What do you know about alcohol Alcohol notes

What do you know about alcohol?

Alcohol notes Essential question: How does alcohol affect the human body, friends/family, and society as a whole?

• Guess… Which drink below has the most amount of alcohol?

Alcohol IS A DRUG: • Alcohol is the drug in beer, wine, and liquor (causes intoxication) • It is categorized as a depressant • 1 drink = 1 oz. Hard alcohol, 5 oz. Glass of wine, 12 oz. Beer • Legal drinking age is 21

Short-term Effects of Alcohol: • Irritates the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach (digestive track) • • Heart works harder Lose body heat Liver works harder Dehydration

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) • Amount of alcohol in a person’s blood • Legal limit for Driving Under the Influence 21+ is 0. 08% • Legal limit for Driving Under the Influence minor is 0. 00%

Binge Drinking: • Binge drinking = drinking 4/5 (female/male) or more drinks in one hour • Alcohol poisoning = alcohol overdose – Extreme vomiting, loss of consciousness & slowed breathing

Long-term Effects of Alcohol • Brain: Shrunken brain, dead brain cells • Mouth, esophagus, and stomach: – Irritation, bleeding, cancer • Heart: Irregular beat or enlarged, high blood pressure • Immune System: – Poor functioning hard to fight disease • Liver: (Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, Liver Cancer) – Cirrhosis = a disease that replaces healthy liver tissue with scar tissue • Small Intestine: – Lowered ability to absorb vitamins • Kidneys: (strain can’t filter blood to remove toxins)

Alcohol Abuse vs. Alcoholism? • Alcohol abuse – drinking too much alcohol, too often, or at inappropriate times • Alcoholism – disease that causes a person to lose control of his or her drinking behavior

Pathway of Addiction: • Use the drug (alcohol) • Tolerance – need more to feel “feeling” • Dependence – physically and/or psychologically “need” the drug • Addiction ( Alcoholism)

Risk factors for Alcoholism • • Age Social environment Genetics Risk-taking personality

Warning Signs for Alcoholism • Drinking to deal with emotions • Being defensive about drinking • Drinking alone • Drinking to get drunk • Experiencing memory lapses as a result of drinking alcohol

Alcoholism Affects the Family • • • Guilty feelings Unpredictable behavior Violence Neglect and isolation Protecting the alcoholic – Enabling = helping an addict avoid the negative consequences of his/her behavior • Ignoring one’s own needs – Codependency = person who sacrifices their own needs to meet the needs of the addict

Alcohol and Pregnancy • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) = physical and mental defects of a fetus, due to a mother’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy • Physical deformities, mental retardation, some babies are cared forever • #1 preventable cause of mental retardation

Alcoholism Affects Society • Leads to car wrecks, drowning – kills/injures drinkers and non-drinkers • Murder, violence, child abuse, rape & assault

Treatment: • Inpatient care centers • Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) • Al-Anon & Alateen

Drinking & Driving • Slows reaction time, affects vision, feel drowsy, reduces coordination, affects judgment • DUI • Zero Tolerance Law under age 21

SOCIAL HOST ORDINACE: • If a minor consumes alcohol or drugs (with or without your parents knowledge or permission) and is injured or injures someone else, either while on your parents property or after leaving, parents are fined and/or face a minimum of 6 months to 1 year in jail

REFUSING Alcohol • Best way: stay away from people and places where drugs are used • Practice saying NO: – Give reasons why not to drink – State consequences – Say NO firmly – Blame someone else – Suggest another activity – Walk away

Pros…

Cons…

Detromethorpham (DXM) • Over-the-counter (OTC) drug – Ingredient in cough medicine that helps decrease coughing – Appropriate dose: decreases cough – Excessive doses: hallucinations, feels spacey & may lose muscle control • Mixed with alcohol dangerous to the liver and can be deadly