largely learned behavior sensitive to cultural + social contexts
Prevalence of Drinking
Canadian drinkers favor beer, then wine, then distilled spirits
Men are more likely than women to describe themselves as drinkers.
Prevalence of Drinking
Average Canadian alcohol consumption per capita is 470 standard drinks per year (age 15 years & older)
Types of Drinkers
Norms set standards for consumption of alcoholic beverages, indicating to drinkers:
Which beverages suit specific occasions + times
Types of Drinkers
How much they should consume
What kind of behavior society will tolerate after consumption
Types of Drinkers
Four Types of Drinkers: • Social or Controlled Drinker • Heavy Drinkers • Problem Drinkers • Chronic Alcoholics
Social or Controlled Drinker
Someone who drinks for reasons of sociability, conviviality, and conventionality
Primary characteristic is the ability to take alcohol or abstain at will
Social or Controlled Drinker
Often refrain from drinking + use alcohol only in certain social circumstances
Heavy Drinkers
Frequently uses alcohol, occasionally consuming sufficient quantities to become intoxicated
Drinking exceeds community standards for social use
Heavy Drinkers
- Interferes with health, social, or economic functioning
- 5 or more drinks on one occasion
- Binge Drinkers
Problem Drinkers
Those who experience some problem as a result of their drinking, regardless of how much they consume or circumstances surrounding that consumption
Problem Drinkers
Distinguished by consequences of alcohol rather than characteristics of drinker or quantity + frequency of consumption
Chronic Alcoholics
Results after consuming large quantities of alcohol over long periods of time.
Compulsion, solitary drinking, morning drinking, general physical deterioration
Chronic Alcoholics
Alcoholics cannot escape problems caused by alcohol consumption by terminating drinking
Global Problematic Drinking
Canada - 5.43% Males 1.92% Females
greatest alcohol use disorders in NA, Russia, Europe + Australia
Variations in Drinking Behaviour
North American life
• Learned behaviour
• Follows Social pattern
Variations in Drinking Behaviour
Drinking frequency varies by age, education, income, community, marital status + religion
Age / Gender
Consumption of alcoholic beverages tends to decline with increasing age
Men drink more frequently and larger amounts than women do
