Week 3 A

Question 1

Race/ethnic considerations

Answer 1

Asians often lack the enzyme required to metabolize alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase)
Resulting facial flushing response/headaches/tachycardia/dizziness
Thus lowest levels of consumption

Question 2

Aboriginal populations

Answer 2

Highest alcohol abuse
1 in 5 people in aboriginal communities are admitted to hospital for alcohol related illness on an annual basis!!
Many reasons (socioeconomic) for this

Question 3

World’s oldest licensed Distillery

Answer 3

Bushmills (Antrim Coast: Northern Ireland)

Question 4

Gin: from medicine to mania

Answer 4

1688 the Dutchman, William of Orange, became King of England
He banned the import of French wines
Encouraged the distillation of spirits from home-grown grain
Gin was developed in Holland in 1650 by Francis Sylvius
Produced by distillation of Juniper berries with alcohol derived from fermented barley

Question 5

Juniper berries as medicine

Answer 5

Folkloric history as a remedy for gout and urinary tract problems such as urine retention
Idea was to produce a diuretic from gin
Gin is composed of 100’s of compounds
One of these, terpinen-4-ol-reduces inflammation
But not enough in gin to have much effect

Question 6

What is gout??

Answer 6

Joint inflammation and swelling
Caused by uric acid buildup in the blood
Eventually crystals form and cause pain
Most prevalent in people who consume a lot of alcohol and eat a fatty diet
Henry VIII of England had it!
Can be treated with colchicine (an alkaloid)
Gin-soaked raisins for treatment of arthritis

Question 7

Gin mania in 18th century England

Answer 7

Between 1715 and 1750, more deaths than births in London, with greatest mortality among children
Many of these were due to fetal alcohol syndrome, as unhappy mothers-to-be sought solace in gin
Start of Industrial Revolution meant poor air and water quality

Question 8

1st Gin Act of 1736

Answer 8

Made sale of gin in quantities under 2 gallons illegal
Taxes on gin were raised
Distillers had to be licenced (50 pound fee!)
Result: riots in the streets!
Black market in gin

Question 9

2nd Gin Act 1751

Answer 9

Distillers could only sell to licensed retailers
Heavy fines if violated
Eventually “gin mania “ began to fade

Question 10

Pharmacology of alcohol

Answer 10

Alcohol is a CNS depressant
Releases inhibitions and thus (erroneously) gives the impression that it is a stimulant
Brain is particularly sensitive to depressive effects of alcohol
Strong correlation between BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) and behaviour

Question 11

Alcohol and the Law

Answer 11

Ontario : driving with above above .05 % BAC is an offence : 3 day license suspension for 1st offence; increases with subsequent offences
Range of .05 to .08 is “warning range”
Above .08 % BAC is considered legally drunk in Ontario

Question 12

Absorption of alcohol

Answer 12

Rapid effects of alcohol are noticed when it is consumed on an empty stomach
Stomach absorbs ~ 25% of the alcohol, with 75% absorbed by the small intestine
Maximum BAC can be reached in 20-30 min.

Question 13

Effects of alcohol on the liver

Answer 13

Every 4 minutes, the entire blood volume goes thro’ the liver
Alcohol pre-empts fat metabolism in the liver, thus in heavy drinkers, fat deposits accumulate on the liver (cirrhosis)

Question 14

Ethanol - Breakdown

Answer 14

liver processes blood supply(~6L) every 4 min liver burns up ethanol (=> 7Cal/g) first (apparent stimulant)
excess acetaldehyde ‘ties up’ serotonin in the brain(then acts as a depressant)
cirrhosis = fat deposits/lesions on the liver

Question 15

Ethanol - the Ups

Answer 15

• moderate use enhances: social interactions, enjoyment of food
• statistical correlation of longer (happier?) life with ~1’drink’ per day • powerful phytochemical antioxidant (resveratrol) in red wine(grape skins?) • almost 60% of NA over 12yr consume alcohol each month

Question 16

Ethanol - the Downs

Answer 16

NA data • ~150,000 (300/day) die of alcohol-related causes, eg. 50% of highway fatalities • ~11 million alcoholics(40X the heroin addicts) • 40% of admissions to mental institutions are alcohol related • alcoholics: 10X higher suicide rate; 12yrs less life • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (1-2 /1000 births, ~700/yr in Canada(more than Down’s Syndrome & Spina Bifida combined

Question 17

Effects of Alcohol in cold temps

Answer 17

Alcohol causes increased blood flow to skin: hence warming sensation
But reduced core temperature results: thus increased danger of hypothermia

Question 18

vaportini - “revolutionary way of consuming alcohol”

Answer 18

Alcohol is delivered directly to the lungs and brain
Large degree of intoxication and impairment: occurs very quickly
Dangerous: lung and brain damage can occur
Intoxication will occur at lower blood alcohol levels than by drinking