Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018 - 32

April is Alcohol Awareness
Month throughout Iowa, the
perfect time to think about
careful and responsible
consumption of spirits.
By Andrew Madigan

pril is Alcohol Awareness Month
throughout the state. This is part of a
nationwide project launched by the
National Council on Alcohol and Drug
Dependence to better educate Americans
about the effects of substance abuse on families, communities and young people in particular. This has become a critical public health
issue throughout the country, one that we all
must be aware of.
Let's start with the basics. How much alcohol
is safe to consume?
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), the first order of business
is that, "No one should begin drinking or drink
more frequently based on potential health
benefits."
The CDC defines drinking in moderation as:
for women, no more than one drink in a single
day; for men, a maximum of two drinks a day. Any
more than this is considered binge-drinking,
which is a serious health risk.
"One drink" means 12 ounces of beer with a
strength of 5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV), five
ounces of wine at 12% ABV, or 1.5 ounces of
spiritous liquor at 40% ABV. Remember, the standard is not simply a beer, a glass of wine, or one
spirit. It all depends on the size and strength of
the beverage. For example, if you drink a can of
standard 5% beer, that's one drink. However, a
24-ounce beer with a 12% ABV is the equivalent
of 4.8 standard drinks. Keep this in mind when
considering how many drinks-or drink-you
should have and how they will affect your motor
skills, coordination and decision-making.
What should you do if you've consumed too
much? Black coffee? Cold shower? A bite to eat?
Walk in the fresh air? Sure, all of these things will

make you feel better, but they will have absolutely
no impact on your blood alcohol content (BAC),
which is the medical and legal measure of intoxication. For an average 180-pound man, it takes
1.5 hours for the liver to metabolize one drink. Your
experience or "capacity" does not affect this rate.
After just one drink, your body and mind are
impaired in a number of significant ways. Your
reaction time slows down. You lose the ability to
concentrate and make good decisions. Your eyesight, manual dexterity, inhibitions and fine motor
skills are considerably weakened. Some people
think their senses are sharpened after drinking,
but this is a delusion brought on by feelings of
euphoria and relaxation, another result of alcohol
consumption.

THE GRIM REALITY
Although moderate alcohol consumption can be
enjoyable, there is a dark side. For children, alcohol is the most widely abused substance, and this
comes with a number of serious threats to health
and safety. According to the National Institute of
Health, by the age of 15 a third of all U.S. teens
have had at least one alcoholic drink. By 18, this
figure rises to 60 percent. Although teens, on
average, drink less than adults, they are more
likely to binge-drink. Over 5 million teens have
admitted to binge-drinking in the past month,
while 1.3 million have done it five times or more
during the same period. Moreover, 8 percent of
high schoolers report operating a motor vehicle
after consuming alcohol, while 24 percent have
accepted a ride from someone who's been
drinking.
This is a grave problem. For one, underage
drinking can lead to long-term brain damage.
Those who start drinking before age 15 are more

SPRING | SUMMER

2018

Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Iowa Spirits Volume 1 2018