What Alcohol Does To Your Body Alcohol is a depressant drug found in beer, wine, malt beverages, and liquor. As a depressant, alcohol causes body reactions to slow down. Alcohol also impairs judgment, and makes a person lose their inhibitions.

Why Do Kids Drink? To try to “fit in” with others They want to seem more grown up They want to try to escape from their problems They see older family members drinking (setting a bad example)

Alcohol’s Harmful Effects on the Body 1.The Brain- Alcohol slows down the way the brain works so the person has trouble thinking. However, when asked, people under the influence regularly say that they are in “complete control” of themselves. Still, they often say and do things that they would normally had they not been drinking. Alcohol slows reaction time, dulls the senses, and makes anyone who has been drinking a dangerous driver!

Alcohol’s Harmful Effects on the Body (cont.) 2. Blood vessels- Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate (get wider), so more blood circulates through them. This makes the drinker feel warmer. However, as more blood flows closer to the skin, the body loses heat. Body temperature drops. In cold weather situations, people that have been drinking have received frostbite by staying outside too long.

Alcohol’s Harmful Effects on the Body (cont.) 3. Liver- When blood passes through the liver, the liver slowly changes alcohol into water and carbon dioxide. The liver can remove about one ounce of alcohol per hour. When people binge drink, the liver cannot remove alcohol from the body quickly enough, and the person may die from alcohol poisoning. Heavy drinking over a prolonged period of time leads to cirrhosis (scarring & destruction) of the liver. Cirrhosis can lead to death.

Alcohol’s Harmful Effects on the Body (cont.) 4. The Stomach- Heavy drinking can damage the lining of the stomach and cause open sores.

Factors That Influence Alcohol’s Effects How fast a person drinks How much they drink How much they weigh How much they have eaten How they feel The use of other drugs

Blood Alcohol Level (“BAL”) Blood alcohol level is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. How quickly BAL rises depends on the factors listed on the previous slide. In Florida, the BAL for adults to be considered “impaired” is.08. However, for anyone under 21 years of age, the BAL is only.02! That’s just a few sips of a glass of beer or wine…

What Is A Hangover? A hangover is the sickness you feel after being drunk. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms which may include: headache, stomach ache, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, anxiety, irritability, tiredness, dehydration, trouble concentrating, sensitivity to light and noise, and difficulty sleeping. Once you’ve had one, you’ll never want another!