1. Alcohol and Your Body

2. Types of Alcoholic Beverages
Most alcohol comes from fermented plants.
Beverage Alcohol is Ethanol
Wine = grapes and other fruits
Beer = grains like barley and wheat
Spirits and liquors (whiskey, vodka, etc)= plants that are fermented then processed even more.
Methanol- non consumable by humans
Will cause blindness and even death in even small amounts.
Used for various other purposes
Fuel, chemical additives.

3. Alcohol in Your Body
Alcohol is taken orally, and then goes to the stomach and small intestine where it is then absorbed into the bloodstream.
Alcohol has little nutritional value and acts as a poison and drug to the body.
The main drug effect is on the central nervous system.

4. Alcohol in Your Body
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM(CNS)- consists of the brain, and spinal cord.
Controls: speech, thinking, judgement, memory, and learning.
Controls: Emotions, breathing, senses, and movement.
Alcohol is a depressant of the CNS.
DEPRESSANT- a drug that slows body functioning.
Alcohol also affects your kidneys, liver and digestion.

5. Alcohol in Your Body At low levels (one drink) alcohol effects mood.
Some feel more relaxed, friendly, active and less shy.
One of the reasons some choose to drink.
Some have the attitude that if a little is good, more will be better.
Often has negative consequences

6. Alcohol and Your Brain
Alcohol affects the parts of the brain that control behavior.
The more alcohol in the body the more thinking, memory and judgement are impaired.
Reduced ability to determine safe vs unsafe.
With even more alcohol you lose control of speech, movement and coordination.
The CNS may become so depressed that is causes sleep/passing out, and in extreme cases coma and death by alcohol poisoning.

7. Alcohol in the Blood
BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC)- is the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream.
Often called blood alcohol level (BAL)
Measured in percentages.
Is the result of how much and how fast you drink alcohol.

8. Alcohol in the Blood
The liver changes alcohol in the blood stream into waste products (water and carbon dioxide).
The body gets rid of the waste products through breathing and urination.
The liver can only process alcohol so fast.
Usually at the rate of one drink per hour.
If alcohol is taken in faster than that it stays in the blood raising the BAC.
Food in the stomach may slow the absorption of alcohol in the blood but will not speed up the processing of alcohol by the liver.
Only time can lower your BAC

9. Individual Reactions to Alcohol
Each person will react differently to alcohol.
Factors affecting reactions to alcohol
How much and how fast a person drinks
Body weight
Food in the stomach
Genetic vulnerability
Alcohol tolerance
Gender
Physical health/condition
Medications
Mental attitude

10. ONE DRINK in an HOUR BAC .02-.04
Physical Effects
Mental Effects
Mild relaxation
Reaction time slowed
Acting silly
Telling people things you may not normally tell

11. TWO DRINKS in an HOUR BAC .03-.06
Physical Effects
Mental Effects
Slight to minor impairment of
Memory
Balance
Speech vision
Reaction time
Hearing
Reduction in judgement and self control.
Belief you are functioning better than you really are

12. THREE DRINKS in an HOUR BAC .05-.14
Physical Effects
Mental Effects
Loss of physical control
Minor to significant impairment of
Coordination
Balance
Speech
Vision
Hearing
Moderate to severe impairment of judgement and perception
Feeling lightheaded