THE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER NEWSLETTER
Alcohol sans scare tactics
By Rfth Caiser
Which of the following words
doesn't seem to fit: alcohol,
friends, music, weekend and
moderation. Given the first four you get
the stereotypical college scene— add the
last and you're probably ready to blip
over this article as yet another scare tactic
against drinking. Actually, this isn't a
slam on drinking so keep reading—
Sometimes advice is given on the
grounds of "do this because..." but this
approach fails because there's no logical
explanation as to why. I was thumbing
through a text book one day and found a
feature on "alcohol and the body;" no
scare tactics; just facts. And alcohol
metabolism, as it turns out, is really a fas
cinating process.
Have you ever wondered why some
people can drink, drink and drink and
appear unscathed while others stumble
around in a stupor and suffer the conse
quences the day after? How each individ
ual manages alcohol is a function of body
size, metabolism, genetics and experience.
When alcohol is ingested, it gets pri
ority over food in the digestive tract.
While foods must be broken down into
their constituent molecules, the alcohol
molecule is readily absorbed across the
stomach lining directly into the blood.
Naturally, when one drinks on an empty
stomach, alcohol freely diffuses. Food
slows diffusion because it coats the stom
ach walls and potential contact points for
diffusion.
Once in the blood, alcohol passes
through the liver. Enzymes in the liver
"detoxify" the substance and the by
products are excreted. If speed and quan
tity of alcohol ingestion surpass the
liver's detoxifying capacity, the excess
goes back into general circulation.
Alcohol in general circulation passes
through the brain. While alcohol in small
amounts may act like a stimulant, it is
actually a narcotic: it slows and sedates.
The first narcotic affect of alcohol is in the
frontal lobe of the brain where reasoning
and judgment ability are located Hence
the "social lubricant" use of alcohol. As
Chinking continues, speech and Vision are
affected, followed by large muscle coordi
nation. If one "out drinks" one's liver, loss
of inhibition occurs, then slurring and
double vision, and finally staggering and
impaired coordination. For the average
man or woman, three drinks per hour will
render these effects and it's not a good
idea to drive. Since judgment is impaired,
one may think - *Ah, I can drive!" Don't:
plan ahead and carry some spare dollars
for a cab. Drunk driving accidents are a
major killer and crippler of college-aged
individuals (besides, it's illegal and a
criminal record isn't an impressive thing
to have when looking for a job after col
lege).
"Passing out" after one drinks too
much is actually the body's emergency
shut down system, tf one continues to
drink* finally the conscious brain Is sedat
ed into unconsciousness. An unconscious
person stops drmking and the body goes
to work to reestablish homeostasis. Lethal
alcoholpOisonittH is posatWe tuiWWer, if
one drinksTepidlyjujcksMireSsIvely before
finally passing out. Alas, for straight
shots, hard alcohol chug-a-lugs and the
like. The danger is real so be careful.
Alcohol inhibits the production of a
hormone responsible for body hydration.
If the hormone is inhibited, excess urina
tion ensues. Dehydration ultimately fol
lows excess urination and a vicious cycle
occurs. One feels thirsty, has another beer,
dashes to the bathroom again, etc. etc. It's
a good idea to space drinks with a glass
of water. This gives the liver a chance to
catch up and also lessens the symptoms
of a hangover: much of the headachey,
cotton mouth sensation is a result of
dehydration.
Alcohol dehydrogenase is the main
enzyme system responsible for alcohol
detoxification. Drop that word at your
next gathering and your friends will be
impressed. "So - keeping your alcohol
dehyrogenase busy tonight?" This
enzyme system actually becomes more
efficient as one drinks more regularly. The
potential limits of this are finite however
and even the most seasoned drinker is
still vulnerable to excess.
Occasional drinkers or people who
are nalnourished (as from starvation diet
ing) have less of the enzymes and are
affected by alcohol more severely. Body
weight also has a role in how much liquor
one can handle. The larger the individual,
the more blood they have to dilute alco
hol. A petite woman cannot expect to fare
as well as a large man when both drink
the same quantity.
Genetics play a crucial role in alcohol
metabolism - especially in the develop
ment of chemical dependency. If close
family members are alcoholics, one would
be wise to drink with extreme care.
According to Dr. Donald Goodwin, a per
son who has one parent who is alcoholic
has a three to four fold increase in risk for
alcoholism.
Alcoholism has been perceived for
centuries as a weakness of will. Actually,
what occurs in the majority of alcoholics
Turn to ALCOHOL, Page 2
■^gOM THE HIP
1
INSIDE
T
CHILDREN
OF ALCOHOLICS
KICK THE
HABIT
ADDICTIONS
SUPPORT GROUPS
A part of ths Coun
seling Center's pro
gramming to assist
students who are
grappling with mental
health issues. Stu
dents needing sup
port in the areas of
adult children of alco
holics, eating disor
ders. women’s issues,
are just a few of the
groups offered Con
tact the Counseling
Center for more infor
mation at 346-3227.
NEED SOME
PRACTICAL EXPE
RIENCE FOR THE
■REAL’ WORLD???
Peer Health Advis
ing, HEP 410 and 510
otters practical experi
ence in public speak
ing, facilitating
groups, organizing
promotion projects
and writing for the
Well Now. You must
apply, so drop by
Health Education at
the Student Health
Center For more
information call 346
4456
NEED HELP WITH
A TERM PROJECT
OR PAPER OR
SPEECH"?
The Health Educa
tion Library has free
pamphlets, handouts
and current articles
on a variety of topics.
A peer health adviser
can help you fill in the
gaps of your health
knowledge and direct
you toward more
resources on campus
and in Lane County.
QUICK FACTS ON
CAMPUS DRUG USE
20 to 25% of col
lege students have
drinking problems
Alcohol is the largest
drug problem on cam
pus A 12 oz. mug of
beer equals a 4
ounce glass of wine
or a 1 ounce shot
glass of hard liquor.
One in ten people
who drink alcohol
become chemically
dependent. Contribut
ed by Jett M Johnson.
Source The Collage
Student's Health Guide