A recent University study shedding light on why some people become binge-drinkers could be a pivotal tool in preventing future alcohol addiction.
The study, led by U of C psychiatry professor Andrea King, the director of the Substance Abuse Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC), suggests heavy drinkers are more sensitive to the euphoric effects of drinking and less sensitive to its sedative effects. These results challenge widely held notions about alcohol addiction.
“The prevailing theory was that people at risk for alcoholism were those who showed little response to alcohol, so they needed to drink a lot in order to get the effects,” King said.
Instead, the study suggests that those more affected by alcohol are more likely to binge-drink because of an increased sensitivity to its rewarding effects.
The study surveyed nearly 200 subjects between the ages of 21 and 25, who were divided into “heavy” and “light” drinkers by alcohol consumption habits. Subjects consumed a placebo, a low-alcohol-content drink, or a high-alcohol-content drink, each flavored to mask the alcoholic content.
Read the full story at the Chicago Maroon.
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