Alcohol consumption impacts all members of the campus community, in particular students.E-mail your questions about drinking and its effect on students and the campus environment. (If requested, I will answer questions privately.)

Q- Dear Jim,
Is alcoholism genetic?

Anna - Senior
Harvard University

A- Dear Joseph,
As far as the positive side of drinking alcoholic beverages goes, there are a few but they do need some clarification:

• Alcoholic beverages can be a refreshing thirst quencher however they can also dehydrate us in the long run.
• Consuming a glass of wine can stimulate the digestive juices thus enhancing digestion however it can become toxic to our digestive tract if abused - sometimes even causing cancer.
• It does seem to have some value in reducing the LDL cholesterol and increasing the HDL cholesterol thus contributing slightly to lifetime longevity. This benefit occurs with no more than 2 drinks daily for men
  and 1 drink daily for women. If more is consumed on a daily basis, numerous health problems can develop. Some evidence is developing indicating that some of the health benefits associated with 1-2 drinks per day are offset by a number of other health risks. For instance, the latest research indicates that although there may be some cardiovascular benefit to 2 drinks a day there may also be some increased risk of breast cancer in women drinking at that rate. The evidence is still inconclusive.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages can enhance socialization yet many people then become dependent upon alcohol to assist them in socializing. This
  dependence results in a need for alcohol in order to socialize because the social skills we develop while impaired do not transfer very well to the sober state. Many students talk to me about how much fun they have socializing at parties but are not very good at interacting with others in other social environments. We refer to this as State Dependent Learning resulting in an inability to socialize without alcohol.
• Alcoholic beverage is used in sacred ritual in many religions.
• Some people simply like the taste of the various alcoholic drinks.

I hope this helps in your understanding about drinking alcoholic beverages. As you can see, I hope, I am not against drinking. I drink alcoholic beverages occasionally. Many people do - approximately 60-70% of the adult population does including many of us who are alerting you to the risks associated with that choice to drink. However, I believe as do most people, consumption of alcoholic beverages should be limited to low risk consumption. Otherwise, the tremendous level of problems we have today regarding alcohol wil continue including the fact that one of the three leading disease related causes of death in the US is alcoholism along with heart disease and cancer!

Q- Dear Jim,
Some college students have died this year due to drinking. What causes this? Why do some people die and others do not?

Alan- junior
University of Miami

A- Dear Alan,
Deaths due to drinking occur for many reasons. The impairment due to drinking can cause many different types of serious accidents, including falls from buildings or down stairs. However, I assume by your question, that you are referring to alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol is a depressant drug. If we consume too much of it, the depressant nature of the drug can inhibit the central nervous system's ability to function effectively. As a result, the messages for the heart and lungs to continue functioning can cease - resulting in death.

The BAL (blood alcohol level) that will cause death depends on many factors. A given BAL may have serious ramifications for one person while it could result in the death of another person. However, we do know that once the BAL goes over approximately .4 the drinker is risking coma and/or death.

You can avoid risking alcohol poisoning by consuming at a low risk level. For a better understanding of low risk alcohol consumption, I urge you to request your campus to consider conducting the "Prime For Life" program developed by the Prevention Research Institute, listed on the Resources Page. Further information can also be obtained in my book, "Beer, Booze and Books ... a sober look at higher education." For now, understand that drinking to impairment can lead to alcohol poisoning.

A- First of all Matt, be careful when saying "just" beer. The alcohol contained in beer - ethyl alcohol ETOH - is the same alcohol as that in wine, wine coolers and liquor. The difference is the volume of alcohol in each of these alcoholic beverages. An average 12 ounce beer, 4 ounce glass of table wine, and 1 ounce shot of 100 proof liquor contains approximately 1/2 ounce of alcohol. By the way, much to the surprise of many, an average 12 ounce wine cooler actually contains approximately 3/4 ounce of alcohol.

As far as the blackouts are concerned, understand that a blackout is basically alcohol induced amnesia. The memory connections in the brain are disrupted due to the alcohol. The drinker who experiences a blackout, as well as those around the drinker, are unaware of it while it is happening. They don’t know until the next day, when people are re-living the previous night’s events, that the blackout occurred. It is difficult to research blackouts since we don’t know until after it occurs that it actually took place.

We know that a blackout can occur after consuming a lot or a little bit of alcohol. But, we are not sure why it does happen some times and then not other times. Most alcoholics experience blackouts however many people who are not alcoholics also experience blackouts. What your girlfriend must take seriously is the fact that a blackout is a sign that a dangerous alcohol problem is, at the very least, developing if not already present. It can also contribute to a harmful impairment problem while it is occurring.

A- Dear Anonymous,
Once and for all, there are no cures for hangovers. There are many ways that people try to relieve some of the symptoms of the hangover but you don't actually "cure" it. International suggestions include heavy cream or cucumber juice. Voodoo legend suggests sticking pins into the cork of the bottle from which you drank. American students try water, aspirin before bed, Alka Seltzer, or Gatorade. None of these things actually cure the hangover however they may relieve the distress and painful symptoms of the hangover. The strength of any hangover cure is based on the BELIEF in the curative value of whatever it is you do.

Some people have "a little bit if the hair that bit them" meaning they consume more alcohol in the morning. This is an extremely dangerous behavior since a hangover is a mild form of withdrawal and drinking alcohol to relieve withdrawal symptoms is an addictive behavior pattern. The alcoholic beverage industry masks the seriousness of this with such seemingly innocent things like Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers, Mimosas, and Champagne Brunches.

The best approach is to avoid the hangover. If you choose to drink:

• consume no more than one drink per hour
• avoid spicy and/or salty foods
• clear liquors like vodka or gin tend to have less congeners - toxins - therefore a milder hangover if you overdo it
• avoid cheap wines

Most important though, understand that if you are drinking at a level which causes hangovers, you are drinking at a high risk level.

By the way, here are some interesting international descriptions of hangovers:
German - Katzenjammer: wailing of cats
Italian - Statuto: Out of tune
French - Gueule de bois: Woody mouth
Norwegian - Jeg har tommermenn: Workmen in my head
Swedish - Hont I haret: Pain in the roots of my hair