CH 105 - Chemistry and Society

02/12/2005

Here is a list of questions that you and I want to explore as we study the biochemistry of alcohol:

What are the short and long term effects of alcohol on the brain and how do they explain use/abuse of alcohol?
Why do some people become alcoholics and others don't?
How do people get tolerant to alcohol. so that they need more to produce the same effects?
Is there a genetic basis to alcoholism? Addiction? What are the environmental determinants?
Why do some alcoholics relapse even after years of abstinence?
What are the similarities between alcohol use/addiction and other addictive drugs like cocaine.
Are there pharmacological treatments for alcohol abuse (short and long term)?
What neurological damage is found in infants with fetal alcohol syndrome?
What explains the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol use? Are the medical benefits to its use?
Does alcohol affect women and men differently? Young and old? Are there differences in alcohol effects between cultures? Between individuals?
How do societal views and laws on alcohol use affect actual alcohol use, especially in under age people?
What causes hangovers?
How do breathalyzers work?
How does it relief anxiety?