Trimester 1, 1997
How alcohol may
affect human behaviour
4. A young man started behaving in an aggressive
and abusive manner after he had a number of alcoholic drinks at a party. The
next day he was behaving quite normally and was quite concerned when shown a
video of his behaviour the previous night. Explain how alcohol may affect human
behaviour.
Some Facts(1)
Australian industry loses more than one
billion dollars a year because of sickness caused by alcohol.
Alcohol plays a part in more than 50% of
serious crimes in Australia. In violent crimes it plays an even bigger part:
more than 75% of them are linked to alcohol.
About half of the people killed in road
accidents are killed because somebody has drunk to much.
Effects of
alcohol on human behaviour
From the above
facts it is clear that alcohol has a major impact on the lives of Australians.
This is particularly more so because it is not illegal and because it is so
widely used.
The effects of
alcohol on a individual's body vary according to: (2)
with the amount consumed.
the way the alcohol is taken.
the individual's body (size weight,
health).
the individual's experience.
the individual's mood.
the circumstance in which alcohol is
consumed (with food, in a social gathering, with other drugs etc.)
The immediate
effects of alcohol on an individual varies but can produce a wide range of
effects including: (2)
Loss of inhibitions.
Flushing and dizziness.
General impairment of brain and nervous
system functions.
General loss of co-ordination.
Impairment of motor (movement) skills.
Staggering.
Slow reactions.
Blurred vision and slurred speech.
Aggression.
General impairment of senses (e.g. touch,
sight, speech, etc.)
Vomiting.
Unconsciousness.
Children and
young people are usually more affected by alcohol than adults. This is because
of their lower body weight and lack of tolerance.
The disturbing
aspect is that one is not generally aware of these changes. Instead, the
individual think's he/she is behaving more efficiently than normal. In fact,
performance is much poorer.
In relation to
Topic (4) the change in behaviour in the young man at the party following a
number of alcoholic drinks can now be explained. As shown above young people
are generally more affected by alcohol than adults. The loss of inhibitions and
aggressive behaviour can by typical changes after alcohol consumption.
It is not
surprising that when shown a video of his behaviour the previous night that he
was quite concerned about his aggressive behaviour. Again as mentioned
previously one of the effects of alcohol is that one is unaware of the changes
taking place.
As the young man
was behaving normally the following day he did not have a hangover. A hangover
is a body's reaction to being poisoned by alcohol and partly the body's
withdrawal.(1) A hangover does not usually follow the consumption of small
amounts of alcohol.
Bibliography
(1) Drug and Alcohol Services Council, 'Alcohol',
1990. Information Sheet Number 8, October 1990
(2) Commonwealth Department of Health, 'Alcohol',
1986. The drug offensive, A Federal and state initiative, 1986Outlines of sources
consulted
Drug and Alcohol
Services Council, 'Alcohol', 1990. Information Sheet Number 8, October 1990
This information
sheet provides brief general information on alcohol, its dangers, its effects
and use. It also lists problems caused by alcohol to some key body organs. This
an informative handout and as such does not, and indeed, I believe, should not
provide detailed statistics on the matters raised. It is useful that a further
information contact point is provided for further information on this drug.
Commonwealth
Department of Health, 'Alcohol', 1986. The drug offensive, A Federal and state
initiative, 1986
This is an
information sheet arising from the 'The Drug Offensive', which is a
Federal-funded program. This provides general information about the source of
alcohol, some statistics on the drinking habits of Australians and the
interation of this drug with the law and sociaty. The effects both intermidate
and long term are addressed in some detail. Considerable detail is provided on the
definition and calculation of that perameter. The information sheet concludes
with a short 'Alcohol quiz'. Whilst some of the statistics provided on the
alcohol content of some of the drinks is useful, this detracts from the main
message of this newsletter which is about that alcohol is a drug and has
dependance and bad effects on society. In addition the quiz at the end is
unnecessary and makes it unduly long.
Gibbons, Boyd,
1992'Alcohol'. National geographic, Vol 181, No.2 3-35
This article
talks about the effect of alcohol on families, the treatment of alcoholics,
effects of alcohol on the body and mind, the attitudes of alcohol from
different social backgrounds and stories of alcoholic events/experiences. Many
examples are given on the effects of alcohol on a range of people. I found this
information to detailed and detracted from the main thoughts of the article.
Also I thought that the historic information on the production and use of
alcohol too detailed. In relation to the details provided no references were
given and the authority of this article is disappointing, however this is after
all a magazine article.
Grolier
encyclopaedia. 1995. Grolier, California.
This source was
very technical, as is expected of an encyclopaedia. It covered aspects such
as, the physical effects of alcohol on
the body, the chemical composition, patterns of drinking. It gives a broad view
on alcohol but does not comment on whether it should be used or not. The
information in this article is very descriptive and gives a lot of facts which
are valid in that it is a recent and respectable source.
Myths and Facts
About Alcohol, http://channelone.com:80/ns/news/96/09/960910/myth.html
(March 1996)
This internet
site discusses common questions that people have about alcohol. For example
'When I have alcohol I feel more relaxed and social able', etc. This source is
just facts on common myths of alcohol and what really happens. The matters are
raised in a down-to-earth manner. This site is not intended to be technical but
a discussion point with those concerned about the use of alcohol. It does not
pretend to be otherwise.
As a general
comment about internet sites the truthfulness of their content would need to be
evaluated with caution as their authorship is unknown.
Bibliography
Drug and Alcohol Services Council,
'Alcohol', 1990. Information Sheet Number 8, October 1990
Commonwealth Department of Health,
'Alcohol', 1986. The drug offensive, A Federal and state initiative, 1986
Gibbons, Boyd, 1992'Alcohol'. National
geographic, Vol 181, No.2 3-35
Grolier encyclopaedia. 1995. Grolier,
California.
Myths and Facts About Alcohol,
http://channelone.com:80/ns/news/96/09/960910/myth.html
(March 1996)
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