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Glossary


proof value  Two times the percentage of alcohol by volume; a beverage that is 50% alcohol by volume is 100 proof.
alcohol  The intoxicating ingredient in fermented liquors; a colorless, pungent liquid.
metabolism  The chemical transformation of food and other substances in the body into energy and wastes.
blood alcohol concentration (BAC)  The amount of alcohol in the blood in terms of weight per unit volume; used as a measurement of intoxication.
cirrhosis  A disease in which the liver is severely damaged by alcohol, other toxins, or infection.
cardiac myopathy  Weakening of the heart muscle through disease.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)  A characteristic group of birth defects caused by excessive alcohol consumption by the mother, including facial deformities, heart defects, and physical and mental impairments.
alcohol abuse  The use of alcohol to a degree that causes physical damage, impairs functioning, or results in behavior harmful to others.
alcohol dependence  A pathological use of alcohol, or impairment in functioning due to alcohol; characterized by tolerance and withdrawal symptoms; alcoholism.
alcoholism  A chronic psychological disorder characterized by excessive and compulsive drinking.
binge drinking  Periodically drinking alcohol to the point of severe intoxication.
DTs (delirium tremens)  A state of confusion brought on by the reduction of alcohol intake in an alcohol-dependent person; other symptoms are sweating, trembling, anxiety, hallucinations, and seizures.
tobacco  The leaves of cultivated tobacco plants prepared for smoking, chewing, or use as snuff.
nicotine  A poisonous, addictive substance found in tobacco and responsible for many of the effects of tobacco.
cigarette tar  A brown sticky mass created when the chemical particles in tobacco smoke condense.
cerebral cortex  The outer layer of the brain, which controls complex behavior and mental activity.
coronary heart disease (CHD)  Cardiovascular disease caused by hardening of the arteries that supply oxygen to the heart muscle; also called coronary artery disease.
emphysema  A disease characterized by a loss of lung tissue elasticity and breakup of the air sacs, impairing the lungs' ability to obtain oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
chronic bronchitis  Recurrent, persistent inflammation of the broncial tubes.
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)  Smoke that enters the atmosphere from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, as well as smoke that is exhaled by smokers; also called secondhand smoke.
mainstream smoke  Smoke that is inhaled by a smoker and then exhaled into the atmosphere.
sidestream smoke  Smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe.
alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)  Cognitive and behavioral problems seen in people whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy.







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