Alcohol and Tobacco Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering patterns of alcohol and tobacco use, physiological pathways, acute and long-term health consequences, demographics, and cessation strategies.

Psychoactive drug

A substance that causes changes in brain chemistry and alters consciousness.

Intoxication

An altered state of consciousness resulting from drinking alcohol or ingesting other substances, which can have wide-ranging effects on thinking, emotions, and behavior.

Low-risk drinking (men)

Consuming no more than $14$ drinks a week and no more than $4$ drinks on any single day.

Low-risk drinking (women)

Consuming no more than $7$ drinks a week and no more than $3$ drinks on any single day.

Heavy drinking (at-risk drinking)

Alcohol consumption that exceeds low-risk drinking levels.

Moderate drinking (USDA Guidelines)

According to the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking up to $1$ drink a day for women and up to $2$ drinks a day for men.

Standard Drink Sizes

Beverage servings containing approximately $0.5\text{ ounces}$ of alcohol: $12\text{ ounces}$ of beer, $5\text{ ounces}$ of wine, or $1.5\text{ ounces}$ of an $80\text{-proof}$ shot or mixed drink.

Proof

A measurement of the alcohol content of hard liquor equal to twice the actual percentage of alcohol by volume.

80-proof liquor

Distilled liquor that contains $40\%$ alcohol by volume.

Lifespan drinking stages

The distinct phases in life when people are most likely to drink: adolescence and early adulthood, the threshold of middle age, and following retirement.

Heavy drinking rate (Non-Hispanic White)

Adults who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year, representing $7.4\%$ of this demographic.

Heavy drinking rate (Hispanic/Latino)

Adults who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year, representing $5.7\%$ of this demographic.

Heavy drinking rate (Black)

Adults who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year, representing $5.2\%$ of this demographic.

Heavy drinking rate (Asian)

Adults who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year, representing $2.1\%$ of this demographic.

Heavy Alcohol Use by Demographic Group

Prevalence of heavy drinking in the past year, which peaks among young adults aged $21\text{ to }25$ ($12.5\%$), males ($10.9\%$), and whites ($7.4\%$).

Flushing effect

A genetic biological reaction to alcohol common in Asian Americans, producing burning facial cheek sensations, itching, and rashlike discomfort.

Alcoholism in Native American communities

A major public health challenge recognized as the number-one health problem among Native Americans.

Millennial drinking patterns

Individuals born between $1981$ and $1995$ who drink less overall than baby boomers and Gen Xers, binge drink more, disapprove of regular daily drinking, and often drink to cope with mood disorder symptoms.

Generation Z drinking patterns

Individuals born between $1996$ and $2012$ who drink less than prior generations, spend more time indoors tethered to social media, and consume alcohol to cope with mood disorder symptoms.

Underage college drinking risks

Patterns among college students under $21$ who, when they drink, are more likely to binge drink, drink just to get drunk, injure themselves, and encounter legal trouble.

Age distribution of binge drinking episodes

The demographic finding that $70\%$ of all binge drinking episodes involve adults aged $26$ or older.

Binge drinking

Heavy episodic drinking defined as consuming $5$ or more drinks for men, or $4$ or more drinks for women, within $2\text{ hours}$, at least once in two weeks.

Extreme drinking

Alcohol consumption that goes well beyond binge drinking, defined as $10\text{ to }15$ drinks a day for men and $8\text{ to }12$ drinks a day for women.

Secondhand effects of binge drinking

Adverse consequences experienced by peers due to others' drinking, such as arguments, assault, property damage, disrupted sleep or studying, and unwanted sexual advances.

Pre-gaming

The excessive consumption of alcohol prior to attending an event where alcohol will be served, practiced multiple days per month by roughly $40\%$ of underage college students.

Cardiomyopathy

A serious disease of the heart muscle that can result from consuming large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis.

Holiday heart syndrome

An acute condition caused by heavy binge drinking that alters the heart's electrical conduction system and leads to abrupt changes in blood adrenaline.

Spring-break drinking consumption

High-volume drinking during spring break trips, where male students average $18$ drinks per day and female students average $10$ drinks per day.

Daily drunkenness on spring break

Daily intoxication rates during spring break reported by $75\%$ of college men and $44\%$ of college women.

Fake IDs legal classification

Criminal violations classified by state and federal authorities ranging from serious misdemeanors to felonies, penalized by fines, license suspension, community service, or prison.

Chalking

The illicit alteration of driver's license details using colored pencils, which law enforcement can prosecute as a felony.

Everclear (190-proof)

A popular commercial grain alcohol containing $95\%$ alcohol by volume, recognized as the most alcoholic drink in the world.

Everclear (151-proof)

A formulation of commercial grain alcohol containing $75\%$ alcohol by volume.

Powdered alcohol

A flavored alcohol product approved federally in $2015$ but banned by over half of U.S. states due to risks of accelerating underage drinking.

Flavored malt-based beverages

Flavored commercial drinks containing an average of $7.8\%$ alcohol by volume.

Ready-to-drink cocktails

Packaged, premixed flavored alcoholic cocktails averaging $14.2\%$ alcohol by volume.

Supersized alcopops

Large-volume flavored alcoholic beverages containing about $10.8\%$ alcohol by volume that disproportionately contribute to medical emergencies.

Pot-infused alcohol

Alcohol or beer laced with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes blood THC levels to rise eightfold compared to consuming cannabis alone.

Cannabidiol (CBD) cocktails

Legally served alcoholic mixed drinks containing CBD that pose potential negative interaction risks when consumed together.

3-in-1 Framework for Addressing College Drinking

A comprehensive public health model developed by NIAAA that targets college drinking through individual-level, college-level, and community-level interventions.

Individual-level strategies (3-in-1 framework)

Targeted interventions including systemwide screening, self-monitoring skill development, mandated programs for at-risk individuals, and age-specific treatment.

College-level strategies (3-in-1 framework)

Institutional measures including changing drinking norms, prevention policies, consistent infractions enforcement, accessible websites, and systemwide coordination.

Community-level strategies (3-in-1 framework)

Environmental policies including restricting alcohol availability and outlet density, regulating marketing, enforcing rental property controls, and enforcing social host laws.

Social host laws

Community regulations holding property owners or tenants legally accountable for underage drinking and alcohol violations occurring on their premises.

Path of Alcohol in the Body

The physiological course of alcohol: ingestion through the mouth, minor stomach absorption, primary small intestine absorption into blood, circulation via the heart, brain alteration, and liver breakdown at $0.5\text{ ounces/hour}$.

Small intestine (alcohol absorption)

The primary anatomical site where most ingested alcohol passes through the intestinal walls directly into the bloodstream.

Liver metabolism rate of alcohol

The biological processing speed of the liver, which metabolizes approximately $0.5\text{ ounces}$ of pure alcohol (about one drink) per hour.

Factors affecting alcohol absorption

Physiological and environmental influences on absorption, including stomach food, sex, age, body fat, drugs, smoking, mood, alcohol concentration, carbonation, and tolerance.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)

The key metabolic enzyme in the liver that catalyzes the conversion of alcohol into acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde

A toxic chemical byproduct formed in the liver during the breakdown of alcohol by alcohol dehydrogenase.

Unmetabolized alcohol excretion

The $2\%\text{ to }10\%$ of consumed alcohol that bypasses liver breakdown and is excreted unchanged via the skin, urine, or breath.

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

The amount of alcohol in grams present in $100\text{ milliliters}$ of blood, expressed as a percentage.

Breath analyzers

Testing instruments whose validity relies on breath alcohol concentrations reflecting the concentration of alcohol present in the brain.

Gender differences in alcohol absorption

Biological factors causing women to develop higher BACs than men from equivalent alcohol intake: smaller average body size, higher body fat percentage, and less efficient metabolism.

Legal BAC limit for driving

A blood alcohol concentration of $0.08\%$ ($0.08\text{ grams/100 ml}$), establishing legal drunkenness in all U.S. states.

BAC 0.01 to 0.05 effects

Blood alcohol levels inducing relaxation, well-being, and reduced inhibition, while impairing alertness, judgment, concentration, and fine motor coordination.

BAC 0.06 to 0.10 effects

Blood alcohol levels producing euphoria, blunted feelings, nausea, and drowsiness, while causing slower reflexes, impaired reasoning, and reduced depth perception.

BAC 0.11 to 0.20 effects

Blood alcohol levels causing emotional arousal, mood swings, anger or sadness, and boisterousness, accompanied by staggering gait, slurred speech, and impaired balance.

BAC 0.21 to 0.30 effects

Blood alcohol levels causing aggression, stupor, depression, lethargy, increased pain thresholds, severe motor dysfunction, and memory blackouts.

BAC 0.31 to 0.40 effects

Dangerous blood alcohol levels resulting in loss of bladder control, impaired temperature regulation, slowed respiration, slowed heart rate, coma, and potential death.

BAC 0.41 and greater effects

A severe, lethal blood alcohol concentration characterized by respiratory arrest and death.

Acute alcohol intoxication

A life-threatening blood alcohol concentration capable of producing a total collapse of vital body functions.

Blackout

A period during which an alcohol drinker remains conscious and functioning but experiences partial or complete amnesia regarding events.

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks

A dangerous practice among up to $28\%$ of college students that leaves individuals $3$ times more likely to leave bars drunk and $4$ times more likely to drive drunk.

Vaporizing and alcohol enemas

High-risk ingestion fads that bypass the digestive tract's protective filtering, absorbing alcohol via the lungs or intestines and creating extreme poisoning risks.

Hangover

A common acute reaction to alcohol toxicity marked by headache, nausea, dehydration, thirst, stomach upset, and fatigue.

Acetaminophen and alcohol interaction

A harmful pharmacological combination where taking acetaminophen (Tylenol, Anacin-3) while alcohol is present can trigger severe liver damage.

Aspirin and alcohol interaction

The consumption of aspirin within $6\text{ hours}$ before or after drinking alcohol, leading to elevated BAC levels and gastrointestinal bleeding or distress.

Alcohol cessation effects at 1 hour

The physiological phase when the liver works in overdrive to clear remaining alcohol and the pancreas releases insulin, triggering intense carbohydrate cravings.

Alcohol cessation effects at 12 to 24 hours

The recovery window when blood sugar normalizes, though the body remains dehydrated and sleep architecture remains disturbed.

Alcohol cessation effects at 48 hours

The milestone where the body completes physiological alcohol detoxification, though minor hangover symptoms may persist.

Alcohol cessation effects at 7 days

The stage of recovery when sleep stages normalize, skin takes on a more even texture, and dehydration is fully resolved.

Alcohol cessation effects at 1 month

The milestone where liver fat decreases by $15\%$, curing fatty liver disease and improving hepatic alcohol filtration.

Alcohol cessation effects at 1 year

The long-term milestone where individuals lose an average of $13\text{ pounds}$ (mostly belly fat) and experience reduced risks of mouth, liver, and breast cancers.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

A permanent combination of developmental, physical, and mental birth defects resulting from maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.

Fatty liver

An early, reversible liver disease caused by heavy alcohol consumption in which liver tissue swells with microscopic fat globules.

Alcoholic hepatitis

Severe, chronic inflammation of liver tissue triggered by long-term, heavy alcohol consumption.

Cirrhosis

An irreversible, advanced stage of liver disease characterized by the replacement of functional liver cells with nonfunctioning scar tissue.

Rebound effect of alcohol on depression

A neurochemical crash following temporary alcohol-induced surges of dopamine and serotonin, which significantly worsens clinical depression and anxiety.

Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body

Widespread chronic pathology including brain shrinkage, cardiomyopathy, cirrhosis, bone density loss, and elevated risks of digestive tract and breast cancers.

Alcohol misuse

The consumption of alcohol to the point of causing physical, social, or moral harm to the drinker.

Problem drinking

A pattern of alcohol consumption that impairs the drinker's daily life, causing personal difficulties and problems for others.

Alcohol abuse

The continued use of alcohol despite recurring negative health, interpersonal, or legal consequences.

Alcohol dependence

A chronic, progressive, and often fatal disease marked by intense cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when drinking ceases; also termed alcoholism.

Health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption

Potential benefits from moderate drinking, including anticlotting blood effects, increased HDL cholesterol, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and reduced stress.

Genetic risk for alcohol abuse by race

Hereditary risk distributions showing that $15\%\text{ to }25\%$ of white Americans carry a genetic risk for alcohol abuse, compared to $5\%$ of Black Americans.

Alcohol Flush Syndrome

A genetic condition common in Asian Americans ($40\%$ allergic) caused by an ALDH enzyme mutation, increasing risks for esophageal cancer and peptic ulcers.

Harm reduction (controlled drinking)

An approach to alcohol treatment that emphasizes moderate, controlled drinking to minimize harm rather than enforcing absolute abstinence.

CAGE questionnaire

A four-question screening test (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) where a single positive response suggests a risk for alcohol dependence.

BACCHUS Network

A student-volunteer organization on college campuses that advocates for both abstinence and responsible alcohol consumption.

GAMMA

Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol, a peer-led initiative promoting responsible drinking practices across fraternity and sorority systems.

Tobacco as a cause of death

The single leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Smoking initiation age

The vulnerable developmental window during which the vast majority of smokers first start, occurring by age $18$.

Adult smoking trends (1965 to present)

A public health decline where U.S. adult smoking dropped from nearly $42\%$ in $1965$ to about $12\%$ today, though progress has slowed since $1990$.

Cigarette smoking and educational attainment

A documented negative correlation where higher levels of education correspond to significantly lower smoking rates.

U.S. Adult Smoking Rates by Ethnicity (2020)

CDC smoking prevalence: Alaska Natives ($22.6\%$), Multiracial individuals ($19.1\%$), Whites ($15\%$), Blacks ($14.6\%$), and Hispanics ($9.8\%$).

Tar

A thick, sticky particulate residue formed when tobacco leaves burn, containing hundreds of chemical compounds and carcinogens.

Carbon monoxide (in tobacco smoke)

A deadly, odorless combustion gas that binds to red blood cells and severely limits their capacity to transport oxygen throughout the body.

Nicotine

The primary psychoactive drug and toxic addictive alkaloid in tobacco that triggers rapid dopamine release in the central nervous system.

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009

Federal legislation granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comprehensive authority to regulate the manufacture and sale of tobacco.