Alcohol

What is Alcohol? Alcohol is a depressant and a drug. Depressants slow the body’s nervous system, brain and body’s reaction time

Effects on the body When someone drinks faster then the body can break down the alcohol a person becomes intoxicated. As intoxication builds the person begins to lose self- control and motor skills. A person may black out. Blacking out is a period that the drinker may not recall

Blood Alcohol Content 2 different people can drink the same amount and have different effects. Why? A person is effected by their blood alcohol content or BAC. Ex. BAC of.1 means 10% of that persons blood is alcohol.

Drink Equivalences

Factors affecting BAC Rate of consumption Gender- Males metabolize more alcohol in the stomach then females and also their liver metabolizes alcohol more efficiently. Body Size Amount of food in the stomach

After drinking ends BAC slowly decreases as a person stops drinking. This is often referred to as “sobering up” Myths: Fresh air, cold showers, coffee, or exercise will help a person sober up faster. Fact: Only time will make a person sober.

Hangovers A hang over is the after effect of drinking. Symptoms include nausea, upset stomach, headache, and sensitivity to noise. Some drinkers get hangovers and some do not and it is not known exactly why.

Life-Threatening effects Motor vehicle crashes- Alcohol is involved in 40% of fatal crashes. Driving under the influence- a driver over the age of 21 with a BAC level over.08 is charged with driving while intoxicated or DWI. Zero tolerance laws- Under the age of 21 no alcohol is aloud to be in your system.

Overdose Called alcohol poisoning. Can cause the heart and breathing to stop. Binge drinking- The consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol in one sitting. Interactions with other drugs- Two or more drugs interact and produce a greater effect then the drug would produce alone.

Long Term Health Risks Brain Damage- Destroys nerve cells in the brain especially for underage drinkers. May suffer long- term learning and memory problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome- A group of birth defects that are associated with drinking while pregnant. Heart defects, malformed faces, delayed growth, poor motor development, and mental retardation. Also brain and behavior problems.

Liver Damage- Liver fills with fats from heavy drinking. This blocks the blood flow to the liver which causes its cells to die. This is called cirrhosis. Heart Disease- Increases blood pressure, irregular heart beat and fat deposits in the heart muscle. Digestive problems- Irritates the lining of the digestive system. Risks include: cancers of the mouth and tongue, esophagus and stomach. Recurring diarrhea, chronic indigestion, heart burn and ulcers.

Alcoholism With repeating use the boy builds up tolerance, then dependence, and finally addiction. Who is at risk????? Anyone! What makes one more at risk? If a persons parents are alcoholics, a person drinks underage before they are fully developed, external environment where alcohol is readily available.

Stages of Alcoholism Stage 1: Problem Drinking: When a social drinker begins to use alcohol as an escape or to deal with stress Stage 2: Absolute Dependence: When a drinker becomes dependent and they feel they need more then one drink. Stage 3: Late Stage of Alcoholism: Health risks become more prevalent. Mental emotional and physical health are compromised. Reverse tolerance: Less alcohol causes intoxication.

Effects on others Expensive to others. Costs the U.S between billion each year 150,000 deaths a year can be contributed to alcohol 1 in 8 people live in a home with an alcoholic which causes stress in the home. Alcoholic may be physically or verbally abusive to other members of the family.

Treating Alcoholism Acknowledging the problem: Often realized when shock of losing one’s job, being arrested, or being separated from their families. Detoxification: Removing the alcohol from one’s body. Patients go through withdrawal. Symptoms are shakiness, problems sleeping, irritability, rapid heart beat, and sweating. May see, hear or smell imaginary objects. Rehabilitation: Learning to cope with living every day without alcohol. May take medication and receive counseling