A Small Dose of Alcohol

• An Introduction into the Health Effects of Alcohol

ALCOHOL DOSSIER

• Name: Ethyl Alcohol (CH3-CH2-OH)
• Use: solvent, commonly found in beverages
• Source: home, industry, stores, and alcoholic beverages
• Recommended daily intake: none (not essential)
• Absorption: readily absorbed by intestine, food will delay absorption
• Sensitive individuals: fetus (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome-FAS)
• Toxicity/symptoms: developing nervous system very sensitive to low levels of exposure; kids - lowered IQ, learning and behavioral problems; adults - memory loss, inebriation, liver disease, cancer
• Regulatory facts: government agencies recommend women not consume alcohol during pregnancy; blood alcohol regulated by local governments when operating a motor vehicle
• General facts: long history of use, consumed world wide, 1-3 infants per 1000 affected by FAS worldwide
• Environmental: voluntarily consumed
• Recommendations: do not consume alcohol during pregnancy, otherwise limit consumption and do not drive a motor vehicle after drinking

Alcohol Chapter

• A Small Dose of Alcohol - chapter pdf

PowerPoint presentation

• A Small Dose of Alcohol - PowerPoint presentation

More Information and References

European, Asian, and international Agencies

• England - Department of Health (DOH) Alcohol Misuse Information (accessed: 13 July 2008). The DOH provides extensive information on the health effects of alcohol

• Nordic Council For Alcohol And Drug Research (NAD) (accessed: 13 July 2008).

• International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA) (accessed: 13 July 2008). "ICAA is a non-governmental organization in consultative status (Category Special) with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and in official relations with the World Health Organization."

North American Agencies

• Health Canada - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) (accessed: 13 July 2008). This site provides tools to reduce and manage the effects of fetal exposure to alcohol.

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control's "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis" (accessed: 13 July 2008).

• U.S. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Department of Justice. (accessed: 13 July 2008). ATF's unique responsibilities include protecting the public and reducing violent crime and enforce the Federal laws and regulations relating to alcohol and tobacco diversion, firearms, explosives, and arson.

• U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (accessed: 13 July 2008). "The NIAAA supports and conducts biomedical and behavioral research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems."

• Alcohol - Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) - The National Toxicology Program. (accessed: 13 July 2008). CERHR alcohol web site has information for parents about the effects of alcohol on reproduction and development.

• U.S. National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) (accessed: 13 July 2008). "NCADI is the world's largest resource for current information and materials concerning substance abuse."

• U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (http://.samhsa.gov/) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. (accessed: 13 July 2008). "The CSAP mission is to decrease substance use and abuse by bringing effective prevention to every community."

Non-Government Organizations

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). (accessed: 13 July 2008). An international organization dedicated to helping people with alcohol consumptions concerns.

• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) (accessed: 13 July 2008). "CSPI is an advocate for nutrition and health, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science."

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) (accessed: 13 July 2008). "MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking."

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) (accessed: 13 July 2008). NCADD provides education, information, help and hope to the public and advocates prevention, intervention and treatment.

• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) (accessed: 13 July 2008). The Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) is a multidisciplinary institute dedicated to acquisition and dissemination of knowledge on psychoactive substance use and related phenomena with primary emphasis on alcohol use and consequences.

• FAS Bookshelf, Inc. (accessed: 13 July 2008). Web site devoted to providing resources on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

• National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (accessed: 13 July 2008). "NOFAS is dedicated to eliminating birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy and improving the quality of life for those affected individuals and families."

• Alcohol and Drug History Society (ADHS). (accessed: 13 July 2008). ADHS, formerly Alcohol and Temperance History Group, the ADHS is an international group of alcohol, temperance, and drug history scholars founded to foster the exchange of ideas among scholars of all disciplines who are interested in any aspect of past alcohol use, abuse, production, and control within given societies or countries and online home of The Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An Interdisciplinary Journal (SHAD).

References

• Alcohol and Health, 10th Special Report to the U.S. Congress. Highlights from Current Research. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services, June 2000. (accessed: 13 July 2008).

• Astley, S.J. (2004). Diagnostic Guide for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: The 4-Digit Diagnostic Code. Seattle: University of Washington. PDF available at FAS Diagnostic and Prevention Network. Ranks the four key features of FASD on a Likert scale of one to four. Available: http://depts.washington.edu/fasdpn/htmls/4-digit-code.htm> (accessed: 13 July 2008).

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Kathleen Stratton, Cynthia Howe, and Frederick C. Battaglia, Editors; Committee to Study Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC. 1996. The National Academy Press. Online: <http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4991> (accessed: 13 July 2008).

• Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004. World Health Organization, 2004. (accessed: 13 July 2008).

Wattendorf, D. J., and Muenke, M. (2005). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. American family physician 72, 279-82, 285. Open access: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050715/279.html (accessed; 13 July 2008).