Scientific Study Challenges the “Holding Your Liquor” Myth
Scientific Study Challenges the “Holding Your Liquor” Myth SciTechDaily
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A Study on the Effects of Alcohol Use Disorder
A recent study revealed that drinkers with alcohol use disorder show equivalent motor and cognitive impairments as light drinkers when consuming their usual alcohol amounts, challenging the idea of “holding your liquor.”
Those with alcohol use disorder who consumed a high amount of liquor showed significant impairment in study.
New research shows that drinkers with alcohol use disorder display the same level of fine motor and cognitive impairment as light drinkers when consuming their usual excessive amount.
The study suggests that the concept of “holding your liquor” is more nuanced than commonly believed. They found heavy drinkers could tolerate some alcohol better than light drinkers, but that disappeared when the heavy drinkers drank their typical amounts.
“There’s a lot of thinking that when experienced drinkers (those with alcohol use disorder) consume alcohol, they are tolerant to its impairing effects,” said Andrea King, professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at UChicago and senior author of the study. “We supported that a bit, but with a lot of nuances. When they drank alcohol in our study at a dose similar to their usual drinking pattern, we saw significant impairments on both the fine motor and cognitive tests that were even more impairment than a light drinker gets at the intoxicating dose.”
The Chicago Social Drinking Project
The new paper, published recently in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, is part of the Chicago Social Drinking Project, an ongoing research study started by King in 2004 that examines the effects of common substances like alcohol, caffeine, and antihistamines on mood, performance, and behavior in people with a wide range of alcohol drinking patterns.
Many people who drink frequently feel they can “hold their liquor.” But new research from the University of Chicago found while heavy drinkers could tolerate some alcohol better than light drinkers, that disappeared when the heavy drinkers drank their typical amounts.
A Study of Different Drinking Patterns
The authors of the study explained that most research on alcohol’s acute effects on motor and cognitive performance has focused on social drinkers, rather than those with alcohol use disorder (traditionally known as alcoholism). This has limited our ability to understand behavioral impairments in that group.
For this study, they worked with three groups of adults in their 20s with different drinking patterns.
- Light drinkers who do not binge drink
- Heavy social drinkers who binge drink several times a month (defined as consuming five or more drinks for a man or four or more for a woman)
- Drinkers who meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder and binge-drink 11 or more days in a typical month
“There’s a lot of thinking that when experienced drinkers (those with alcohol use disorder) consume alcohol, they are tolerant to its impairing effects.”
— Prof. Andrea King
They had each group consume a set amount of alcohol and tested their performance on both a fine motor task and a paper-and-pencil cognitive skill test.
When given a standard intoxicating dose, which produce breathalyzer readings of 0.08%, the light drinkers were more impaired than the heavier drinkers.
Yet when those drinkers with alcohol use disorder consumed a higher amount, akin to their usual drinking habits, they showed significant impairment on those same tasks—more than double their impairment
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
- SDG 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 3.5: Number of people receiving treatment for substance abuse disorders
- Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of population reporting discrimination or harassment based on alcohol use disorder
- Indicator for SDG 16.1: Number of deaths due to alcohol-related accidents and injuries
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol | Number of people receiving treatment for substance abuse disorders |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status | Proportion of population reporting discrimination or harassment based on alcohol use disorder |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere | Number of deaths due to alcohol-related accidents and injuries |
The article addresses the issues related to alcohol use disorder and its impact on individuals’ health and well-being (SDG 3). It also highlights the need to reduce inequalities by promoting the inclusion of individuals with alcohol use disorder (SDG 10). Additionally, it discusses the importance of preventing alcohol-related accidents and injuries to achieve peace and justice (SDG 16).
The specific targets identified are SDG 3.5, which focuses on strengthening the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including alcohol use disorder; SDG 10.2, which aims to empower and promote the inclusion of individuals with alcohol use disorder; and SDG 16.1, which aims to reduce violence and related death rates caused by alcohol-related incidents.
The indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards these targets are the number of people receiving treatment for substance abuse disorders (SDG 3.5 indicator), the proportion of the population reporting discrimination or harassment based on alcohol use disorder (SDG 10.2 indicator), and the number of deaths due to alcohol-related accidents and injuries (SDG 16.1 indicator).
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Source: scitechdaily.com
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