ALCOHOL

The substance

Its production

Its trade

ETHYL ALCOHOL, or ETHANOL, is a LIQUID, WATERWHITE SUBSTANCE

It is obtained through FERMENTATION of SOME BASIC SUGAR or STARCH and is concentrated through DISTILLATION

FERMENTATIONChemical process involving organic substances (fruits, cereals, patatoes ecc.) which are induced to ferment by mould, bacteria, yeast

When you press the grapes, the sugar contained in the MUST is decomposed by MICRO-ORGANISMS (Saccaromycetes) and is TRANSFORMED in ALCOHOL, CARBON DIOXIDE and HEAT

DISTILLATION

The alcoholic solution is heated to EVAPORATION temperature (72° Celsius or 161° Fah.)

(ALCOHOL 95%, WATER 5%)

After STEAM has cooled down, the LIQUID SUBSTANCE obtained is made of ANHYDROUS ALCOHOL

ETHYL ALCOHOL CONTENT

in the Alcohol Beverages

(from FERMENTATION)

from DISTILLATION

In Alcohol Beverages

Depero 1930

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION + PRODUCTION

is among the largest PRODUCERS of WINE and SPIRITS in the WORLD

ITALY

ITALY is at the forefront in the WORLD per-capita alcohol consumption

REPRESENT a SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE of GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCTION and TRADEof ALCOHOLPRODUCTS

Neapolitan Coach

EFFECTS

of ALCOHOL

on the BODY

ALCOHOL transits quickly (30 - 90 minutes)

from STOMACH and early PART of INTESTINE

to BLOOD and REACHES through thePORTAL VEIN

ABSORPTION + DISTRIBUTION

the LIVER

10% is eliminated DIRECTLY through BREATH, PERSPIRATION, URINE,and MATERNAL MILK

DISPOSAL

90% is eliminatedthrough theLIVER METABOLISM

LIVER transforms 90%of all intaken ALCOHOL, through the action of ENZYMES, whose quantity INCREASES in case of chronic alcohol consumption

TRANSAMINASI - Aspartato - aminotransferasi (AST) valori: per gli uomini fra 10 e 45 U/l, per le donne fra 5 e 31 U/l - Alanina - aminotransferasi (ALT) valori:

per gli uomini fra 10 e 43 U/l, per le donne fra 5 e 36 U/l Gamma GT - (Gamma - glutamiltranspeptidasi) valori: per gli uomini fra 1 e 30 U/l, per le donne fra 1 e 20 U/l

ALCOHOL METABOLISM

- NOXIOUS SUBSTANCES (acetaldeide, acetic acid etc.) - ACCUMULATION of FATS in the liver (STEATOSIS) - ACCUMULATION of ACID COMPOUNDS (lactic acid and others) - CALORIES with increase of fats in the tissues and possible OBESITY, substitution of very useful calories from food with useless calories from alcohol -SENSE of BEING FULL, which induces to DISREGARD feeding with consequential LACK of VITAMINES and other NOURISHING SUBSTANCES- EXHAUSTION of body’s supply of SUGAR -LESS EFFICIENT ELIMINATION of URIC ACID (gout)

In the LIVER ALCOHOL PRODUCES

ALCOHOL can HARM the whole BODY

It is NOT a NUTRIMENT

Amanita Muscaria: good, but poisonous

ALCOHOL and WOMEN:

WOMAN is biologically more SENSITIVE than MAN to the effects of ALCOHOL, because she has a REDUCED CAPACITY to METABOLIZE ETHANOL, having less production of ALCOHOL – DEHYDROGENASE ENZYME (ADH). LIVER HARM is more SERIOUS and it takes place more QUICKLY than the MEN, because ALCOHOL goes fromSTOMACH to LIVER more DIRECTLY

ALCOHOL and WOMEN:

Given the same quantity of ALCOHOL,

a WOMAN gets DRUNK MORE

EASILY

than men.

Consequently she has less CAPACITY

to CONTROL her

BEHAVIOUR,

she is more subject to be VICTIM

of ACCIDENTS or VIOLENCE

ALCOHOL

DAMAGES

and

EFFECTS

William Hogarth - Gin Lane 1751

- INCIDENTS and INJURIES - CONSEQUENCES of riots - PANCREATITES, heart ATTACK

PHYSICAL EFFECTS and HARM

ACUTE

CHRONIC- BRAIN DAMAGES - PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHITIS - BLOOD HYPERTENSION -HEART DESEASES -CANCER (MOUTH, THROAT, OESOPHAGUS, STOMACH)

- LIVER CIRRHOSIS, LIVER CANCER- CHRONIC PANCREATITES - ENDOCRINE and IMMUNIZATION failures

NERVOUS SYSTEM- CRANIAL INJURIES with POSSIBLE BRAIN HEMATOMA

- BRAIN ATROPHY the BRAIN volume is reduced, MEMORY

and INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY are PROGRESSIVELY reduced (alcohol dementia)

- SEIZURES with loss of CONSCIENCE, INCONTINENCE, DISORIENTATION

- ALCOHOL POLINEURYTES with TINGLING, NIGHT PAIN, CRAMPS

HEART and BLOOD VESSELS

- INFARCTION

- BLOOD

HYPERTENSION -

ALCOHOL MIOCARDIOPATITYS

- CORONARY DESEASE

-ANAEMIA with FEW, VERY

LARGE RED CORPUSCLES, due to

lack of VITAMINE B12

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

MOUTH: CANCER

STOMACH: -GASTRITIS - ULCERA -CANCER

INTESTINE: - SLOW ABSORPTION- DIARRHOEA

AESOPHAGUS:

- AESOPHAGITIS - VARICES -CANCER

- ACUTE PANCREATITIS - CHRONIC PANCREATITIS

PANCREAS

LIVER- STEATOSIS (accumulation of fat in the liver) - ACUTE HEPATITIS - CHRONIC HEPATITIS - CIRRHOSIS - CANCER

PANCREAS

cistifellea

stomaco

dotto

biliare

duodeno

dotto

pancreatico

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

- REDUCED FERTILITY

- DECREASE of SEXUAL

DESIRE -

HORMONE DEFICIENCY

with man looking increasingly

FEMININE (loss of hairs, increase

of breast etc.)

- ABORTION - SLOW GROWTH of PHOETUS- PREMATURE BIRTH -LOWER WEIGHT of NEWBORN

ALCOHOL and PREGNANCYINCREASED RISK of:

PHOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME- BRAIN UNDERDEVELOPMENT - MICROCEPHALY -SKELETON MALFORMATION

ALCOHOL and HIV• HIGHER RISK of MISBEHAVIOURS

• ALCOHOL WEAKENS the DEFENSE of the MOUTH MUCOUS MEMBRANE (the inner part of the mouth)

• After drinking only ONE BEER, in case of ORAL SEX, the RISK of CONTAGION from HIV increases 3 to 6 times

Alcohol consumption provokes toxic effects andchronic damages. One century ago in ITALY the average lifespanwas about 42 years, currently it is about 80 years. Therefore today it is easier to identify the CONSEQUENCES of a PROLONGED USEof ALCOHOL, even in MODERATE QUANTITIES.All the DRINKERS, even the MODERATE ones,have an average LIFE EXPECTANCY lower than the non drinkers.

ALCOHOL and LIFE SPAN :

SAME HAPPENS for SMOKING

Ethyl alcohol remains ethyl alcohol wherever we put it, its toxic power does not change.

There is no difference between alcohol contained in the so-called “good wine” and the one contained in cheap wine.

In other words, you cannot claim that there is a “good alcohol” and a bad one.

ETHYL ALCOHOL FORMULA C2H5OH

ALCOHOL INTERFERES

with a NUMBER of

DRUGS by

INCREASING or DECREASING

their EFFECTS

ALCOHOL and MEDICINES

NoteNote: : thethe EFFECT is DIFFERENT, sometimes even the OPPOSITE, in

CASE of ACUTE INTOXICATION or else in case of ALCOHOLISM

ANSIOLITICS ANTIDEPRESSANTS

HYPNOTICS SEDATIVES

BARBITURICS ANALGESICS

ANTIHISTAMINICS

ALCOHOL and MEDICINES

ANTIEPILEPTICS

DIABETES DRUGS

HEART DESEASE THERAPY

ALCOHOL and MEDICINES

NoteNote: : thethe EFFECT is DIFFERENT, sometimes even the OPPOSITE, in

CASE of ACUTE INTOXICATION or else in case of ALCOHOLISM

with:

PARACETAMOL

(ex. Tachipirina®)

ANTIMYCOTICS

ANAESTHETICS

NoteNote: : thethe EFFECT is DIFFERENT, sometimes even the OPPOSITE, in

CASE of ACUTE INTOXICATION or else in case of ALCOHOLISM

ALCOHOL and MEDICINES

SPECIFIC drugs to beat ALCOHOLISM do not exist

DRUGS like:• ANTIDEPRESSANTS (Prozac®, Citalopram etc.)• ANTABUSE®

• ALCOVER®

CAN HELP IN THE INITIAL STAGES of ABSTINENCE

BUT on their own they are not A SOLUTION

UNLESS YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE

ANTABUSE® (Disulfiram) interferes with the normal alcohol metabolism by the liver.

If a person, during the treatment, takes any quantity of alcohol, heavy symptoms appear in about 10 minutes: - nausea, vomiting - sense of heat - tachycardia - difficult breathing - hypotension, collapse, sometimes heart failure.

The symptoms persist until alcohol is finally eliminated.

The sickness caused by the reaction Antabuse/Alcohol produces a sense of repugnance for alcohol beverages.

Taking regularly Antabuse®, and attending regularly the CLUB, can allow the chronic alcoholics (not hospitalized) to wean from drinking.

ALCOVER® Syrup at 17,5% (HBA) Can help: - in controlling the withdrawal syndrome and in the early stages

of abstinence from alcohol.- as part of a mixed treatment (medicines, psychological and psychiatric therapy, group therapy etc.) of addiction. - in the long term treatment of alcohol addiction, when other treatments have failed, and when physiological complications require abstinence from alcohol.

ALCOVER® must be prescribed by the doctor, and must be taken by the patient under the control of a person delegated by the doctor, when the patient is suffering from mental disorders or has reduced capacity to judge and take decisions. Alcover® has a low toxicity, but has a proven capacity to generate addiction. Is considered less effective than Antabuse®.

Taking regularly Alcover®, and attending regularly the CLUB, can allow the chronic alcoholics (not hospitalized) to wean from drinking.

- SLOWER REACTION TIME - ALTERED EMOTIONAL CONTROL -SUICIDE

PSYCHIC EFFECTS and DAMAGESACUTE

CHRONIC- DIPENDENCE and ADDICTION - DEPRESSION - ALTERATION of short-term MEMORY - VISUAL and AUDITIVE ALLUCINATIONS and PERSECUTIONS - DEMENTIA - DELIRIUM TREMENS

PSYCHICALDELIRIUM TREMENS: CONFUSION, AGITATION, TREMOR POTATORUM, ALLUCINATIONS

VISUAL ALLUCINATIONS: IMAGES of SMALL ANIMALS (spiders, black beatles, mice, ants …)

AUDITIVE ALLUCINATIONS: PERCEPTION of THREATENING VOICES, INSULTS, PERSECUTIONS

CHRONIC JEALOUSY:AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE towardsthe partner and (alleged) rival

MOOD and SLEEP DISTURBANCE

INITIALLY:

EUPHORIA, UNCONSTRAINT, LOSS OF SELF CONTROL

LATER:

MELANCHOLY, DEPRESSION, SLEEPINESS - SLEEP

GETTING DRUNK: DRINKING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES in SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY has direct CONSEQUENCES on CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

J. De Ribera “Spagnoletto” – Sileno Ebbro - 1626

PERCENTAGE OF ALCOHOL versus BLOOD described as grams of alcohol per litre of blood (g/L)

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT (B.A.C.):

BREATH ANALYZER: to test alcohol concentration FROM BREATH

EUPHORIAB.A.C. from 0,5 to 1 g/l.

Note: 0,5 g/L is the current B.A.C. limit to DRIVE in ITALY

LESS ATTENTION

UNCERTAIN MOVEMENTS

SLOWER RFEACTION TIME

UNCONSTRAINT

OVERESTIMATION of ONE’S CAPABILITY

INEBRIATION

B.A.C. at 1,5 gr/l.

ACCELERATED BREATHING

ACCELERATED HEART BEAT

TALKATIVENESS, CONFUSION

RED FACE

EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY

DRUNKNESS (BOTHERSOME)B.A.C. at 2 gr./l.

INCOHERENT

LACK OF CONTROL

UNCO-ORDINATED MOVEMENTS

LESS SENSITIVE to PAIN, HEAT, COLD

SEVERE DRUNKNESSB.A.C. at 3 gr./l.

SEEING DOUBLE

MENTAL CONFUSION

REACTIONS VERY SLOW

MOVEMENTS VERY UNCO-ORDINATED

DEEP SLEEP

COMA

B.A.C. at 4 gr./l.

LONG LASTING LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

LACK OF SENSITIVENESS

LACK OF REACTIONS

BREATH PARALYSIS

RISK OF DEATH

B.A.C. at 5 gr./l.