There have been no studies to date that have examined the relationship between fish oil and alcohol response in humans. The current study was designed to examine the relationship between fish oil and subjective alcohol effects in healthy social drinkers.~This project represents a first step in examining the potential use of fish oil for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The investigators will evaluate responses to alcohol through administration of a steady state blood alcohol level (BAL) with an IV infusion using a method that employs an infusion that is titrated to a breathalyzer reading and clamped at a steady state. This approach allows direct comparisons of the acute effects of a specific dose of ethanol between groups, without the confounding factors of variable alcohol absorption and peak BAL's. This approach will allow the examiners to carefully examine if fish oil changes the acute effects of alcohol on a number of outcome domains including subjective drug effects, cognitive performance, and cerebellar effects.~As this study is a pilot study, it is not clear whether fish oil will attenuate alcohol induced subjective stimulation or sedation. Since this is the first study to evaluate fish oil's effects on alcohol-effects in the laboratory, the investigators will be testing for attenuation of alcohol-induced sedative and stimulant effects, as well as cognitive effects and cerebellar effects.~In this study, fish oil will be administered at 3 grams/day for 30-40 days (3 capsules twice a day). The investigators will use 3 grams/day for two reasons: 1) it is within the range of doses safely used in humans (1g to 6g) as a treatment for various psychiatric conditions (depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder), and 2) is a dose that has shown efficacy in various clinical trials for psychiatric conditions.
This project represents a first step in examining the potential use of fish oil for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The investigators will be testing for attenuation of alcohol-induced sedative and stimulant effects, as well as cognitive effects and cerebellar effects in healthy social drinkers.