Ch. 25

% of adult Americans choose not to drink alcohol at all.

True- If anything, this percentage might be low.

2. Drinking alcohol makes you sleep better (three to five or more drinks).

False- Alcohol in even moderate amounts reduces REM sleep. This is the part of your sleep where you dream and is important for quality sleep.

3. A person can be addicted to alcohol.

True- Alcohol causes both physical and psychological dependence.

4. Withdrawal from alcohol is painless and one should not be concerned about someone who is withdrawing from alcohol

False- Alcohol withdrawal can be life threatening.

5. About 30% of all alcoholics are female and that number is growing.

True- Changes in female roles in our country have given women more freedom and responsibilities. They earn more money and are less dependent than any time in our past. This also means more problems.

6. Blackouts are one of many early signs of alcoholism.

True-

7. A can of beer is less intoxicating than a shot of hard liquor.

False- They are equal.

8. You can tell a person is drunk by the way they walk and talk.

False- Not always, that is why an officer may ask for a breathalyzer, blood sample or urine sample.

9. A drunk person can sober up quickly by taking a cold shower.

False- The only thing that can sober up a person is time.

10. If you drink milk before consuming alcohol you won’t get drunk.

False- Milk will slow down the absorption of alcohol a little, but the alcohol will still be absorbed with little or no effect on intoxication level.

11. The number of female alcoholics is increasing rapidly.

True- Some day they may pass up males in this category. Alcohol affects females differently than males in many cases.

12. It is not possible for a 16 year old to be an alcoholic.

False- Alcohol effects a young person differently than an older person. In fact, a younger person will develop an addiction to alcohol sooner than an older person. Older, not elderly.

13. Alcohol is correctly classified as a drug.

DEPRESSANTTrue- Alcohol is a central nervous system DEPRESSANT.

14. After a cocktail or drink, a person is pepped up because alcohol in small amounts is a stimulant.

DEPRESSANTFalse- Alcohol is a DEPRESSANT in any amount. Alcohol cannot stimulate anything.

15. Alcohol causes death by over stimulating the nerve cells to exhaustion.

DEPRESSANT STIMULATEFalse- Alcohol is a DEPRESSANT and cannot STIMULATE anything.

16. Alcohol is absorbed into the system and digested in the same way that food is.

False- Alcohol is absorbed in the stomach (20%) and the first part of the small intestines (80%). Food is not absorbed until the middle and end of the small intestine.

17. Alcohol has no nutritional value.

True- Alcohol has no or very little proteins, vitamins and minerals.

18. Alcohol has caloric value and can be used like a foodstuff to produce energy in the body.

True- Alcohol has calories and is easy for the body to use as fuel or convert and store as fat. Calories equal the proof of the alcohol per ounce.

19. The “morning after” headache from alcohol can be avoided by eating high levels of carbohydrates the night before.

False- If you drink enough alcohol to get a headache, you will get the headache no matter what you do.

20. Drinking black coffee speeds the sobering process.

False- Time is the only thing that effects intoxication. The human body eliminates about one ounce of alcohol each hour. Males eliminate alcohol more efficiently than females.

21. One becomes intoxicated faster on rum or gin than on bourbon (proofs are equal).

False- If the proofs are equal, and the same amounts are taken into the body, the effect will be the same.

22. One cocktail or drink is not likely to greatly impair driving skills.

GREATLYTrue and False- One drink will usually not GREATLY effect but, one drink will effect driving skills.

23. Alcohol is an aphrodisiac.

False- Alcohol is not a sexual stimulant. It acts just the opposite. Alcohol decreases sexual pleasure and performance.

24. Blood alcohol level of.15% or above is considered legal intoxication in any state in the United States.

True- Most states have a BAC level of.08%. Some states.06%. It varies from state to state, but.15%BAC is legally drunk in any state.

Wisconsin’s legal limit went from.1% to.08% on September 30, 2003.

25. An obese 250 pound individual should be able to hold his liquor better than a muscular individual of the same weight.

False- If there is any difference, the muscular individual would “hold” his liquor better because he may have a larger blood volume.

26. At a cold football game it makes sense to drink alcohol because alcohol increases body temperature.

False- Alcohol will decrease body temperature by slowing the heart rate and dilating the blood vessels near the skins surface.

27. An unborn child is not affected by it’s mother’s consumption of alcohol.

False- FAS is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in the U.S.

28 Alcohol’s direct effect o the liver is the main cause of the high incidence of cirrhosis among alcoholics.

True Alcoholism accounts for 95% of all cirrhosis cases.

29. Social drinking is the first step toward alcoholism.

True- Usually social drinking leads to drinking to manage stress in an alcoholic.

30. There is no cure for alcoholism.

True- Alcoholism cannot be cured, it definitely can be treated. 2/3 of all alcoholics recover with proper treatment..

A person who consumes more than two drinks per day on average is considered what?

A heavy drinker

The End

This shows a 20-year old female nondrinkers response to the spatial working memory task. Brain activation is shown in bright colors.

This shows an alcohol-dependent 20- year old female's response to the spatial working memory task. Brain activation is shown in bright colors.

What evidence does the prosecutor need to prove that I refused to take the alcohol breath test exam? All the prosecutor has to show (by a preponderance of the evidence) is that you did not agree to take the test. If you remain silent or ask to talk to a lawyer, that would be considered a "refusal". You would be given a second chance to change your mind if you did that, but the offer to take the breatalyzer isn't held open very long. You should always immediately agree to take the test and give valid samples of your breath.

Every time you drink alcohol, you kill 10,000 brain cells. FALSE: Not exactly. It is unlikely that a single drink will kill brain cells. However, long-term, chronic drinking can cause permanent memory loss and brain damage.

Not Drinking It can be tough to socialize with people when they're getting wasted and you're not. Sometimes, you may have to go home early to get away from heavily drinking partygoers, or stay away from the bash altogether. But if you are in the mood to hang out, here's what to do so you don't feel pressured to get plastered. Obviously, the simplest thing to do is to tell anyone who cares to ask that you aren't drinking. However, if you can't handle that, be as creative as you want to be with excuses. Here are some alternatives: "No thanks. The last time I did shots I puked up colors you've never even seen before." "I'd love to, but I have a bet with someone to see how long I can go without drinking." "I don't drink." "You should have seen me last night, man. Then you would know why I'm not drinking." "I'm taking the night off." "Beer has too may calories." "I really can't. I have a huge test tomorrow."