Prof. Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
The Sun, July 4,1995
TOBACCO IN ANY FORM IS undoubtedly a poisonous substance (see Healthtrack, May 30, June 6,13,20 and 27). Alcohol is another dangerous poison man is exposed to. However, for many centuries, man has develop a societal norm whereby alcohol is socially and legally acceptable. But alcohol is just as open to abuse as any other drugs of abuse.
As such many countries see fit to have some form of legislation to control the consumption and sale of alcohol. Such legislation seek to control aspects such as where alcohol can be sold, the number that can be sold, location of outlets and shops selling alcohol, age limits on the buyers of alcohol and so on.
The need for such stringent restrictions are indicative of the fact that alcohol is a dangerous substance, no matter how some people perceive it.
However, despite measures seeking to control the use of alcohol, it continues to be a problem in many societies. In some cases, it causes the loss of lives and untold miseries and injuries.
In view of this, the Governmnent has finally decided to enforce further restrictions on the use of alcohol, particularly in relation to drinking and driving. As of July 1, those caught with certain alcohol levels in their blood while driving will be subjected to the wrath if the law. This is to ensure that alcohol does not cause more harm or disruptions to society than it already has.
Indeed, alcohol has been recognised in many parts of the world to be the major cause of not only motor vehicle accidents but also crimes related to homicide, suicides, child abuse, wife battering, etc.
Unlike cigarettes, alcohol has escaped much of the adverse publicity that cigarettes are subjected to today. Any attempt to prohibit it can potentially stir a major row. But alcoholism can indeed be a major problem if care is not taken. Just three years ago, there was a cover story in the May issue of Asiaweek entitled "Asia's Growing Alcohol Habit", and Malaysia was no less prominently featured.
What are alcohols? Essentially, they are volatile and colourless liquids with a pungent smell and composed mainly of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Ethanol is the most common form of alcohol and it is normally used in alcoholic beverages. It is produced by the process of fermentation - the breakdown of starches such as maize, barley, rice and grapes by bacterial action. These products are more commonly called beer if malt and barley are used and wine if grapes are used.
The content of ethanol in such drinks is normally low compared with other types of alcohol such as spirits(whiskey, vodka etc). Spirits undergo a process of distillation, leaving behind a higher level of alcohol in the end-product. Distilled alcohol can be added to wines, producing sherry, port, etc (so-called fortified wines) so as to increase the alcoholic content.
Typical alcohol contents of some alcoholic beverages: beer, cider, up to 8%, wines 9% to 15%, fortified wines 20%, aperitifs 25%, spirits, and Liqueurs 40% to 50%. Commercially, the strength of alcohol beverages is expressed as "degree proof". This does not refer to the percentage of alcohol content but the specific gravity of the liquid. In any case it can be used as an indication of the alcoholic content. For example, in the United States, a drink with 100 proof contains 50% alcohol. However, this conversion varies from country to country and product to product.
Generally, about 20% of the alcohol consumed is absorbed into the stomach and the rest in the intestine. It is eventually transported around the body in the blood.
The effects of alcohol on behaviour depends on the blood alcohol level influences brain functions. The same amount of a different class of alcoholic beverages can give rise to different effect on the brain because of different alcohol contents. For example, for the same person, a glass of sherry or fortified wine will give about twice as much blood alcohol level as compared with a glass of ordinary table wine, or perhaps two bottles of US beer (about three-quarter pint of UK beer).
What is important to understand is that as the level of alcohol in the blood increases, so does the level in the brain increase. This leads to varying degrees of functional impairment.
It is estimated that alcoholics in the United States have seven times the normal accident rate. When driving under the influence of alcohol, tests have indicated that error in judgement and loss of control increases as soon as alcohol is present in the blood stream.
At blood level of 0.04% (about one pint of UK beer), driving ability at speed has been reported to be impaired, making accidents more likely.
As the level of blood alcohol increases, there is a concomitant increase in the level of impairment. This is aptly demonstrated by a simple handwriting test.
Other factors that can determine blood alcohol level include:
- The size of the person. The smaller the body size, the lesser the volume of blood it contains; thus the more enhanced are the effects of alcohol
- The speed and manner in which the alcohol is consumed. The shorter the period one takes a given quantity, the stronger the effects
- The state of the stomach. Empty stomach gives greater and more immediate effects
- The rate int which the alcohol is metabolised by the liver. A small liver size or a diseased liver can prolong the effects of alcohol.
Therefore, the next time you down your favourite brand of alcohol, it may be wise to remember the words of Smith and Helwie in Liquor:The Servant of Man: "Beverage alcohol is fecal matter. Alcohol is not made of grapes or grain or other attractive foods. It is these which are devoured by the ferment germ, and the germ then evacuates alcohol as its waste product. The thought of swallowing the excrement of a living organism is not an aesthetic idea but people will do such things."
So, don't only stop drinking when driving; better yet DON'T DRINK at all.
