Alcohol and Teens: A Dangerous Combination

Alcohol and Teens: A Dangerous Combination
Name_____________ Alcohol and Teens: A Dangerous Combination

Alcohol and Tobacco Quiz
Answer the following questions, true or false: 1. More kids and teens have tried alcohol than have tried cigarettes. 2. Alcohol is more addictive than tobacco. 3. Alcohol and tobacco are drugs. 4. Health warnings must be featured on all alcoholic beverages. 5. In general, advertising has a greater impact on young people than on adults.

Answers…

True. Studies have consistently shown that more young people have tried alcohol than cigarettes.

2. False. Although alcohol can be addictive, tobacco (through nicotine) is considered to be a more addictive drug.

3. True. Both alcohol and nicotine are classified as drugs.

4. False. Health warnings must appear on tobacco products, but not on alcohol products.

5. True. Young people who lack the life experience and education to counter advertising messages and are more likely to be effected by advertising than adults.

BRAINSTORM: In pairs write down as many reasons why people might drink. After we are done, let’s write it on the board… 2 minutes

Reasons why people drink are..... Fitting in social groups
Part of American culture is to “celebrate” with alcohol (think NY Eve, winning a team championship… Social influence Reasons why people drink are..... Peer pressure Personal problems Fitting in social groups Trying to act grown up Job loss Stress relief Escapism

BRAINSTORM: What happens to people when they drink?
Activity 1: Working in pairs- write down as many things that can happen to a person when they drink alcohol For example, get into a fight, memory loss etc….

The effects of alcohol abuse…
Liver damage (Cirrhosis) Reddened skin Stomach ulcers Heart disease Depression Insomnia High blood pressure Memory loss Confusion Alcohol dependency Mouth, throat, breast cancer Lack of money Obesity Fight with friends/family Bad decision making

Discussions on Alcohol
When we have class discussions about alcohol, please refrain from telling personal stories or describing situations that involve consumption by teens or by family members.

Note: Any text written in YELLOW should be written in your notes
Note: Any text written in YELLOW should be written in your notes. This information will be on your exam.

Drinker Definitions Alcohol: A chemical found in beer, wine, whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages.

Drinker Definitions Alcoholic: A person who is addicted to alcohol.

Drinker Definitions Alcoholism: The disease an alcoholic suffers from.

How do you know if someone is an alcoholic?
Hard to diagnose clearly without professional help. This online tool could help someone self-assess their situation though:

Drinker Definitions Chronic drinking: Consuming several drinks every day or almost every day. As chronic implies, this is a long term and on-going issue. Drinking becomes a daily habit. Click on the Chronic Drinking in Your State link to display a graph of chronic drinking by age group from Choose the risk factor “chronic drinking” and your state. Clicking on the provided link will take you to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Trend Data Web site. Select “Alcohol Use: Chronic Drinking” from the “Negative Behavior/Circumstance” and select your state (or select “Nationwide”) and click go to see a graph of chronic drinking by age group in your state from This data tracks a wide range of age groups; however, students should be aware that age 18, the lowest in the survey, is an illegal age to drink alcohol in the United States. Graphic Reference: Microsoft Office Clipart [cited 23 June, 2005].

Drinker Definitions Cirrhosis: A liver disorder often caused by long-term alcohol abuse. (This is just the name for the last stage of liver disease)

How much do you know about liver disease?

Drinker Definitions Binge Drinking: Drinking a dangerous amount of alcohol in a short period of time.

Teen Statistics 65% of teen drinkers are binge drinkers.
From National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2012): 65% of teen drinkers are binge drinkers. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that in 2003 approximately 10.9 million underage youth, ages 12 to 20, reported they consumed alcohol in the month prior to the survey. Nearly 7.2 million underage youth also reported binge drinking, where binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks on a single occasion at least once in the past 30 days. Graphic Reference: Microsoft Office Clipart [cited 23 June, 2005].

Effects of Binge Drinking
Mental confusion Memory loss Coma Death from respiratory arrest When alcohol is consumed at a faster rate than the liver can absorb, it moves into areas of high water content in the body, for example, the brain. It can cause mental confusion and memory loss. Drinking causes some people to “not remember” their evening. In larger doses, alcohol can affect the medulla oblongata, which is responsible for basic survival functions, such as heart rate and breathing. Respiratory arrest occurs when a person stops breathing.

Binge Drinking clip from “Doctors” show

Some Short-term Effects of Drinking
Slower reflexes Blurry vision Nausea/Vomiting Risky Behavior Statistics show that there is alcohol consumption among teens; therefore, they should be familiar with what alcohol can do to the body and behavior. As you move through each of these effects, take time to solicit examples from the students. An example of slower reaction time/reflexes might involve a person that has been drinking trying to catch a ball. Hand-eye coordination might not be as quick for someone who has been drinking. So someone who has been drinking might not catch the ball when it is thrown to them as easily as they would otherwise. Since alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and intestinal lining, nausea and vomiting are common occurrences. There is a danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation if the person is unconscious. Lowered reasoning ability might involve someone taking risks that they normally would not take. For example, they may leave a party with a stranger. Graphic Reference: Cool Archive-Free Clipart, Fonts, Icons [online] [cited 4 July 2005] Available online at URL:

Worst Long-term Effects
Alcohol kills cells in the brain and the liver. These are both vital organs. Neither of these organs is able to regenerate cells.

Alcohol and The Brain Video Clip

NOTE: There are many long term effects of drinking
NOTE: There are many long term effects of drinking. The most dangerous effects are damage to liver and brain.

Studies on Teen Drinking
So drinking relates to various short term and long term effects on the body. It could also have a long term effect in the sense that it could affect your future by decreasing brain function during prime learning periods. A study was performed on teens and drinking. Susan Tapert illustrates that drinking might harm the ability of a teen’s brain to process information. This slide shows brain activity of a 15 year old with an alcohol problem versus the brain activity of a non-drinking 15 year old. The pink shows brain activity. It is clear that the teen who does not drink has much more activity. Study published and permission granted for use in this PowerPoint by Susan Brown. Brown SA, Tapert SF, Granholm E, Delis DC (2000). Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: effects of protracted alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 24 (2): [Cited 20 June 2005].

Studies on Teen Drinking
This is a continuation of the study on brain activity of teens drinking alcohol. Recall tests were done and the results were clear that alcohol does effect recall. School and life are based on recall. Study published and permission granted for use in this PowerPoint by Susan Brown. Brown SA, Tapert SF, Granholm E, Delis DC (2000). Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: effects of protracted alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 24 (2): [Cited 20 June 2005].

Young Drinkers Are At Risk
Teenagers who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become addicted to alcohol than those who don't drink until they're 21 or older.

The most powerful facts…
Alcohol often plays a role in the four leading causes of death among year olds.

The most powerful facts…
The leading causes of death in year olds. car crashes accidents murders suicide How could alcohol play a role in a cause of death for all four of these categories

Underage drinkers make lots of money for the alcohol industry!
They consume 19.7 per cent of the alcohol sold in the United States.2 (Favorite choice? Beer.)

Alcohol Advertisers Target Teens and Lie To Teens!

Alcohol Advertisers Target Teens!

Alcohol companies spend billions of dollars each year placing ads in magazines, radio programs and television shows that have large youth audiences.

Most common advertising strategies
Using celebrities Capturing your imagination Using glamour and sex appeal Promoting friends, fun and excitement Making it seem like everyone's doing it Making it seem hip or cool Exaggerating the merits of the product Using humour Using ideal people/models

Ad #1 Which methods are being used here? Using celebrities
Capturing your imagination Using glamour and sex appeal Promoting friends, fun and excitement Making it seem like everyone's doing it Making it seem hip or cool Exaggerating the merits of the product Using humour Using ideal people/models Which methods are being used here?

The 7 Alcohol Myths That Alcohol Advertisers Want Teens To Believe

1. Drinking is a risk-free activity.
Ads that present drinking as a risk-free activity deliver messages that it is okay to drink large quantities of alcohol. What do you think advertisers mean when they say a drink is “less filling”?

Drinking in ads is portrayed as both natural and distinctive, taking place on yachts at sunset, not at kitchen tables in the morning. All signs of trouble and any hint of addiction are avoided at all costs. There is no unpleasant drunkenness, only high spirits.

2. You can’t have a fun life without drinking.
“Lead a more colorful life,” is what Macallen drinkers are promised when they drink Macallen Scotch. Messages such as this want us to believe that our real lives are dull and boring.

Do we need alcohol in order
to free ourselves and experience a richer, more interesting life?

An ad for beer says, “Block Party” – just open that bottle and your life will be fun.
Ads such as these are dangerous for people who are problem drinkers. Many alcohol dependent persons believe that alcohol is essential for life.

These ads are telling these people that they need alcohol to make life worthwhile and exciting.
List five things about life that can be worthwhile and exciting without alcohol or other drugs.

3. Problem-drinking behaviors are normal.
“The end of a perfect day,” is how a Royal Crown ad puts it. If you believe this ad’s message, then you believe that alcohol makes everything perfect – and that drinking is something you do every day.

Many alcohol advertisements actually promote problem-drinking behaviors. In the Royal Crown ad, symptoms of alcohol dependence, such as the need for a daily drink, are portrayed as normal and desirable.

4. Alcohol is a magic potion that can transform you into someone that is more fun or attractive.
Alcohol advertising often links alcohol with the attributes and qualities that problem drinking so often destroys. Happiness, wealth, success, maturity, athletic ability, and attractiveness are common themes in alcohol ads.

For example, alcohol is often linked with romance, but researchers have found that people with drinking problems are seven times more likely to be separated or divorced.

What are some of the problems that can be caused in relationships due to drinking problems?

Ads and products aimed at young people deserve special mention – especially when you consider the fact that many kids start drinking in junior high school. Cartoon and animal characters such as Spuds MacKenzie are not as innocent as they appear.

Can you think of three reasons that
using pets or cartoons in ads are not so innocent?

5. Sports and alcohol go together.
Drinking alcohol actually decreases athletic performance. But numerous ads, such as this one for Michelob Ultra Beer, imply that sports/training and alcohol go together.

Sometimes we get a “mixed message” from the sports world about alcohol. Can you think of an example?

Other types of ads that connect sports and drinking include sponsorship of sporting events and sports television or endorsements by sports stars. Not only do these ads make alcohol part of playing sports, they also feed the impression that booze is an essential part of watching sporting events.

6. If these products were truly dangerous, the media would tell us.
Most media are reluctant to bite the hand that feeds them (advertisers spend $2 billion annually on advertising and promotion).

Media coverage of the “war on drugs” seldom mentions the two major killers, alcohol and nicotine. From the coverage, one would assume that cocaine was the United States’ most dangerous drug.

However, while cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs are linked to about 20,000 deaths a year, alcohol contributes to at least 100,000 and cigarettes more than 390,000 deaths a year in that country.

Although many media feature occasional stories about alcohol problems, they usually treat these as personal problems and focus on individual treatment solutions. Reports that probe alcohol’s role in violence and other chronic problems are rare, and the role advertising plays in encouraging alcohol use is almost never discussed.

7. Alcoholic beverage companies promote moderation in drinking.
Many consumer awareness campaigns downplay the very real problems associated with alcohol abuse.

For example, an ad from Budweiser displays a “True or False” quiz, with “The majority of college students drink 2 or fewer drinks a week” as one of the statements. They list this statement as True, but that contradicts research findings concluding that binge drinking on college and university campuses has reached “epidemic” proportions. This blatantly misleading ad has been removed and is hard to find anywhere today.

Most alcohol companies have ads that are designed to encourage young people not to drive drunk. They do not, however, question drinking to excess. As long as you’re not the one behind the wheel of a car, it’s okay to get drunk.

BAC: What’s It All About?
How much alcohol is in a “drink”? Now that we know the effects of alcohol on our brain and body, how is alcohol measured in the body? Blood alcohol level or concentration is associated with the rate at which alcohol is metabolized by the liver. The higher the alcohol level in the blood, the more intoxicated a person will be. As the liver removes the alcohol from the blood and processes it, the blood alcohol level will drop. Here are some factors that effect BAL: Weight: The larger a person, the lower the blood alcohol level will be for a given amount of alcohol consumed. Amount of food and water in the stomach: Food will slow the absorption of the alcohol into the blood stream, resulting in a lower blood alcohol level. Carbonated alcoholic beverages: Carbonation speeds up the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream. Gender: Females tend to be smaller than males and also have a higher fat concentration in body tissues. More fat means less water. Alcohol is soluble in water, so in males the alcohol is more evenly distributed throughout the body creating a lower blood alcohol level. A woman will have a higher blood alcohol level after consuming the same amount of alcohol. Graphic Reference: Cool Archive-Free Clipart, Fonts, Icons [online] [cited 4 July 2005] Available online at URL:

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION depends on: Weight Gender
How much you drank. How do you know how much you drank? We have to define “one drink” Now that we know the effects of alcohol on our brain and body, how is alcohol measured in the body? Blood alcohol level or concentration is associated with the rate at which alcohol is metabolized by the liver. The higher the alcohol level in the blood, the more intoxicated a person will be. As the liver removes the alcohol from the blood and processes it, the blood alcohol level will drop. Here are some factors that effect BAL: Weight: The larger a person, the lower the blood alcohol level will be for a given amount of alcohol consumed. Amount of food and water in the stomach: Food will slow the absorption of the alcohol into the blood stream, resulting in a lower blood alcohol level. Carbonated alcoholic beverages: Carbonation speeds up the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream. Gender: Females tend to be smaller than males and also have a higher fat concentration in body tissues. More fat means less water. Alcohol is soluble in water, so in males the alcohol is more evenly distributed throughout the body creating a lower blood alcohol level. A woman will have a higher blood alcohol level after consuming the same amount of alcohol. Graphic Reference: Cool Archive-Free Clipart, Fonts, Icons [online] [cited 4 July 2005] Available online at URL:

“One Drink” “One Drink” All have same amount of alcohol.

“One Drink” Does that mean that they are all the same because they are equal? Why or why not?

Blood Alcohol Levels How will someone feel at different BAC levels?
At blood alcohol levels of 0.03 to 0.12, the drinker is in a state of euphoria. This is the beginning stage where self confidence increases, and the drinker feels good about him/herself. The drinker could also exhibit a short attention span, poor judgment, and have trouble with his/her fine motor skills. (8) All of these effects were discussed in the short term effects earlier in the slide show.

(Euphoria and excitement)
BAL = 0.03 to 0.07 (Euphoria and excitement) Self-confident/daring Short attention span Poor judgment Fine motor skills impaired At blood alcohol levels of 0.03 to 0.12, the drinker is in a state of euphoria. This is the beginning stage where self confidence increases, and the drinker feels good about him/herself. The drinker could also exhibit a short attention span, poor judgment, and have trouble with his/her fine motor skills. (8) All of these effects were discussed in the short term effects earlier in the slide show.

(Legally drunk and losing control)
BAL = (Legally drunk and losing control) Sleepy Memory loss Reaction time decreased Uncoordinated/loss of balance Blurry vision and impaired senses At the upper edge of euphoria, around 0.09, the drinker heads into a stage known as excitement. The stage name does not support the characteristics since the drinker becomes sleepy and slow. Reaction time is decreased, which could make driving or operating machinery a hazard. The drinker looses coordination and may become unbalanced. He/she may also experience blurry vision and impaired senses, becoming numb around the face area.(8)

(Confusion and Misery)
BAL = 0.18 to 0.24 (Confusion and Misery) Confused/dizzy Highly emotional Cannot see/slurred speech Uncoordinated/sleepy May not feel pain as easily At the upper edge of excitement, at around 0.18, the drinker may become confused and highly emotional. Slurred speech is a common characteristic at this level. They continue to be sleepy and uncoordinated and might not feel pain as easily.

BAL = 0.25 to 0.40 (Stupor) Can barely move at all
Cannot respond to stimuli Cannot stand or walk Vomiting Lapse in and out of consciousness Moving up the blood alcohol ladder leads to stupor. At this point, the drinker basically cannot perform normally and could become ill and even pass out.(8)

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)
BAL = 0.35 to 0.50 (Coma) Unconscious Reflexes depressed Decreased body temperature Decreased breathing rate Decreased heart rate Could die The last level is known as alcohol poisoning and could lead to death. The alcohol affects the brain stem, as well as other basic body functions. Breathing, heart rate, and body temperature might not be regulated, which could lead to a coma.(8)

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)
BAL = Greater than 0.50 (Death) Breathing stops That says it all! At blood alcohol levels greater than 0.50, death occurs.(8) Since most students associate blood alcohol levels with drinking and driving, this is a good time to introduce some blood alcohol limits regulated by law.

Driving Limits(6) The legal limit is .08
The legal limit for teens is .01! Teens cannot legally drink at all according to the law. One area regulated by law is the blood alcohol driving limit. Currently, half of the states in the US have 0.08 BAL and the other half have 0.10 BAL. This level of intoxication relates to the blood alcohol level of the driver.(6) If the driver’s blood alcohol level tests at 0.08 in some states, then the driver is considered legally intoxicated and can be cited with a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). In other states, blood alcohol levels of 0.10 define whether the driver is legally intoxicated or not. Graphic Reference: Microsoft Office Clipart [cited 23 June, 2005].

BAC App Video

Taking an Advertisement and turning it into a “Bad”vertisement.

Badvertisement: Taking an existing ad and adding or changing the words/images to discourage someone from using the product.

Example: This is an advertisement.

This is a “bad”vertisement.

Instructions Make a group of 2-3.
Choose an advertisement to work with. Brainstorm together. (2-3 ideas) Choose an idea. Make a draft on paper/plan your idea in detail. Create a final copy. Hand it in!

Alcohol and Teens: A Dangerous Combination

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