Ch 9 Alcohol

Fermentation

the process that creates alcohol; yeast produces ethanol and carbon dioxide

Distillation

increases alcohol concentration

Proof

2 × ABV (alcohol by volume)

Grain neutral Spirits

Very strong almost flavorless alcohol

Congeners

extra chemicals made along with alcohol that give a drink its flavor and smell

Commercial Beer

usually about 4% alcohol

Table Wine

usually contains 11-14% alcohol

Benjamin Rush

a doctor who believed that severe alcohol addiction was a medical disease, not simply bad behavior

Temperance movement

a group of people who wanted to reduce alcohol drinking

Absorption acceleration

fizzy drinks mixed with alcohol can make the alcohol enter your bloodstream faster.

Tissue distribution and body fat

Alcohol spreads through water in your body, not fat

Alcohol metabolism and elimination

It means your liver breaks down alcohol at a fairly steady rate

Central mechanism of action

Alcohol makes GABA's calming effect stronger.

Bac indicators and breath testing

A breathalyzer estimates how much alcohol is in your blood by measuring alcohol in your breath.

Intoxication levels

A BAC of 0.25% means someone is extremely intoxicated and may have serious difficulty walking, moving, and sensing what's happening around them.

Acute alcohol poisoning

Key warning signs include slow or irregular respiration, cold/clammy skin, vomiting, and progression into stupor or unconsciousness. someone has consumed so much alcohol that their body is in danger.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome

It happens when someone who has been drinking heavily for a long time suddenly stops drinking or drinks much less, and their body struggles to adjust. signs like severe tremors, profuse autonomic hyperactivity, hallucinations, delusions, and potentially life-threatening seizures