A child’s perception of the smell of alcohol is associated with what motivates his mother to drink.

This is what researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center discovered when they conducted a study on children of alcoholic mothers. The subjects were asked to choose between the smell of beer and another unpleasant smell. Those whose mothers were classified as escape drinkers – that is, those drinkers who use alcohol to escape their realities – are more apt to choose the unpleasant aroma over that of beer. These children perceive the odor as better than that of beer.

According to Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist and head of the research team at Monell, “Children’s responses to odors provide us with a window into their emotions.”

The study consisted of 145 subjects aged five to eight years. The children were subjected to seven different odors. One of these was beer and the rest were bubblegum, chocolate, cola, coffee, green tea, pyridine (the smell of rotten eggs) and cigarette smoke. The odors were presented in pairs and the kids were asked which they liked better between the pair.

The researchers believed that information from what we smell is directly transmitted to specific parts of the brain that are associated with emotions and memory. In essence, how the children responded to each odor offered them a sneak peak into their emotions.

Before the experiment, the mothers of these children were told to answer a questionnaire that will classify them into two groups: the escape drinkers and the non-escape drinkers. The classification was based on the mother’s reasons for taking alcohol and they include to relax, to feel better after going through a bad mood and to forget everything among others. Children of escape drinkers are more often subjected to the smell of alcohol so they have developed a dislike for the odor. They find even pyridine and smoke more pleasant than the smell of beer. This is probably because children are normally perceptive and so they can quickly connect their parents’ drinking habits with what their mothers or fathers are feeling at that time.

“Even before their first taste, children are learning about alcohol and about why their parents drink. They do this by seeing people drink and hearing them talk about it,” Mennella says. This study is a step towards determining their perception of alcohol and how this can affect their behavior towards it when they grow older. It would be interesting to find out whether being subjected to the smell of alcohol regularly will make them turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism or associate the habit to a negative context.

Obama and McCain will undoubtedly face topics that have been prevalent in the society, or that are currently oppressing the country. This range of topics will include the current economy, the war in the Middle East, taxes and more. The nominee’s potential efforts to address drug and alcohol addiction are also important issues that will surely have a heavy hand in the election.

A shadowed past

Once the nominees’ anti-addiction efforts come into the limelight, it is without a doubt that their own pasts will be following suit. Interestingly enough, both candidates have had first-hand experiences with drugs and alcohol. For instance, both men used to be smokers. McCain was also a former heavy drinker; his father was also an alcoholic while his wife Cindy suffered from a prescription drug addiction at some point. Obama, on the other hand, admitted that he had used marijuana and cocaine in his younger years.

The need for change

They say that 2009 is the year when healthcare will be reformed. Experts say that this reform should include efforts toward treating addiction in the country. Substance abuse is a problem that has long been prevalent in the United States. It is the root of major problems that are present in society today, such as drunk driving resulting to vehicular accidents, violence, rape, burglary and even murder. What is even more disturbing is the fact that these chemicals (alcohol, drugs, etc) are falling to the hands of youths. In fact, an annual $68 billion are spent to address underage drinking in the country. It was also found that 40% of those who drank alcohol under the age of 13 developed alcoholism as an adult.

These disturbing statistics goes to show that preventing addiction is just as important as treatment. Regardless of who wins the presidency, it is imperative that more endeavors towards addiction treatment be made. For more information on chemical dependency and rehabilitation, use the materials we have in this website.