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Alcohol Quiz

Read each statement below and determine whether it’s True or False.
All answers can be found in the alcohol section of this site.

There are 4 kinds of alcohol: Beer, wine, fortified wine and liquor.

TRUE. There are 4 types of alcoholic beverages. Beer contains 3-6% alcohol. Wine contains 12-14% alcohol. Fortified wine (e.g. sherry, port) has alcohol added and contains 18-20% alcohol. Liquor (e.g. Scotch, rum, bourbon, vodka) contains 40-50% alcohol, which is expressed as degrees of proof. A liquor’s alcohol content is half its proof. Therefore, an 80-proof liquor is 40% alcohol.

Most Americans do not drink alcohol.

FALSE. As many as 70% of Americans drink alcohol socially, mostly during meals and social occasions. These drinkers seldom, if ever, get drunk.

Alcohol does not need to be digested.

TRUE. Unlike food, alcohol does not need to be digested. It is absorbed directly into the bloodstream in the small intestine and the stomach. Through the bloodstream, alcohol reaches every organ and tissue of the body, slowing the activity of the cells.

Your body processes alcohol at the rate of 1/4 to 1/2 ounce per hour.

TRUE. Your body processes alcohol at the rate of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 ounce (the alcohol in 12 oz. of beer or 5 oz. of wine) per hour. The liver processes the greatest portion, and the remainder is excreted by the kidneys, lungs, and sweat glands.

Alcohol use has not been associated with cirrhosis of the liver.

FALSE. Alcohol damages the liver. Cirrhosis occurs when liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and loss of interest in sex. Cirrhosis can be treated, but if drinking continues to cause liver damage, it may be fatal.

Alcohol does not cause the stomach to produce excess acid.

FALSE. Alcohol causes the stomach to produce excess stomach acid. This can lead to gastritis, a painful inflammation of the mucous lining of the stomach. Gastritis causes bleeding and leads to stomach ulcers.

Alcohol can cause memory loss and difficulty with learning new material.

TRUE. Korsakoff’s Syndrome is the result of long years of hard drinking and affects the thalamus and hippocampus. The thalamus is a central relay point in the brain for information going from the body to the brain. The hippocampus is involved in memory. When these structures are damaged, the drinker has almost no memory of recent events, and has great difficulty learning new material.

Alcohol use by a pregnant woman has no effect on the fetus.

FALSE. The alcohol a pregnant woman drinks reaches her baby and stays there until the mother’s body processes it. Because of this, alcohol use by a pregnant woman carries the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS is a group of abnormalities ranging from mild to severe mental retardation, to deformities such as a small skull, small eyes, misshapen ears, joint defects and facial deformities. Low birth weight, failure to thrive, and heart defects also occur. Since no safe level of alcohol use has been established for pregnancy, women should not use alcohol at all when pregnant.

Alcohol is poisonous to your heart and can cause congestive heart failure.

TRUE. Alcohol can poison the heart muscle and cause congestive heart failure in which the heart cannot pump blood efficiently. Alcohol can also cause an irregular heartbeat, and chest pain from restricted blood flow to the heart. Further, alcohol causes high blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome affects the baby only during the first month of its life.

FALSE. Alcohol use by a pregnant woman carries the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Growing up, FAS babies have difficulty focusing their attention. Since no safe level of alcohol use has been established for pregnancy, women should not use alcohol at all when pregnant.