Utah Addiction Center University of Utah Health Sciences Center 410 Chipeta Way, Suite 280 Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
Utah
The
Non-profit Organization
Special
Edition
Addiction Center
U.S. POSTAGE PAID Salt Lake City, Utah Permit No. 1529
Volume 2 Issue 11
June 2010
Report
Dedicated to research, clinical training, and education in chemical addiction
Drugs: A Historical Perspective
Alcohol
Contact Us University of Utah Health Sciences Center 410 Chipeta Way, Suite 280 Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Phone: (801) 581-8216 Fax: (801) 587-7858 E-mail: abbie.paxman@hsc.utah.edu Internet: http://uuhsc.utah.edu/uac/
While other drug issues such as the social impact of illicit methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse have captured the media headlines lately, the problems of alcohol abuse and alcoholism continue to be the cornerstone of many of our public health and social problems. For this reason, we have selected alcohol as the second in our historical series on drugs of abuse. The prominence of alcohol in drug abuse concerns is underscored by the 2009 findings that in Utah alcohol is by far the number one drug of choice in adults receiving stateassisted treatment for substance dependence. While there are many issues relevant to alcohol-related problems worthy of discussion, of particular concern is the fact that the vast majority of those who eventually develop severe alcohol dependence began exposure to this drug in their teenage years. This is supported by the national 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey findings in adolescents (available: http://www. monitoringthefuture.org/data/data.html ).
The Utah Addiction Center is based in the office of the University of Utah Senior Vice President for Health Sciences INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
A. Lorris Betz, M.D., Ph.D. Louis H. Callister, J.D. Edward B. Clark, M.D. M. David Rudd, PhD, ABPP Patrick Fleming, LSAC, MPA Raymond Gesteland, Ph.D. Jay Graves Ph.D. John R. Hoidal, M.D. Glen W. Hanson Ph.D, D.D.S, Maureen Keefe, RN, Ph.D Jannah Mather, Ph.D. Chris Ireland, Ph.D. John McDonnell, Ph.D. Barbara N. Sullivan, Ph.D. Ross VanVranken, ACSW Kim Wirthlin, MPA
In summary, it was reported that during the previous month the percent of 12th, 10th, and 8th graders who consumed alcohol were 42, 36 and 17, respectively. This alarmingly high rate of frequent alcohol consumption by adolescents is at least partly due to easy access (considered to be “easy” by ~80% of the adolescents polled) despite the fact that 50-60% of these teenagers considered alcohol consumption to be To understand drug of abuse issues of great risk. such as why they are so popular, The fact that almost half of the young population in their effects on society and its the United States are regular consumers of alcoholic institutions, and attitudes toward beverages by the time they reach adulthood is their regulation, it is helpful to particularly troubling in light of repeated scientific appreciate where these substances findings that brain systems such as the frontal came from and their historical lobes (responsible for functions such as emotional highlights. regulation, planning and organization and decisionmaking) undergo delicate development during To this end, we devote occasional adolescence and are especially vulnerable to the toxic UAC Newsletters to historical and addictive actions of alcohol. discussions of drugs of abuse. This The brain damage caused by early drinking issue is devoted to alcohol. substantially increases the likelihood of emotional and personal problems, is long-lasting and dependent All articles in this issue are used with permission from the book Drugs and upon the frequency and intensity of alcohol Society, Tenth Edition unless otherwise consumption (Moyer, C. Teen Alcohol Use Interferes noted. with Brain Development. American Medical News, May 10, 2010). » See Alcohol page 7
A new look?
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