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10 FAQs About ALCOHOL,
Health and the Law
Alcohol:
Also known by its scientific name “ethanol”,
alcohol is a colorless, volatile, and pungent solvent
in liquid form found in fermented liquors such as
beer, wine, wine coolers, champagne, and liquors.
It is a depressant to the central nervous system
when ingested. If ingested in large amounts, coma
or death will occur. Contact a DUI Lawyer immediately.
Alcohol Abuse:
A pattern of problem drinking that results in adverse
health consequences, negative social problems or
interactions, or both. Consumption of alcohol can
lead to criminal problems whenever the person consuming
alcohol violates the laws relating to the most common
intoxicant. Crimes such as public drunkenness, underage
possession of alcohol, drunk driving, hunting while
intoxicated result in more arrests each year than
any other substance-based crime.
Alcoholism:
A primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial,
and environmental factors influencing its development
and manifestations.
Binge Drinking:
A social phenomenon defined by alcohol abuse experts
as “consumption of five or more drinks on
a single occasion”. This quantity is approximately
the amount of alcohol needed to raise the average
sized person's blood alcohol concentration to about
0.10%. To the lay person, the term “binge
drinking” is associated with young adults
or teens slamming down an excessive number of alcoholic
beverages over a short time period, possibly resulting
in brain damage, respiratory failure or death.
Blood Alcohol
Concentration (BAC): The amount of alcohol
in the bloodstream, measured as a percentage of
the total blood supply.
Cirrhosis: A serious,
life-threatening liver disease, and probably the
most recognized medical complication of chronic
alcoholism. It is a grave and irreversible condition
characterized by a progressive replacement of healthy
liver tissue with scars, which can lead to liver
failure and death.
Enabler:
A person (often a relative, spouse or life partner)
who, without malicious intent, helps to support
the abusive behavior of the person who uses alcohol
or drugs. An example of an enabler would be someone
who tries to shield the user from the full consequences
of their antisocial or illegal behavior.
Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS): An irreversible medical
condition associated with excessive consumption
of alcohol by a pregnant woman. The “fetal
alcohol syndrome” child is born with low birth
weight, noticeable facial deformities (typically,
an undeveloped nose and eyes closely set) as well
as other developmental deficiencies. Low brain function
is the norm for these children. With severe cases,
the child dies within a few years of birth, due
to abnormalities caused by the birth mother’s
excessive use of alcohol.
Intoxication:
A condition of diminished mental (and physical)
capacity that occurs when the brain is exposed to
alcohol (or other psychoactive drugs, substances
or plant material) resulting in temporary changes
in mood, judgment, cognitive functioning, motor
functioning, and behavior. In general, an intoxicated
person is said to have slower, depressed mental
acuity as a result of ingesting (or otherwise taking
into the person’s system) an inhalant, beverage
or intravenous that has impairing substances in
it.
Wine Coolers: also
known as "wine foolers," are mixtures
of wine and fruit juice, based upon the "Sangria"
punches that were popular in Europe. These pre-mixed
punches are about 1.5 times more potent---ounce
for ounce---than the typical American beer. Because
they taste so good, the person drinking them may
not appreciate how much of the beverage has been
consumed. Fortified wines are fermented wine beverages
that have been “spiked” with additional
ethanol (alcohol) to create a more potent beverage
(higher proof and higher alcohol content).
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