Alcohol and Addiction

Some people appear to have a genetic or biological tendency toward alcoholism (UMHS, 2001; What Causes, 2001). Scientists studied children of alcoholics who were raised in non-alcoholic environments (e.g. foster homes) and compared them to children from non-alcoholic families who were raised in alcoholic environments (What Causes, 2001). Results showed that genetics played more of a role in the development of alcoholism than environment, and this was compared to long-term twin studies and current scientific research, all of which support the hypothesis that alcoholics are biochemically different before they ever start drinking.

There are two primary differences in the way the body of an alcoholic processes alcohol compared to a normal person. First, the liver metabolizes alcohol in a different way, and second, the brain of an alcoholic reacts to alcohol diversely as a result. These differences cause an alcoholic to experience tolerance and cravings. Research has shown that an alcoholic's liver produces an excessive amount of an ADH enzyme wh

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Zucker Fitzgerald, Council Alcoholism, Kapi'Olani Health, Health Organization, Accountability Alert, References Bower, Alcohol Causes, causes alcoholism, Research World, children alcoholics, umhs 2001, ellis zucker, causes 2001, zucker fitzgerald, fitzgerald 1997, zucker fitzgerald 1997, ellis zucker fitzgerald, alcoholism children, Ellis Zucker, kapi'olani health 2001, high-alcoholism families, family risk factors, child alcoholic, children high-alcoholism families,
Approximate Word count = 1094
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)