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SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Alcohol
A drug found in certain beverages that depresses the brain and nervous system
Beer: 2-6% alcWine: 8-20% alc
Liquor: 40-50% alc
Proof:
A measure of the amount of alcohol in a beverage.
Twice the percent of the alcohol in the beverage (20% = 40 proof)
I only had one drink…
What is a standard drink?
A standard drink is any drink that contains 14 grams of pure alcohol.
What does that look like?
Why is it important to know what a standard drink is?
The liver processes (breaks down) alcohol.
It can process 1 drink per hour without increasing your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).
If your ‘drink’ is actually 2 standard drinks, your BAC will start rising.
Quiz
1. Is alcohol considered a stimulant or depressant?
2. What type of drink has the highest alcohol content? (Beer, Wine, or Liquor)
3. If a drink is 80 proof, what is the alcohol content?
BAC or BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION:
• The amount of alcohol in a person’s blood stream
• Measured in a percentage… the higher the percentage the greater the effect of alcohol on the body.
• A beverage that contains ½ ounce of alcohol is considered one drink
1 can of beer4-5 oz of wine1.5 oz of liquor
• Drinking more than one of these causes the BAC to rise.
• 20% of the alcohol that is consumed is absorbed into the blood stream through the walls of the stomach.
• Alcohol affects every cell in the body
Liver –
• breaks down alcohol into waste.
• Can only handle 1 drink/hr
alcohol-induced liver disease
Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most serious type of alcohol-induced liver disease. Cirrhosis refers to the replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue.
Other complications:
• Bleeding from veins in the esophagus• Enlarged spleen• High blood pressure• Changes in mental function/coma• Kidney failure• Liver cancer
Alcohol is a TOXIN
• Toxin – a substance that is poisonous
• If too much is swallowed then the stomach will reject it
Myth or Fact
• Coffee, showers, and fresh air help you get rid of the alcohol in your body…
MYTH
there is no way to speed up the break down of alcohol.
Factors that affect BAC:• Percent body fat – body fat does not absorb as
much alcohol as lean tissue
• Amount of alcohol consumed
• Speed at which alcohol is consumed • Body weight – the same amount of alcohol
produces a greater effect on people who weigh less (more weight = more blood volume)
* The effects of alcohol on people intensify as the BAC rises
continued…
• Presence of other drugs in the blood stream
• Age
• Carbonation – passes into the blood stream more quickly (beer, sparkling wine, champagne, mixed drinks)
continued:
• Gender – BAC rises faster in females than in males (body fat, hormones, stomach enzymes)
• Feelings – Stress, anger, and fear can speed up the rate of alcohol absorption into the blood stream
• Amount of food eaten – passes more quickly into the blood stream on an empty stomach
Effects on the BODY:• Nervous System: destroy nerve cell and cause
blackouts and seizures• Digestive System: develop cancer of the mouth,
esophagus, and stomach; liver disease• Immune System: Depresses the immune system• Cardiovascular System: increased risk for high blood
pressure, stroke• Skeletal System: Osteoporosis (alcohol causes body to
lose calcium)• Excretory System: kidney failure
Effects on THINKING and DECISION MAKING:
• Wrong Decisions• False Sense of Self-Confidence• Impaired Judgment• Feelings of Invincibility • Giving in to Negative Peer Pressure• Intensified Sexual Feelings and Impaired
Reasoning – more than ½ of teen females who became pregnant report that they were drinking before they had sex. Also increases the likelihood of and STI
continued…• Impaired Reaction Time and Coordination• Aggressive Behavior• Intensified Emotions – mood swings• Hangovers – an aftereffect of using alcohol
and other drugs. It may involve a headache, increased sensitivity to sounds, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and irritability.
• Blackouts – loss of memory for what happened during a period of time.
Binge Drinking:What Is Binge Drinking?
• The heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.
• the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men or four or more drinks in a row by women — at least once in the previous 2 weeks.
Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks.
Why Do People Binge Drink?
Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun. It's easy for a student to get caught up in
a social scene with lots of peer pressure. Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer
pressure is drinking.
Other reasons why people drink include:
• They're curious — they want to know what it's like to drink alcohol.
• They believe that it will make them feel good, not realizing it could just as easily make them sick and hung-over.
• They may look at alcohol as a way to reduce stress, even though it can end up creating more stress.
• They want to feel older.
• Excessive drinking can lead to:– difficulty concentrating– memory lapses – mood changes– and other problems that affect your day-to-day life.
But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well…
What Are the Risks of Binge Drinking?
Alcohol Poisoning• Alcohol poisoning is the most life-threatening
consequence of binge drinking.
• When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body's involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex.
• If the gag reflex isn't working properly, a person can choke to death on his or her vomit.
Signs someone may have alcohol poisoning:
• extreme confusion • inability to be awakened • vomiting • seizures • slow or irregular breathing • low body temperature • bluish or pale skin
1) What does BAC stand for?2) Cirrhosis is a disease of the _________.3) Alcohol is a _________ which means it is a poison.4) The liver can only break down ____ drink(s) per
hour.5) When a person consumes too much alcohol in a
short amount of time it can cause __________ ___________, which can lead to death.
6) _____________ is the measure of alcohol, it is 2x the percent of alcohol.
7) The consumption of 5 or more (men) or 4 or more (women) drinks in a short amount of time is called _____________ drinking.
