Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

depressants
Drugs that slow down 
the nervous system.
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 Module 
16 
Drug Use: The Highs and Lows of Consciousness 
165
had had their studying or sleep disturbed by drunk students, and a quarter of the 
women said they had been the target of an unwanted sexual advance by a drunk class-
mate (Grucza, Norberg, & Beirut, 2009; Read et al., 2008; Wechsler et al., 2000, 2002). 
Women are typically somewhat lighter drinkers than men—although the gap 
between the sexes is narrowing for older women and has closed completely for 
teenagers. Women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol, and alcohol abuse 
may harm the brains of women more than men (Mancinelli, Binetti, & Ceccanti, 2007; 
Mann et al., 2005; Wuethrich, 2001). 
There are also cultural and ethnic differences in alcohol consumption. For exam-
ple, teenagers in Europe drink more than teenagers in the United States do. Further-
more, people of East Asian backgrounds who live in the United States tend to drink 
signifi cantly less than do Caucasians and African Americans, and their incidence of 
alcohol-related problems is lower. It may be that physical reactions to drinking, 
which may include sweating, a quickened heartbeat, and fl ushing, are more unpleas-
ant for East Asians than for other groups (Garcia-Andrade, Wall, & Ehlers, 1997; 
Garlow, Purselle, & Heninger, 2007; Kantrowitz & Underwood, 2007). 
Although alcohol is a depressant, most people claim that it increases their sense 
of sociability and well-being. The discrepancy between the actual and the perceived 
effects of alcohol lies in the initial effects it produces in the majority of individuals 
who use it: release of tension and stress, feelings of happiness, and loss of inhibitions 
(Sayette, 1993; Steele & Josephs, 1990). 
Although most alcohol consumers are casual users, there are more than 14 million alcoholics 
in the United States. The eff ects of alcohol vary signifi cantly, depending on who is drinking it 
and the setting in which people drink. If alcohol were a newly discovered drug, do you think 
its sale would be legal?
FIGURE 5 
Drinking habits of college 
students (Wechsler et al., 2003). For men, 
binge drinking was defi ned as consuming 
fi ve or more drinks in one sitting; for 
women, the total was four or more.