There’s a well-known stereotype that those of Irish descent can hold their alcohol better than others. St. Patrick’s Day, a traditional Irish holiday, has become more of a drinking holiday than anything else (and, as we all know, State Patty’s Day takes that to a whole new level). But does ethnicity actually determine how much a person can drink?
According to an article on ABC News, yes and no. They say that while some ethnicities (such as Asians) do actually have a genetic inability to metabolize alcohol. However, they say that Irish people do not necessarily have a higher ability, but rather a higher culture for drinking. So, the fact is that Irish people DO drink more, not necessarily that they can. Where does the Irish drinking culture come from? According to an article on Medical Daily, the major cause behind why the Irish drink so much is based on the alcohol consumption of their parents and older siblings. This still raises the question of where it started (somebody had to start drinking a lot in order for it to be passed down, right?). Since the Irish are famous for an abundance of potatoes (y’know, other than the whole Potato Famine thing….) and potatoes can be fermented to produce alcohol, this is a possible explanation as to why drinking became so popular; everyone had easy access! But, for now, this article simply states that the more your parents drink, the more you’re likely to drink.
On the other hand, Asians specifically have a genetic mutation that, as I mentioned, causes them to lack an important enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Consequently, this slows down the rate at which they metabolize alcohol, causing rosy cheeks and increased heart rate after consuming a small amount of alcohol. The whole process is explained here. Essentially, the enzyme that Asians lack is the enzyme changes alcohol into a substance that the liver can process. Those who lack the enzyme
get drunk more quickly.
get drunk more quickly.In short, Irish people don’t actually have a genetic tolerance for alcohol; they simply drink more because they want to and their culture has set high alcohol consumption levels as the “standard” of sorts, according to this article. These statements are based on observational study which looked at data involving multiple ethnicities and their drinking habits. I believe that experimental studies should be done on specific tolerance levels between cultures, possibly by studying the metabolism in different ethnicities or combinations of ethnicities and measuring their tolerance for alcohol. Each person in the trial should consume the same amount of alcohol after consuming the same amount/type of food. Then measure their intoxication or rate of metabolism. Their height, weight, age, and gender should also be taken into account, as those factors could also impact their ability to metabolize alcohol.
So, next St. (or State) Patty’s Day, watch your Irish friends vs. your English friends vs. your Asian friends. There just might be some science behind why one is falling down a lot more than the other.
I enjoyed reading this blog. It is weird to think that ethnicity has something to do with how much alcohol one will consume. I researched this topic to find out why heavy drinking is so popular in irish cultures. The only thing that I could find was that Irish people base what they consider the normal amount of alcohol to consumer off of their families. So if a parent or sibling drinks a lot, they find this to be the norm and do the same. It is in their culture to consume more alcohol that other people. Here is the article below.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/study-examines-why-heavy-drinking-so-popular-irish-culture-246961
I agree that there are differing cultural attitudes towards drinking (for example, Europeans drink with meals and the drinking age is lower, but in the US we tend to have a culture, especially us college students, that is one of binge drinking) but another factor that leads to more alcohol consumption is socioeconomic status. In this research study, it was found that groups like Native Americans, Hispanics, the socially isolated, and the poor are more likely than other categories of people measured to have an alcohol abuse problem (based off of deaths by cirrhosis). This study took data collected from other databases and simply compiled and analyzed them together as one. Some of the variables that were examined were ethnicity, sex, age, education, occupation, rural vs. urban, income levels, divorced vs. married, unemployment, and race.
This is an interesting topic. My dad’s parents were straight off the boat from Ireland while my mom’s side of the family has no trace of Irish in them so I have seen firsthand the contrast between the Irish culture and other cultures. In the past couple years however, I discovered that it is not just the Irish that live in a drinking culture. My boyfriend’s family is from Australia, and when his aunts, uncles, or grandparents visit America, it is a LOT of drinking. When they came to visit this summer, I realized that it is not only the Irish who should have this stereotype. Interestingly enough, they did not seem to see their drinking as anything other than completely normal. I began to wonder, does America also carry the drinking stereotype, especially in my generation? What do people in other countries think about drinking in America? This article provides a British perspective on the topic.
http://www.studlife.com/forum/staff-columnists/2012/10/08/a-british-perspective-on-american-drinking-culture/
Such an interesting article, I applaud you for researching that topic! My grandfather is full-blood irish and seems to enjoy the nature of drinking. I don’t think he’s ever at my house without plopping onto the sofa with his whiskey in hand. The procedure you analyzed highlighted very important aspects of how alcohol relates with different races, but I agree could be improved in your areas suggested. Scientists could also conduct a more observational study where they provide surveys on alcohol consumption to different races. Therefore they could reduce the risk of chance with biases. Your article made me question other aspects involved with drinking, for example what cities suffer most from drunk driving or alcoholism? This article below provides insight to this question. If interested, check it out!
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-36943049/top-cities-for-drunk-drivers/
My dad’s side of the family is Irish and they are constantly throwing around this idea! I never really thought to look into it too much, just assuming it was true. After studying abroad this summer and visiting different countries it is apparent that each country has different drinking habits. Compared to the United States, these other countries were all much more sensible about their alcohol intake. The AMA study you posted was not surprising to me at all. I think it’s sad how high our alcohol rates are in this country. I always wonder if our drinking age has anything to do with these high rates. Could it be possible that people are drinking more because they aren’t allowed legally? I did some research and found out some really surprising information. Alcohol is the third leading cause of death in the United States. I honestly never would have guessed that, it’s extremely sad as well. The article I read, although extremely long, gives many reasons as to why the drinking age should not be lowered. WE, college kids, are the main reason. We have the most alcohol related accidents. I wasn’t surprised by this at all, but it really made me think. I never really thought about it before but I honestly believe that there would be many more driving accidents if the drinking age were lower. Studies and experts have shown that 21 years old is the lowest the drinking age should be due to these other factors. I don’t see them changing the drinking age any time soon. This article is really worth reading and can answer a lot of questions related to the drinking age and alcohol in general.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866588/