question: what is camh?
- center for addiction and mental health
- has guidelines for when, where, and how to drink
question: what were camh’s original guidelines for drinking?
- men = 15/week
- women = 10/week
**big picture = old guidelines allowed higher amount of drinks (men > women)
question: how did guidelines change after camh?
- new info from canadian center on substance use and addiction
- 2 drinks/week
⤷ originally 10 - 15 drinks/week
**big picture = overall, less drinks
name: major types of cancer risk increased by alcohol
MOST
- breast (woman)
- colon + rectum
OTHER
- throat, mouth, liver
explain: 90+ study
- studied ppl 90+ yrs or older
- found ppl who drank moderate alc./coffee lived longer than those who didn’t
explain: prospective vs retrospective study
- prospective = participants are identified and followed over time to observe
⤷ longitudinal) - retrospective = data is collected after outcome has already occurred
define: binge drinking
- 5 or more drinks on one occasion
- 12 or more drinking sessions over a year
question: what is the safest lvl of drinking?
none
question: when does peak heavy drinking happen? (age)
- increases sharply at age group 18 -24
⤷ more in males than females
explain: ethyl vs methyl vs isopropyl
ETHYL
- ex. ethanol
- most familiar
- beverage
METHYL
- highly toxic
- industrial solvents
ISOPROPYL
- rubbing alc./disinfectant
question: what is characteristic of alc?
- hydroxyl group (-OH)
- small + simple mol.
⤷ allows for easy access to many organs of body
explain: excitatory neurotransmission
- nerve impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another by NT
- causes electrical impulse (AP)
- activates other neurons and transmission of impulse further along nervous system
explain: inhibitory neurotransmission
- nerve impulse is blocked/suppressed by release of NT
- prevents AP -> inhibits impulse from traveling further along nervous system
question: what does alcohol exposure do to the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission?
- tips balance to inhibitions
- release of inhibitory NT (GABA) + inhibition of excitatory NT (glutamate)
question: how is alcohol metabolized?
- 10% in stomach
- more absorbed in small intestine
- rest absorbed in bloodstream
- liver can metabolize 15mG/decilitre/hr
- one drink per hour
name: signs of intoxication
- reduced social inhibition
- memory deficits- reduced coordination
- impaired fine-motor skills
- decreased anxiety
**different for everyone
