DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
OTC DRUGS
• Over the counter drugs are medicines
without a doctor’s prescription.
▫ Analgesics: are used to relieve pain.
 Aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen
(Motrin)
▫ Sedatives: are drugs that slow down the body
functioning and make you sleepy.
 Mild sleeping pills
▫ Stimulants: are the opposite of sedatives; they
make you more alert. Most common drug is
caffeine.
 Headache remedies, cold remedies, and appetite
suppressants
OTC DRUGS
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No drug is completely safe.
Must follow directions.
Even basic drugs like aspirin have side effects.
Antihistamines can cause drowsiness and
dizziness, which is why the person shouldn’t
drive.
• Some drugs can mask the symptom, by covering
up the symptom it can make the infection worse.
Guidelines
• Don’t mix medications without checking with a
physician or pharmacist.
• Don’t take someone else's prescription.
• Don’t use OTC drugs for a long time, maybe
delaying a serious diagnosis.
• Don’t ever conclude that if a little bit of a drug
makes you feel good, that more will make you
feel better.
• Check with pharmacists about side effects,
dosage, length of time, food, etc…
ALCOHOL
• Most misunderstood drug.
• Widely advertised and used socially.
• There is another side to it that can be dangerous
and it kills thousands of people every year and
addicts millions more
• It can tear families apart and is involved in more
than half the violent crimes in America.
ALCOHOL PROCESS
1. Alcohol irritates the throat and esophagus on its way
into the body.
2. About 20% of the alcohol drunk is absorbed into the
bloodstream through the stomach wall.
3. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol travels throughout
the body, including the heart and brain. You can feel
the effects within minutes.
4. The alcohol remains in the bloodstream until it can
be metabolized by the liver.
5. The liver breaks it down into carbon dioxide and
water. The more you drink, the harder the liver will
have to work to rid the body of alcohol.
Studies show that even small doses of alcohol
leaves fat deposits on the liver.
Short Term Effects
• Feel relaxed
• Face feels flushed/warm because the alcohol has
dilated, or widened, the blood vessels near the
skin.
• Have to urinate frequently, as the body tries to
get rid of the alcohol.
• Coordination and inhibitions begin to suffer
LONG TERM EFFECTS
• Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol can lead to
addiction (alcoholism).
• Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol
intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms,
including:
▫ severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and
convulsions.
• Long-term effects of consuming large quantities
of alcohol, especially when combined with poor
nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital
organs such as the brain and liver.
DISEASES
• Hepatitis can result from damage to the liver.
It is an inflammation or infection of the liver
that can cause fever, yellowing of the skin, and
sometimes death.
• Cirrhosis is another disease of the liver
brought on by alcohol abuse.
▫ Liver cells are permanently replaced with useless
scar tissue. Liver can no longer metabolize food
properly.
▫ People with Cirrhosis who continue to drink tend
to only have a 50% chance of living for more than
5 years.
LONG TERM EFFECTS
• Can cause damage to heart muscles and increase
the risk of heart disease.
• Can increase the chances of breast cancer in
women.
• It interrupts REM sleep
• Lowers white blood cells
• Kills brain cells
• Teenagers who use alcohol can become addicted
to it in as little as one to two years.
• It takes adults about 5 – 20 years of alcohol
abuse to become addicted.
LONG TERM EFFECTS
• In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during
pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal
alcohol syndrome.
▫ These infants may suffer from mental retardation
and other irreversible physical abnormalities.
▫ In addition, research indicates that children of
alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other
children of becoming alcoholics.
Causes of Addiction
• It’s not always clear why people can drink alcohol
without becoming addicted, while others become
addicts.
• Some evidence also claims it can be inherited
through your genes.
• Probably a combination of environment,
psychological and physical factors.
• Most people who have this disease go through 3
phases: ABUSE, DEPENDENCE AND
ADDICTION
Underage drinking is linked to injury
and risky behavior.
• According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about
5,000 kids under 21 die every year as a result of
underage drinking – from crashes, homicides,
and suicides.
• Teens that drink also are at risk for a long list of
other injuries and potential life-long alcohol
abuse.
• Reducing underage drinking can reduce
drinking-related harm.
Brain Development and Alcohol Abuse
• Research indicates that the human brain continues
to develop into a person's early 20's, and that
exposure of the developing brain to alcohol may
have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities
and may increase the likelihood of alcohol
addiction.
• The age when drinking starts affects future
drinking problems. For each year that the start of
drinking is delayed, the risk of later alcohol
dependence is reduced by 14 percent.
BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL
• One drink is enough to interfere with a person’s
judgment and reflexes.
• The percentage in a person’s bloodstream is
called Blood Alcohol Level. A person’s BAL
can be influenced by gender, body weight, the
amount of food in the stomach, and the rate of
drinking.
• One drink can raise your BAL to .025 or greater.
• According to the Oregon law drivers under 21
are considered legally intoxicated if the
test indicates you have any alcohol in
your system and adults at .08.
BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AND ITS EFFECTS
#of Drinks
in 1 hr
(140 lb)
Approximate
BAL
1
.025
Effects on the Body
Feeling of relaxation, warmth, slight impairment
.05
Inhibitions are lessened, judgment impaired, behavior
impulsive/silly
3
.075
Reflexes and coordination impaired
Speech and hearing slightly affected
4
.1
6
.161
Intoxication; coordination seriously affected; vision blurred,
speech impaired
8
.215
Intoxication extreme, no control over thoughts and
perceptions, walking and standing difficult
12
.321
Intoxication severe and dangerous; nervous system may
become affect, coma and death can result
2
Legally drunk, vision, hearing, judgment, reflexes,
coordination impaired
Drinking and Driving
• Car crashes are the leading cause of death among
people ages 15 to 20. About 1,900 people under
21 die every year from car crashes involving
underage drinking.
• Young people are more susceptible to alcoholinduced impairment of their driving skills.
Drinking drivers aged 16 to 20 are twice as likely
to be involved in a fatal crash as drinking drivers
who are 21 or older.
Oregon Law
• Take a breath test and fail it –
▫ DMV will suspend your driving privileges for
90 days. If you have any prior alcohol-related
entries on your driving record within five
years, DMV will suspend your driving
privileges for one year.
• Refuse to take a breath test –
▫ DMV will suspend your driving privileges for
one year. If you have any prior alcohol-related
entries on your driving record within five
years, DMV will suspend your driving
privileges for three years.
Suicide
• Alcohol use interacts with conditions like
depression and stress, and contributes to an
estimated 300 teen suicides a year.
• High school students who drink are twice as
likely to have seriously considered attempting
suicide, as compared to nondrinkers.
• High school students who binge drink are four
times as likely to have attempted suicide, as
compared to nondrinkers.
Sexual Behavior
• Current teen drinkers are more than twice as
likely to have had sexual intercourse within the
past three months than teens who don't drink.
• Higher drinking levels increase the likelihood of
sexual activity.
• Adolescents who drink are more likely to engage
in risky sexual activities, like having sex with
someone they don't know or failing to use birth
control.
Other Risks
• Teens who drink alcohol are more likely than
nondrinkers to smoke marijuana, use inhalants,
or carry a weapon.
• Binge drinking substantially increases the
likelihood of these activities.