Alcohol is a fun part of many people's campus life, so our little University town is chock full of bars and places to buy beer and other alcoholic beverages. For many students and residents, this may be the first time they have such exposure. These are a few of the benefits and costs of what you find in that red cup.
Health Effects
Benefits
There are known health benefits of consuming moderate quantities of wine, beer and spirits. Beer and wine contain anti-oxidants, and natural phytochemicals that have been show to contribute to heart health, help prevent some cancers, and slow the progression of neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Alcohol in general can add to your good cholesterol count and increase blood flow.
Negative Effects
Like everything from eating, to exercising, to kite flying, Alcohol consumption is only healthy when done in moderation. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse are serious. It damages virtually every organ in the body, especially the liver and pancreas. It is linked to cancers, heart disease, sexual problems, and suppresses the immune system.
Heavy alcohol consumption, and accidents caused by said consumption, is the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, is a factor in over a third of traffic deaths and half of boating deaths and drownings.
Alcohol Poisoning
A blood alcohol level of 0.50 is deadly. Extremely difficult to reach with beer or wine (due to the large volume of liquid needed) , it is usually caused by rapidly drinking hard liquor. But it can be done over the course of an evening of taking shots, even alternated with "soft" alcohol. Half a liter of hard liquor (about 16 oz.) can kill a 100 -125 lb. person. A liter can kill a 200 - 250 lb. person. Your body has a strong tendency towards self-preservation, so you will likely vomit as you approach toxic levels of alcohol. But smoking pot reduces the "gag" factor.
Signs of alcohol poisoning include: unresponsiveness, cold clammy skin, and persistent vomiting. If someone is presenting these signs, immediately call 911. The individual should also be placed on their side to prevent choking.
The most tragic local example of the deadly effect of extreme amounts of consumption is David Thornton.
Some Facts
—Beer is typically 4 - 6% alcohol, wine coolers are 5 - 6%, wine is 10 - 14%, fortified wines (sherry, port) are 16 - 24%, distilled spirits are 40%, and a few distilled products are up to 75% alcohol.
—It takes about 1 drink per 40 lbs. of body weight per hour to make your blood alcohol 0.08%, which is legally drunk in California. This is based on a standard drink of 1 beer, 4 - 5 oz. of wine, or 1.25 - 1.5 oz. of hard liquor (heavy drinkers typically increase the content of "1 drink" of hard liquor by 50 - 100%).
—It gets into your bloodstream faster on an empty stomach or if the beverage is carbonated, and more slowly if you eat dairy products or fatty foods beforehand. That doesn't reduce the alcohol in the bloodstream, it just slows down how fast it gets there.
—Men have more of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol before it gets to the stomach, so it is true that women are somewhat more affected by alcohol than men of equal weight.
—Your body metabolizes about 1 drink per hour, no matter how big you are. Once the alcohol is in you there is nothing you can do to get it out of your body faster. Caffeine may wake you up, but you're still drunk.
Further Reading
- Some of the many negative consequences of heavy drinking
- An online test you can take to see if you may have a problem
- Blood alcohol levels chart (Note that you can get a DUI for blood-alcohol levels below 0.08% if your driving is impaired in the opinion of the officer. You may be able to strike a plea deal to get this lowered to a "wet reckless" with reduced fines and penalties, but insurance companies still treat it as a DUI, and you're still looking at extensive legal fees and fines around $1,000)
- Online blood alcohol calculator
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