Human Health
Alcohol and Reaction Time
Alcohol
Learning Intentions:
 What are the short term effects of alcohol?
 What are the long term effects of alcohol?
 Name a low and high tech method of
measuring alcohol content of the body.
 What effect does alcohol have on your
reaction time?
 What effect does alcohol have on an unborn
child?
Alcohol – General facts
Alcohol is a drug
 Alcohol enters the blood stream and alters
how your body works
 Alcohol has a direct influence on the
function of your brain and how it responds
to different stimuli
 Alcohol has varying effects depending on
how much you consume

Alcohol - General facts cont’d

Alcohol usually makes you feel
- relaxed
- uninhibited (you are more likely to
do something you would never
normally do when under the
influence of alcohol)
Alcohol
Alcohol is broken down by
- the liver
 Alcohol is broken down at the rate of
- 1 unit per hour after alcohol
consumption has stopped
 Acceptable units of alcohol per week
- Female
14units
- Male
21 units
(these figures have been altered since this
course was written)

How to work out the units of alcohol

Work out your alcohol units for yourself with
this handy sum:

No. of = Strength (%) x volume (ml)
units
1000

E.g.
Pint of Stella
5.2 (%) x 568 (ml) ÷ 1000
= 2.95 units
Measuring alcohol level of body


Low tech method
breathalyser


High tech method
Digital alcometer
Short term effects of alcohol

Longer/slower reaction
time
- you will take
longer to brake in a
car therefore are
more likely to have an
accident

Scottish Drink
Driving ad YouTube
Short term effects of alcohol

Poorer muscle control
and co-ordination
- more likely to fall
and hurt yourself
and need medical
attention wasting
NHS resources
Short term effects of alcohol

Poor judgement
- more likely to take
something someone
says the wrong way
and end up in a fight
Long term effects of alcohol

If consumed to
excess on a regular
basis or as part of
binge drinking at the
weekend alcohol will
eventually cause
permanent damage
to the:
- brain
- liver
Stacy died
aged 24 from
alcoholic liver
disease
Teen drinkers and the liver
YouTube - Binge drinking dangers Embarrassing Teen Bodies
 YouTube - Alcohol tests the morning after
- Embarrassing Teen Bodies
 YouTube - Liver testing teens 1 Embarrassing Teen Bodies
 YouTube - Liver testing teens 2 Embarrassing Teen Bodies

Reaction time
Reaction time is time
taken to respond to a
stimulus.
Measured using:
 Calibrated ruler (low
tech)
 Electronic timer (high
tech)
Affected by:
 Drugs
 Excitement
 alcohol
Used as an indicator of
health. Slower reaction
times caused by:
 Diabetes
 Nerve disorder
 Brain disorder
 Arterial disease

Alcohol and reaction time

Under the influence of alcohol you have
slower reaction times

You break down alcohol at 1 unit per hour
after you stop drinking

Think about the scenario on the next slide
Scenario

You binged on alcohol at the weekend and
consumed 12 units before you stopped
drinking at 2am.

Would you be safe (i.e. have your reaction
times recovered enough) to drive to work at
8am the same morning?

1 in 4 accidents are caused by drink driving
Alcohol and pregnancy

If a mother consumes alcohol during
pregnancy the baby also consumes the
alcohol – it passes across the placenta
from mothers blood to baby’s blood

Alcoholic expectant mothers can have a
baby who has foetal alcohol syndrome –
low birth weight, developmental problems
and low IQ
Quiz





What are the short term effects of alcohol?
What are the long term effects of alcohol?
Name a low and high tech method of
measuring alcohol content of the body.
What effect does alcohol have on your
reaction time?
What effect does alcohol have on an unborn
child?