Breaking free the hard way - Alcohol

Flushed, nauseous and vomiting could describe someone with a severe hangover. It could also describe the reaction of a disulfram patient to their mouthwash.

Disulfram, manufactured by Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, is one of the few innovations in anti-drinking products currently on the market. The drug is also sold as antabus or antabuse, and works by making the user extremely sensitive to alcohol. Even slight exposure to alcohol could give them an illness painfully and chemically similar to a severe hangover for between 30 minutes and several hours.

After taken once, the pill remains effective for up to two weeks. Several precautions are given as to when to take disulfram and other drugs, which are known to cause dangerous reactions with the drug.

The drug has been around since 1948, when it was accidentally discovered by Danish researchers trying to create a drug to combat infections. The drug is currently used to combat alcoholism.

Bob Duffy, coordinator of the Drug and Alcohol Awareness Network at the Kelly Center, said “[disulfram is] used in extreme situations” and “usually only used in in-patient centers.”

Duffy said the reasons for such restricted use are due to the drug’s side-effects, which range from dizziness to sudden death.

There is no cure-all for alcoholism, but many products and groups have shown success over the years. For example, one study showed that Alcoholics Anonymous helps five percent of its members to quit. And tougher laws are penalizing drunk drivers more than ever.

Students who have problems with alcohol can go to the Kelly Center and receive a great deal of support. Duffy said the center can refer students to programs all over the country, and has three of their own certified counselors. He also said the students he sees are “mostly in for DUI’s.” He said he would recommend that students “don’t wait until they have any involvement with the guys in blue” before seeking help.

The crackdown on drunk drivers includes a variety of newer forms of punishment that go beyond rehabilitative treatment such as jail or counseling. Now a student who gets a DUI may have to install a Breathalyzer in their vehicle called Guardian Interlock.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, was ordered to have the device installed in their car. That student said they did not like having it in their car, but that it was a good idea because it keeps them from driving drunk.

The courts may require an offender to install an ignition interlock device after a single offense. Typically, the device will be required after the suspension of the offender’s license. The offender may regain their driving privileges if they have the device installed in all of their cars.

A common misconception about ignition interlock devices is that they completely lock down a car. Instead, they work by making the car flash lights and sound an alarm until the ignition is shut off. The device prompts the driver to pass breath tests while driving as well as before starting their vehicle.

Interestingly, a report on the effectiveness of the device in the state of California found that drivers with the devices actually were more likely to be involved in crashes than drivers without them.

Before tougher laws, 12-step programs and pharmaceuticals, Canadian scientists experimented with the hallucinogenic drug LSD to combat alcoholism. Even more surprising is the success rate recorded in 1962, which said that one dose kept 65 percent of patients off alcohol for at least a year-and-a-half.

“The LSD somehow gave these people experiences that psychologically took them outside of themselves and allowed them to see their own unhealthy behavior more objectively, and then determine to change it,” said Erika Dyck, a professor of medical history at the University of Alberta.

The University Leader