Alcohol Part 2

Being Alcohol Free A commitment to staying alcohol free helps you: Maintain a healthy body Make responsible decisions Avoid risky behavior Avoid illegal activities

Refusing Alcohol Be Assertive!!! Refuse to drink Leave the situation quickly Get to a safe spot that does not involve alcohol Avoid environments where alchol will be Practice refusal skills

Refusal Skills Say no in a firm voice Explain why you are refusing Suggest alternatives to the proposed activity Back up your words with body language Leave if necessary

Short-term Effects of Drinking Effects are different for each individual Factors include: -Body size and gender -Food -Amount and rate of intake

Alcohol and Drug Interactions Having another drug in your body and adding alcohol to it can be very dangerous!! Multiplier Effect: the medication has a greater or even a different effect when mixed than when taken alone

Alcohol and Drug Interactions May slow down absorption increasing risk of harmful side effects Can cause medication to be broken down faster thus reducing effectiveness Alcohol can change the chemical makeup of the medication making it harmful to certain organs Can increase the effects of some medications (increased drowsiness/dizziness)

Driving Under the Influence DUI is the leading cause of death among teens A person is intoxicated when their Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) exceeds the state’s legal limit BAC- amount of alcohol in a person’s blood, expressed as a percentage

What’s Legal In NC the legal limit for drinking is a BAC of .08 However, you can begin to show signs of being intoxicated at a BAC as low as .02

Consequences of DUI Harm to the driver and others Severely restricted driving privelages and/or immediate confiscation of a driver’s license Alcohol-related injuries, property damage, and death Living with regret Loss of parental trust/respect Arrest jail time, court appearance, and a heavy bail/fine A police record and possible lawsuits Higher insurance rates

Binge Drinking Drinking five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting A rapid binge of drinking is especially dangerous

Alcohol Poisoning Severe and potentially fatal reaction to an alcoholic overdose Alcohol can shut down involuntary actions such as gag reflexes and breathing Likely to vomit and aspirate on that vomit

Effects of Alcohol Poisoning Mental confusion, stupor, coma, inability to be roused, vomiting, and seizures Slow respiration Irregular heartbeat Hypothermia or low body temperature  pale or bluish skin color Severe dehydration from vomiting

Activity If you don’t have a computer, work with someone who does Find an article (either a current scholarly article or a current newspaper article) about DUI, Binge Drinking, or Alcohol Poisoning involving teens Write a summary with an analysis (your reaction) that is at least 1 whole typed page Attach it to an email and send it to brobinson@vcs.k12.nc.us