Alcohol and Its Effects on the
Body
Alcohol is.......
The most widely abused DRUG among high
school students
Party
You have been invited to a party. When you
arrive, you realize that most people at the
party are drinking alcohol and many are
intoxicated. You decide to leave, but on
your way toward the door you stumble
over a person lying on the floor. This
person is semiconscious, smells of
alcohol, does not respond when you ask
his name, has trouble keeping his eyes
open, and seems to have trouble
breathing. What would you do?
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Why people drink…
1.
2.
3.
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5.
6.
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Why Young People Drink
• To escape pressures & problems
• To feel better or get over being sad
or lonely
• To deal with stress and relax
• To feel more self confident in social
situations
• For excitement
• Because friends are doing it
• To deal with boredom
• To get away with something they
are not supposed to do
• To fit in
Why people choose not to drink
Unpleasant, dislike taste, react unfavorably,
taking medications, gain weight, harmful to
body, lessens judgment, religious
reasons.
Choosing not to...eliminates abuse of
alcohol, destructive behavior. You need
not defend your choice not to drink.
•
PROOF – a measure of the % of
alcohol is liquor
–
–
Proof is equal to twice the percentage of
alcohol in the beverage
100 proof whiskey would contain 50%
alcohol
Alcohol enters
bloodstream
Liver metabolizes
alcohol to make it
less active
Liver filters the
neutralized particles
Produces waste
products
(Urine) and is excreted
BAC=BLOOD ALCOHOL
CONCENTRATION
• The amount of
alcohol in a person’s
blood, expressed as a
percentage
• PA is 0.08%
• Signs of intoxication
can appear at BACs
as low as 0.02%.
12 oz beer
4% Alcohol by
volume
0.5oz. Alcohol
----------------------------1.5 oz. Alcohol
5 oz. wine
whiskey 40%
10% Alcohol by
Alcohol by
volume
volume
0.5oz. Alcohol
0.5oz.
THE AFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ARE
INFLUENCED BY:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5.
6.
7.
8.
10.
THE AFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ARE
INFLUENCED BY:
1. Gender
2. Age
3. Weight
4. Mood
5. Physical health
6. Strength of drink
7. Amount of food eaten (before)
8. Fatigue (before)
9. Speed of consumption
10. Other medicine/drugs taken
(before & during)
BAC-Blood Alcohol Concentration
•
•
•
•
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•
•
•
Slows reflexes and coordination
Reduces a person’s ability to judge distances & speeds
Increases risk-taking behaviors
Reduces a person’s concentration while increasing
forgetfulness
Causes confusion
Decreased alertness
Blurred Vision
Death
ALCOHOL POISONING
• Is a severe and
potentially fatal
physical reaction to
an alcohol overdose.
• Binge drinking is
drinking 5 or more
drinks at one sitting
• Shuts down
involuntary actions
(breathing & gag
reflex)
• Too much alcohol
results in vomiting
• If the involuntary
actions shut down, a
person can choke and
be asphyxiated by
their own vomit
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
POISONING
Passing out
• Alcohol still enters the
bloodstream after passing
out
• Never let someone “sleep
it off”
Mental confusion
Stupor
coma
inability to be roused
vomiting & seizures
•
•
•
•
Slow respiration
Irregular heartbeat
Hypothermia
Severe dehydration from
vomiting
• Call 911
ALCOHOL & DRUG
INTERACTION
• Interactions between
alcohol and
medications can lead
to illness, injury and
death.
• Alcohol-drug
interactions account
for ¼ of all
emergency room
admissions.
• SYNERGISM – Interaction of drugs that
produces effects that are many times greater
than what they would be if taken independently
• TYPICAL ALCOHOL-DRUG INTERACTIONS
– Slows down a drug’s absorption by the body
– Medications can break down faster than
normal decreasing their effectiveness
– Metabolizing enzymes can change some
medication into chemicals that can damage the
liver i.e. Acetaminophen and alcohol
– Can increase the effects i.e. Antihistaminescausing excessive dizziness & sleepiness
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF
ALCOHOL
• Nervous system
– Brain-Memory-Judgment
• Cardiovascular system
– Heart – Blood vessels
• Digestive system
– Stomach-liver-kidneys
• Respiratory System
– Lungs-breathing
SHORT TERM PHYSICAL EFFECTS – Those
that happen within minutes to a few days of
drinking alcohol
• Bloodstream; blood vessels widen
• Brain – immediately acts as a depressant –
what does that mean to the body???
1. Loss of sensation
2. Decrease of senses
3. Loss of muscle control
4. Depresses the part of the brain that controls
breathing and heart rate
5. Blackouts
SHORT TERM PHYSICAL EFFECTS
• Liver – the liver
chemically breaks
down alcohol into
energy and the
waste products
carbon dioxide and
water. When
people drink alcohol
faster that the liver
can break it down,
they become
intoxicated
1. The rate at which a
person’s liver can break
down alcohol is fairly
constant. In one hour the
liver can break down the
amount of alcohol in a can
of beer in a shot of liquor,
or a glass of wine
2. There is nothing that
one can do to help a
person “sober” up more
quickly.
LONG TERM EFFECTS
•
Liver problems: too much alcohol too frequently can damage the liver
permanently, leading to liver disease and cirrhosis or cancer of the liver.
•
Lesser damage to the liver will often be reversed however if the person
becomes abstinent from alcohol and starts eating a well balanced diet.
•
Heart disease and other heart problems, such as high blood pressure, are
also long term effects of alcohol use. Cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart
muscle) can also occur from excessive alcohol use.
•
Excessive drinking causes dehydration, which thickens the blood, making
it more likely to clot.
•
There are many other physical problems that come from alcoholism
including infertility or impotence, diabetes, ulcers, obesity, and
pancreatitis.
•
Alcohol poisoning which can lead to death.
Good/Healthy Liver
Bad/Unhealthy Liver - Cirrhosis or
cancer of the liver.
KIDNEYS
• The kidneys produce more urine than usual, and
the drinker loses more water than usual which
leads to dehydration
DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS
• Continual drinking irritates the tissues lining the
mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach.
• Repeated irritation increases the risk of cancers
in these areas.
Alcohol and Pregnancy
•
No level of alcohol use during
pregnancy has been proven safe
•
Each year between 5,300 and
8,000 babies in the United States
are born with fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS), a combination
of physical and mental birth
defects
•
Alcohol is the third leading cause
for non-genetic handicapping of
infants in America
•
Many babies with FAS also have a
brain that is small and abnormally
formed, and most have some
degree of mental disability. Many
have poor coordination and a
short attention span and exhibit
behavioral problems.
Less Brain Matter at Birth
This is permanent damage!!!
Alcohol can have significant effects on feelings,
perceptions, and physiology
Taken from Virginia Tech Website
Progressive Effects of Alcohol
Blood Alcohol
Concentration
0.01 — 0.06
Changes in
Feelings
and Personality
Relaxation
Sense of Well-being
Loss of Inhibition
Lowered Alertness
Joyous
Physical and Mental
Impairments
Thought
Judgment
Coordination
Concentration
0.06 — 0.10
Blunted Feelings
Disinhibition
Extroversion
Impaired Sexual
Pleasure
Reflexes Impaired
Reasoning
Depth Perception
Distance Acuity
Peripheral Vision
Glare Recovery
0.11 — 0.20
Over-Expression
Emotional Swings
Angry or Sad
Boisterous
Reaction Time
Gross Motor Control
Staggering
Slurred Speech
0.21 — 0.29
Stupor
Severe Motor Impairment
Lose Understanding Loss of Consciousness
Impaired Sensations Memory Blackout
0.30 — 0.39
Severe Depression
Unconsciousness
Death Possible
Bladder Function
Breathing
Heart Rate
Unconsciousness
Death
Breathing
Heart Rate
=> 0.40
A Problem Drinker's Self-Test
Do you drink to avoid facing problems or when you are angry?
Do you prefer to drink by yourself rather that with others?
Do you try to stop drinking but fail?
Do you lie to others about how often or how much you drink?
Do you ever forget whole blocks of time when you are drinking?
Do you get drunk even though you don't intend to do so?
Are your school grades dropping?
Do you drink in the morning?
Do you get in to trouble when you drink?
Is it important to you to show others that you can drink alcohol?
Types of Drinkers
Moderate drinker
A. Does not drink excessively.
B. Doesn’t behave inappropriately
because of alcohol
C. Person’s health is not harmed by
alcohol over the long term.
D. Applies only to adults (teens brains
are not yet mature and cannot handle
alcohol)
II. Social drinker
a. drinks only on social occasions
b. may be a moderate or a problem drinker
depending on how alcohol affects the
person’s life
III. Binge drinker
a. drinks 5 or more drinks in a short period.
IV. Problem drinker or an alcohol abuser
– suffers social, emotional, family, job-related,
or other problems because of alcohol.
– This person is on the way to alcoholism.
•
Alcoholic
–
–
has the full blown disease of alcoholism
this person’s problems, caused by alcohol
abuse, are out of control.
Stages of alcoholism
•
a.
Early stage alcoholism
– drinker drinks more often
– preoccupied with drinking
– drinks for the feeling that alcohol
brings
– drinks to ease problems
– blackouts – periods of time the drinker
cannot remember
Stages of Alcoholism
– Middle stage
alcoholism
– physical dependence
complete
– family, social, and work
relationships suffer
– denial – refuses to see
the problem or get help
– hides drinking
– drinks alone
– drinks in the morning
– drinks at school or work
– Builds a tolerance
Stages of alcoholism
Late stage alcoholism
– falls apart mentally,
physically, and
emotionally
– lives for drinking
– experiences reverse
tolerance (less and less
cause intoxication)
– isolated from society
– serious health problems
(malnutrition,
hallucinations, viral and
bacterial diseases)
• Safety risks
– Driving accidents – 50% of
all fatal car accidents
involve alcohol
– Pedestrian accidents –
80% involve alcohol
– Drowning – 60% involve
alcohol
– Fires – 85% involve alcohol
– Arrests for homicide, theft,
assault, rape, child abuse,
and disorderly conduct
– Dangerous interactions
with drugs
Legal risks
Criminal offense to buy or sell alcohol to a
minor.
Legally responsible if you give alcohol to an
underage person.
DUI – (Driving under the influence – BAC or
.08 in PA)
Suspended license
Vehicular homicide if accident involving
drinking results in death
CONSEQUENCES OF DWI/DUI
Harm to driver & others
1.Driver’s license confiscated
2.Injuries, property damage &
death
3.Living with regret & remorse
4.Arrest, jail time, court, fines
5.Police record/lawsuits
6.Higher insurance rates (3Xs
higher than non-drinking peers)
BEING RESPONSIBLE ABOUT ALCOHOL
Reality-the majority of adults in the U.S. drink alcohol
Roughly 1/3 are light drinkers
1/3 are moderate to heavy drinkers
1/3 do not drink at all
Appropriate use of alcohol for adults
( there is no appropriate use for minors)
Occasional use only
Used in moderation
Only in social situations – not drinking alone
BEING RESPONSIBLE ABOUT ALCOHOL
Responsible use of alcohol
Not using alcohol until of legal age
Controlling situations in which social drinking
occurs
Controlling the amount of alcohol you drink
Never driving after drinking
Never riding with an intoxicated driver
Responsibilities as a host
Always offer non alcoholic drinks
Serve food along with alcohol
Make sure guests do not drive when impaired
Legally responsible if they serve an underage
person.
The day after…
• Hangover – symptoms that can occur the
next day after being intoxicated:
• 1. Light sensitivity
• 2. Headache
• 3. Nauseous
• 4. Body aches
• 5. Bad breath
TREATMENT
The process of learning to live an alcohol free
life is called recovery
Alcoholics anonymous is an organization that
provides help for the alcoholic
Al-Anon provides help for the family of an
alcoholic
Alateen provides help specifically for the teens
who has a family member that is an alcoholic.
National Association for Children of Alcoholics –
provides help for children of alcoholics