Alcohol, Tobacco & Substance Abuse Short & Long-Term Effects

Alcohol: Short-term effects Depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the person’s gender and size, and whether or not there is food in the person’s stomach. Brain – slows the work of the CNS, dulls memory and concentration, affects decision- making and disorganizes thought processes. Liver – changes alcohol into water and carbon dioxide (called oxidation). A person becomes intoxicated when they drink faster than the liver can oxidize the alcohol. Blood Vessels – Dilate, or widen, resulting in increased blood flow, especially to the skin, leaving a warm and flush feeling. This feeling is artificial as the body loses heat by radiation, decreasing body temperature.

Short-term effects continued Heart – increases heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes Kidneys – alcohol acts on the pituitary gland causing the kidneys to produce more urine, causing dehydration Stomach – alcohol increases the flow of gastric juices in the stomach lining, causing irritation and internal bleeding if repeated

Long-term effects Brain Damage – even moderate drinking can destroy brain cells. There can be loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory and problem-solving, which interfere with everyday functioning. It may even lead to decrease in brain size. Chronic liver problems – alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to break down fats, causing the liver to function abnormally. Cirrhosis – Liver tissue is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. Alcoholic Hepatitis – inflammation or infection of the liver causing weakness, jaundice, fever, and death. Fatty Liver – an excessive accumulation of fat inside the liver cells; the most common alcohol-induced liver disorder.

Alcohol and Pregnancy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – a condition where the fetus has been affected mentally and physically by heavy alcohol use. Symptoms include: Low birth weight Impaired Speech Cleft palate General weakness Slow body growth Facial abnormalities Poor coordination Heart defects Poor attention span Nervousness Hyperactivity Mental retardation (leading cause of FAS in U.S.)

Driving Under the Influence Effects: Reduces ability to judge distances, speeds, and turns Reduces ability to accurately judge one’s capabilities and limitations Increases tendency to take risks Slows reflexes Remembering to use turn signals Reduces ability to concentrate Consequences: Death of driver and/or passengers Immediate confiscation of driver’s license Arrest, trip to jail, court appearance, fine Suspension of driver’s license Higher insurance rates Possible law suits Embarrassment

Tobacco Cigarette smoking affects many body systems, mainly the Circulatory and Respiratory systems.

Tobacco Effects on the Respiratory System: Chronic Bronchitis – tar from cigarette smoke builds up, causing chronic coughing and excessive mucus secretion Emphysema – involves the destruction of the tiny air sacs in the lungs (a person in advances stages can use up to 80% of their energy just to breathe, compared to just 5% normally These two diseases make up chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Lung Cancer – cilia are destroyed and excess mucus cannot be expelled; cancer cells form and spread. #1 cancer killer of males Directly linked to cigarette smoke

Tobacco continued Effects on the Circulatory System: Arteriosclerosis – hardening of the arteries caused by plaque build up (caused by nicotine) Increased risk of heart attack – three times greater for smokers than non-smokers High blood pressure – can lead to stroke Doctors estimate that if Americans stopped smoking, deaths from heart disease would be cut by 1/3, saving more than 30,000 lives/year

Tobacco continued Effects on the smokeless tobacco: Leukoplakia – white, leathery spots on the lips and inside of the mouth that can develop into cancer of the mouth Early loss of teeth Bad Breath Discolored teeth

Tobacco continued Effects on the smoke on the non-smoker: Eye irritation Headaches Coughing More frequent ear infections and asthma attacks Lung cancer – at least 3000 people die each year from lung cancer due to second-hand smoke.

Tobacco continued Effects of smoking during pregnancy: Small fetal growth Increased chance of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and prenatal death Increased stillbirths (birth of a dead fetus) Growth and development problems during early childhood Intellectual development Behavioral characteristics

Licit = Legal Illicit = Illegal Substance Abuse Drug – a chemical substance that when taken into the body alters the function of the body in some way.

Drug use, Misuse and Abuse Use – for a specific goal; to recover from an illness; taken to go to sleep; taken correctly Misuse – using prescription or over- the-counter (OTC) drugs inappropriately Abuse – using for non-medical purposes, when it results in physical, mental or social behavior

Tolerance, Dependence and Withdrawal Tolerance – needing to increase the dose to create the same effect Need to consume more alcohol to get drunk Dependence – taking a drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms (physical or psychological) Withdrawal – the body’s adverse physical or psychological reaction to the absence of the drug after building up tolerance

How drugs enter the body Oral – taken by mouth Ex: pills, alcohol, mushrooms Injection – injected directly into the bloodstream (intravenous), a muscle (intramuscular) or under skin (subcutaneous) Intravenous Ex: heroin, morphine Intramuscular Ex: steroids Subcutaneous Ex: TB shot Inhalation – breathing in toxic fumes Ex: huffing aerosols, smoking marijuana

Factors for Drug Abuse Predisposing Factors – increases the likelihood of beginning a particular behavior Ex: background, hereditary, economic status Enabling Factors – things that help facilitate the behavior Ex: drugs are present, cheap and accessible Reinforcing Factors – encourages repetition of the behavior Positive Ex: “you look good” after losing weight Negative Ex: quitting smoking and being around it Other Ex: pleasurable experience from the drug

Psychoactive Drugs Drugs that act on the CNS to affect mood and behavior Seven major categories: Stimulants – Caffeine Depressants – Alcohol Narcotics – Heroin, Cocaine Cannabis – Marijuana Hallucinogens – Mushrooms, LSD Designer (Club) Drugs – MDMA Inhalants - Nicotine