Alcohol Chapter 21

What is Alcohol?  A psychoactive drug  A depressant  A gateway drug  Alcoholic beverages are drinks containing ethanol. drinksethanoldrinksethanol  Alcoholic beverages have been widely used by many civilizations around the world, as a component of their diet, for hygienic reasons, relaxing effects, and for recreational purposes. Some have been invested with symbolic or religious significance, e.g. in Christian Eucharist and Jewish Passover. recreational purposesChristianEucharistJewishPassover recreational purposesChristianEucharistJewishPassover

ALCOHOL CONTENT  BEER – 3-5% ALCOHOL  WINE – 9 – 14% ALCOHOL  WINE COOLERS – 4-6% ALCOHOL  DISTILLED SPIRITS – % ALCOHOL

One 12 oz. beer one 1.5 oz shot one 5 oz. glass of wine

Why People Start Drinking Alcohol  Social pressures  Stress  Advertising  A way to rebel

NUTRITIONAL VALUE  No nutrients  Interferes with the body’s ability to absorb key vitamins and nutrients.  High in calories.

Types of Drinking Behaviors  Social Drinking  Moderate Drinking  Heavy Drinking

Social Drinking  Light drinking (half of adults who drink)  They drink only at social functions  For young people this can lead to regular use.

Moderate Drinking  Amount contained in 2 drinks  Use alcohol regularly but not in excess  May drink alone  Can stop drinking without difficulty  Consider alcohol part of their lives  Not linked to serious health problems

Heavy Drinking  Used as a social crutch  Used to cope with stress, worry and unhappiness  Find it difficult to limit their drinking  4 drinks per day on average  May experience blackouts  Feel discomfort when without alcohol

Binge Drinking  Defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., within a few hours) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.  Approximately one fifth (20.5 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participate in binge drinking at least once in the last 30 days  The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21.

Binge Drinking Con’t….  Studies show that more than 35 percent of adults with an alcohol problem developed symptoms—such as binge drinking—by age 19.  Long-term use risks liver damage, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and literal shrinkage of the brain.  Alcohol use is the second-leading cause of dementia; one simply ages quicker on alcohol

ALCOHOLISM  Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” is a disease.  Addicted to alcohol  A tendency to pass from generation to generation  Some believe it is a learned behavior

Alcoholism Symptoms  Alcoholism includes four symptoms:  Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.  Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion.  Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.  Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”

ALCOHOLS EFFECTS  Intoxication – Absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the small intestine and stomach  Brain – First - Depresses the areas that control attention, memory, and inhibitions. Second – Affects the areas that control speech, vision, and coordination. May feel nauseated and vomit. Third – Affects the area of the brain stem, which effects heartbeat and breathing.

ALCOHOLS EFFECTS  Reflexes – Slows down the response and reaction time.  Temperature Regulation – Makes blood vessels relax, causes more blood to flow to the skin area and a feeling of warmth. Release of body temperature by the skin, which lowers the internal temperature of the person.  Body Fluids – Prevents the release of hormones that control urine production, therefore, body fluids become depleted. Person becomes very thirsty.

Alcoholism Facts  Approximately 14 million Americans—7.4 percent of the population —meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism  More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism  Approximately one in four children younger than 18 years old in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family (Grant 2000).

Blood alcohol content (BAC)  The number of grams of alcohol per 100milileters of blood.  Factors that influence BAC: -The drinker – heavy vs light, emotions, state of health, tolerance. -The rate of intake – water and food slows down the rate, carbonated water speeds up the intake -The rate of elimination – 3 hours to break down one ounce of alcohol by the liver, faster the intake the faster the intoxication.

ALCOHOLS LONG TERM EFFECTS  10 – 12 years shorter life span  Causes the brain to shrink, memory and intelligence damaged  May be linked to depression and suicide.  Affects the liver ability to break down fats, so they collect in the liver.  Destroys liver cells.  Liver cancer  Damage tissues of the mouth and throat  Irritates the stomach and intestine lining leading to ulcers and indigestion.  Weakens the heart muscle causing scar tissue to build up.

DAMAGE DURING PREGNANCY  Disrupts development of brain and other organs  Mental and physical defects called fetal alcohol syndrome  Risk of miscarriage and stillbirth

DAMAGE DURING PREGNANCY CON’T  Delayed development and evidence of mild to moderate mental retardation (IQ range from 50 to 85 with reported average in the mid 60s)  Facial abnormalities, skeletal (limb) abnormalities, tremor (in the newborn infant), agitation and crying (in the newborn infant) skeletal (limb) abnormalitiestremoragitationskeletal (limb) abnormalitiestremoragitation

Drinking and Driving  Ohio drunk driving cases are referred to as Ohio OVI (operating a vehicle while intoxicated), Ohio DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol), or Ohio OMVI (operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, impaired, or intoxicated). All of these acronyms relate to the same offense, found in the Ohio Revised Code.  Ohio drunk driving law also makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a specific level of alcohol in your system:.08% as determined by blood, breath, or urine testing. blood, breath, or urine testingblood, breath, or urine testing

My friend thinks I have a drinking and drug problem. What should I do?  Substance abuse (using alcohol or drugs regularly) is usually just a step away from addiction - where you depend on these substances just to feel good or get through your day. Here are a few of the early warning signs that a person may have a drug or drinking problem:  relying on drugs or alcohol to have fun, forget problems, or relax  having blackouts (when a person can't remember what happened when drunk or high)  drinking or using drugs by yourself  withdrawing or keeping secrets from friends or family  performing differently in school (such as grades dropping and frequent absences)  building an increased tolerance to alcohol or drugs - gradually needing more and more of the substance to get the same feeling

The warning signs that a person may have a drinking problem:  relying on drugs or alcohol to have fun, forget problems, or relax  having blackouts  drinking by yourself  withdrawing or keeping secrets from friends or family  performing differently in school (such as grades dropping and frequent absences)  building an increased tolerance to alcohol, gradually needing more and more of the substance to get the same feeling