“Unfortunately, many women continue to drink during pregnancy. Furthermore, many of the women who continue to drink during pregnancy are at highest risk for having children with fetal alcohol syndrome and related problems. Thus, finding potent new...

In ancient Greece the festival of Anthesteria was a four-day long celebration of feast and worship in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. This time of merriment included the consumption of wine as well as the welcomed effects of intoxication. The...

Most people who drink alcoholic beverages suffer no ill effects. They drink moderately with meals and in social settings. "For most people alcohol is a pleasant accompaniment to social activities. Moderate alcohol use is not harmful for most adults,"...

This section contains articles on some aspects of alcohol, and the following topics are covered: Chemistry and Pharmacology; Complications; History of Drinking; and Psychological Consequences of Chronic Abuse. For discussions of alcoholism, its...

OFFICIAL NAMES: Ethyl alcohol, ethanol, grain alcohol STREET NAMES: Booze, hooch, juice, sauce, spirits DRUG CLASSIFICATIONS: Not classified, depressant Jugs that held beer and wine have been found dating back to 3500 B.C. It was easy enough for...

Alcoholism Term encompassing alcohol use, alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, problem drinking, and alcohol dependence. The concept of alcoholism, in its most general sense, refers to a disease, or disorder, typically characterized by: (a) a...

The sociological study of alcohol in society is concerned with two broad areas. (1) The first area is the study of alcohol behavior, which includes: (a) social and other factors in alcohol behavior, (b) the prevalence of drinking in society, and (c)...

The relationship between ALCOHOL and involvement in crime is not a simple one. Drinking is a very common activity, and most drinking is not followed by criminal behavior. Understanding the alcohol-crime relationship requires an identification of those...

Many Americans drink alcohol, which produces a sense of relaxation and euphoria. Moderate drinking, defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older...

Alcohol is a legal drug for adults over 21 years of age. Yet drinking large amounts of alcohol over long periods can cause many medical complications. There is almost no organ system that alcohol does not damage. Alcohol affects how cells function...

One of the ways in which communication functions is in the creation and maintenance of the ways in which using and abusing substances, especially alcohol, are talked about and treated. When, for example, society considered the use of alcohol to be a...

Imagine that every time you see a red traffic light you get angry. You begin to grit your teeth, curse, and generally become abusive toward everyone riding in the car with you. You know that this response will not change the fact that you will have to...

Treating alcoholism with medications is an ongoing field of research, with scientists seeking answers to many questions. Research suggests that behavioral treatments—a course of action designed to teach an individual how to change his or her...

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). It also has a depressant effect on the peripheral nervous system (the nerves throughout the rest of the body). Long-term, heavy drinking often leads to physical...

Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence continue to be major health problems in the United States. The terms alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are based on the diagnostic criteria as stated in the American Psychiatric Association's DIAGNOSTIC...

What is commonly referred to as alcohol is just the most widely known example of a group of organic compounds which are collectively known as alcohols. The alcohol we drink is correctly called ethanol or ethyl alcohol and it has the chemical formula of...

Alcohol use typically becomes a social problem with the emergence of industrialized, urban forms of social organization. Social disruption is more likely to accompany drinking in densely populated environments, and where person-machine interaction is...

This is a brief self-report questionnaire designed to detect ALCOHOLISM (Selzer, 1971). It is widely used in clinical and research settings. The twenty-four scored items assess symptoms and consequences of ALCOHOL abuse, such as guilt about drinking;...

The contribution of genetics to alcoholism and other diseases having addictive behavior has been wrought with controversy for the past two hundred years. Because this is a politically and socially charged issue, there has been much debate regarding the...

General term encompassing ALCOHOL ABUSE and ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE (DSM-IV). Classified as ‘mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol’ in ICD 10. ALCOHOL abuse and dependence are the commonest forms of substance abuse in the Western world...

An alcohol is a type of organic compound which is characterized by a hydroxyl group (OH) bonded to a carbon atom. There are several types of alcohols which vary in structure and properties depending on the arrangement of the carbon atoms. The simplest...

ALCOHOL is the most commonly used and abused drug in the United States. In 1991, approximately 50 percent of all 125 million employed workers in the United States had taken at least one drink, and about 6 percent reported they had been drinking heavily...

Alcohol and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) from infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) are each separately agents that cause suppression of immune function. Therefore regular use of alcohol by people infected with HIV shouldbe...

Alcohol is a term applied to a large group of hydroxyl derivatives of paraffin hydrocarbons. They contain a hydroxyl (OH) group in place of one of the hydrocarbon's hydrogens. Examples of common alcohols include methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol,...

What should be the goal for an alcoholic? Should it be complete and total abstinence from alcohol, or can an alcoholic learn to use alcohol in moderate, controlled ways? The Alcoholics Anonymousﾀ organization states that the goal of treatment...

Excessive habitual consumption of alcoholic beverages despite physical, mental, social, or economic harm (e.g., cirrhosis, drunk driving and accidents, family strife, frequently missing work). Persons who drink large amounts of alcohol over time become...

Alcohol use disorder associated with excessive alcohol intake, which may lead to alcohol DEPENDENCE, with social, physical and psychological damage. See also: addiction; alcoholism IAN...

Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite the health problems and negative social...