403
than 5% of the ingested alcohol is excreted in the urine or expired air. Ninety percent of this toxin must be removed from the body by chemical oxidation. This is done by a liver enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. The rate of oxidation varies in individuals. Ordinarily about ten to fifteen ml. of alcohol can be oxidized per hour in the liver, a rate which is relatively constant. This reaction gradually decreases the alcohol blood level after ingestion. Oxidation of alcohol produces seven calories of heat energy per gram; however, this is of practically no nutritional value. The level of alcohol in the blood can be measured. The legal limit for defining intoxication is 0.1% in most states. This can be reached by the drinking of four to five “shots” of whiskey, six cans of beer, or the same number of glasses of wine. The difference of concentration in these various beverages accounts for the fact that approximately the same number of any alcoholic drink can produce equivalent intoxication. A number of diseases are associated with alcohol use. Attacks of gout occur when the alcohol consumption increases blood lactic acid, which in turn suppresses the secretion of uric acid by the kidney. Alcohol-induced increases in liver enzymes may cause fatty change of that vital organ, particularly when alcohol intake is combined with an inadequate diet. There is an increased secretion of zinc and magnesium in the urine of drinkers, tending toward liver damage, nerve impairment, and eventual psychosis. The “empty calories” obtained from alcoholic beverages contribute toward obesity in many, and malnutrition in other individuals. Cardiac damage, with sudden rhythm disturbances, has recently been associated with the heavy, chronic use of alcohol. If all we had to do in medicine were study the chemistry of alcohol, the challenge would interest many. However, we are left with the stark realization that alcohol is destroying more than health! Much of our present erosion of moral values, the decline in governmental integrity, increasing tension in international relations, deterioration of the family unit, and growing statistics of suicide, most can be traced directly to alcohol consumption. The risk of becoming an alcoholic is currently thought to be about 5.6%, or 1 in 18, for all who drink. However, this figure is rising. Today, over ten million people in the United States are classed as alcoholics. Eight million more signify their dependence on this substance, demonstrating the disruption to their lives and families with divorce, delinquency and death. Mortality rates among alcoholics increase annually. Alcoholism is the 10th leading cause of death in California, number six among those aged 35-54. In general, life expectancy of an alcoholic is 10-12 years less than the national average. Information from our National Institute of Mental Health shows a