Science Education of Alcohol Metabolism

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Human consumption of alcohol is ubiquitous. While it is reported that ninety percent of the population consumes various amounts of alcohol, only a small but sizable minority of the population abuse alcohol consumption. It is estimated that 10-20% of males and 3-10% of females develop persistent alcohol-related problems. Alcohol use by youth continues to be an important health focus for our Nation. Alcohol misuse among adolescents is on the increase, and excessive drinkin g is associated with psychological, social and physical harm to the individual, family and society. During the proposed Phase II award period, research will be completed and new experiments and reagents will be tested in workshop and classroom settings pri or to the marketing in Phase III. The Company is well established in the science education market and enjoys a fine reputation for its high quality products, technical and education service, and competitive prices. The assessments will be tested and used b y workshop participants and classroom students and teachers. Measurement of learning assessments will be based on collaborations with two academic faculty to remove possible bias in these studies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Alcohol use by youth is an importa nt health focus for our Nation and alcohol misuse among adolescents is on the increase. Excessive drinking is associated with psychological, social and physical harm to the individual, family and society. School age students nationwide report episodes of h azardous drinking of five or more drinks on at least one occasion. Adolescent drinking also leads to poor school performance, criminal involvement and social maladjustments. Equally alarming is evidence that suggests a high correlation between the early-on set of alcohol consumption and the development of alcoholism in adults. The aim of this SBIR is to research and in Phase III to market experiments for grades 7 to 12 on understanding how alcohol is metabolized and that there are differences in the rate of metabolism amongst individuals.