Addiction /
Alcohol
Mr. Bower
Health Education
 List
on the Whiteboard what people get
addicted to.
 Addiction
video
 Teenage Brain chemistry article
How it all starts
 Addiction
usually starts when a person does
something he or she thinks will bring
pleasure or help avoid pain. He or she
becomes increasingly dependent on the
behavior, as tolerance develops-the person
needs more of the desired behavior to feel
the same effect.
And then…….
 Any
substance OR activity that becomes the
focus of a person’s life at the expense of other
needs and interests can be damaging to
health.
THE ADDICTION CYCLE
 Tolerance-
needing more and
more to reach the same effect
8
Psychological Dependence
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a condition in which a person believes that a
substance is needed in order to feel good or to
function normally.
Psychological signals:
use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to
relax
withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends
loss of interest in activities that used to be important
problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or
absences
changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends
who use drugs
spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs
stealing or selling belongings to be able to afford drugs
failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking
anxiety, anger, or depression
mood swings
9
Physiological Dependence
a
condition in which the user has a
chemical need for the substance.
 Physical
signals:
 changes in sleeping habits
 feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop
 needing to take more of the substance to
get the same effect
 changes in eating habits, including weight
loss or gain
10
Addiction
can be
psychological or physiological.
Withdrawal - may occur when
a person stops using the drug
on which he or she can
become dependent on.
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
Habits that have gotten out of
control, with a resulting negative impact on a
person’s life.
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
1.
2.
Reinforcement- some aspects of the
behavior produce pleasurable physical
and/or emotional states or relieve
negative ones to reinforce the behavior.
Compulsion or Craving -individual feels
a strong compulsion-compelling need
to engage in the behavior, often
accompanied by obsessive planning for
the next opportunity to perform it.
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
3.
Loss of Control- individual loses control
over the behavior and cannot block the
impulse to engage in it. He or she may
deny that the behavior is problematic or
may have tried but failed to control it.
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
4. Escalation- more and more of a
particular substance or activity is
required to produce its desired effects.
5. Negative Consequences- problems with
academic or job performance ,
personal relationships, and health.
 Teenagers
responses stay at the limbic system while
adults move to the prefrontal cortex.
 Emotional (E) = Limbic
 Intellectual (I) = Pre-Frontal Cortex
“Drunkenness is nothing
but voluntary
madness”
~Seneca
What do you know about
Alcohol?
 Click
the beer bottle below to take a T/F quiz on
your practical knowledge of ALCOHOL.
Musicians who died an
alcohol related death

Amy Winehouse – Alcohol Poisoning
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John Bonham - 1948-1980 Died of choking on his own vomit after
drinking vodka.
Steve Clark - 1960-1991 Died of mixing alcohol and prescription
pills (morpheine, valium, codeine)
Jimi Hendrix - 1942-1970 Died of choking on his own vomit after
drinking alcohol and eating barbituates.
Bon Scott - 1946-1980 Died of acute alcohol poisoning
Stuart Cable - Stereophonics- 2010- Died of choking on his own
vomit.
Ron “Pigpen” Mckernan– Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Jack Kerouac – Internal Bleeding
Alcohol and Teens
 Alcohol
is related to over ½ of all teen
deaths each year
 Alcohol
is a factor in many unplanned
pregnancies, STD transmissions, Dating
violence, rapes and suicides
 Nearly
5 million problem drinkers in the
US are between the ages of 14-17 years
old.
What is Alcohol?
 Drug
that slows down the central
nervous system
 Known
as a DEPRESSANT
 Depresses
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(slow down) your:
Heart rate
Breathing rate
Reflexes
Neural Functions
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 drinking)
8.Fatigue (before)
9.Speed of consumption
10. Other medicines taken
What is a drink?
A
is:
standard drink
 One
12-ounce
bottle of beer* or
wine cooler
 One 5-ounce glass
of wine
 1.5 ounces of 80proof distilled
spirits.
How Much Alcohol is in a
Product?
• Proof:
• Amount of alcohol in a
drink
• Double the percent of
alcohol.
• Ex. 20% Alcohol =
• 40 proof
• Drinks and Averages
• Beer: 3-7% Alcohol
• Wines: 12-14% Alcohol
• Wine cooler: 1.5-6%
Alcohol
• Liquors: 40% Alcohol
Refusal Skills
 Developing
good self-esteem
 Have good eye contact
 Respond with a clear and firm "no" that does not leave
the door open to future offers
 How you say no is as important as what you say.
Refusal Skills
 Identify
the consequences ("We'll
get in trouble.")
 Suggest an alternative
 Delaying
 Use humor
 Just say no
Effects on Body
Alcohol affects all areas of the brain. (Reward
system, Cortex (Thinking/Senses) and Brain
Stem (Breathing/HR)
Kidneys are poisoned as they
filter alcohol from the blood
Alcohol increases acid
production in stomach. Leads to
ulcers over time.
Liver is responsible for breaking
down alcohol. While it is
working, it is being poisoned.
Alcohol decreases calcium
absorption. Bone loss occurs.
Good/Healthy Liver
Bad/Unhealthy Liver
Long-term Effects of Alcohol on
the Body
1.
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2.
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To the Brain –
Addiction – inability to stop drinking
Loss of verbal skills, memory
Major brain damage
Cardiovascular Changes
Damage to the heart muscle
Enlarged heart – from increased workload
caused by alcohol
High blood pressure – can cause heart
attack/stroke
Long term effects
3.
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Liver problems –
Fatty liver – fats build up and cannot be broken
down – excess fat blocks the flow of blood to liver
cells, leading to cell death
Cirrhosis – liver tissue is replaced with useless scar
tissue. This disease can lead to liver failure and
death.
Alcohol’s effect on the body
4.
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5.
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Digestive system
Irritation – digestive lining is damaged; can lead
to stomach ulcers and cancer of the stomach
and esophagus
Pancreas Problems
Chemicals begin to destroy the pancreas,
causing pain, vomiting, and can lead to death
Other Problems With Drinking
Alcohol
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Alcohol is a toxin.
 Toxin: a substance that is poisonous (To all parts of body)
Blackouts
 A period in which a person cannot remember what has
happened.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
 The presence of severe birth defects in babies born to
mother who drink alcohol during pregnancy.
 Babies with FAS may have small eye slits, small head,
and retarded physical and mental growth.
 Leading cause of mental retardation.
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 –leading known cause for
mental retardation
•
Alcohol is the third leading cause for non-genetic
handicapping of infants in America – small head,
deformities of the face, hands, feet, internal
organs, hearing, vision
•
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.
Alcohol and your BAC
 Alcohol
is absorbed
into the bloodstream
in the small
intestines.
 Blood
Alcohol
Content (BAC)
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The amount of alcohol
content found in your
blood
The higher BAC, the
more impairment
occurs
Blood Alcohol
Content and DUI
 Legal
Limit for Adult:
.08 BAC
 Underage
Intoxication Limit: .02
BAC
 Anything
beyond is
considered Driving
Under the Influence
(DUI)
Impairments

BAC of .02= decision
making impaired.
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BAC of .05= reasoning
and judgment are
impaired, decreased
muscular coordination
and reaction time.
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BAC of .10= reasoning,
judgment, self control,
muscular coordination,
and reaction time are
seriously impaired.
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BAC of .12= confused,
disoriented, blurred
vision, vomit.
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BAC of .20= emotions are
unpredictable, may pass
out.
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BAC of .30= little or no
control over mind and
body.
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BAC of .40= unconscious
and possible death
Questions for Discussion
1.
Just because it is legal, does having
a BAC below .08 make you safe?
2.
Should a driver be able to have a
blood alcohol content?
3.
Should teens have a .02 BAC for DUI?
The disease of Alcoholism
Alcoholism
 Is a disease in which a person has a physical and/or
a psychological dependence on alcohol.
 Will show itself in different behaviors - violent,
aggressive, withdrawn, quiet
 Is a craving – he/she cannot manage stress without
the use
 Is a loss of control – he/she cannot limit his drinking
and is preoccupied with alcohol
 Is a Physical dependence – without alcohol, will
experience withdrawal symptoms
The disease of Alcoholism
 An
alcoholic will build a Tolerance to
alcohol - a need to drink increasingly
greater amounts in order to feel its effects
 An alcoholic will experience health/family,
and legal problems – an alcoholic often
suffers repeated injuries, receives multiple
drunk driving citations, frequent arguments,
poor relationships with family
 An alcoholic may have a genetic link to
alcoholism
The Stages of Alcoholism
 Stage
one
– Abuse of alcohol. Use for social,
use to relax, use for stress
management, leads to
psychological dependence.
Drinks and gets intoxicated
regularly, blackouts, memory
loss – known as the “problem
drinker”
The Stages of Alcoholism
 Stage
two –
- Dependence – physically dependent on
alcohol, becomes central focus, tries to
hide the problem, performance of job,
school work, etc, suffers. Makes excuses
and blames others.
The Stages of Alcoholism
 Stage
3–
- Final stage – drinking is the most
important thing in a person’s life. The
person is addicted to the drug and his
or her life is out of control, although
frequently he/she does not realize or
acknowledge this fact. Because the
liver is damaged, less alcohol is
required to produce intoxication.
Severe withdrawal symptoms if
alcoholic tries to stop
How Alcoholism effects Family
and Society
 Major
factor in the four leading causes of
accidental death – car accidents, falls, drowning,
house fires
 Plays a major role in violent crimes – homicide,
forcible rape, robbery
 40% of violent crimes are alcohol related
 2/3’s of victims who encounter domestic violence
report that alcohol was a factor
 Nearly half of all homicide victims have alcohol in
their bloodstream
 Codependency – codependents learn to ignore
their own needs and focus their energy and
emotions on the needs of the alcoholic
Treatment
 The
process of learning to live an alcohol free life
is called recovery
 Approx. 2/3’s of all alcoholics who try to recover
are successful
 Many resources are available to help people who
have a drinking problem. Help is also available to
the families and friends
Treatment
 Al-anon
– helps family and friends of the
alcoholic
 Alcoholic anonymous – provides help for
the alcoholic
 Nat’l. Asso. For Children of Alcoholics –
provides help for children
In Class Activity

Students form groups of 5
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Each group should pair up with a second group

One group thinks about 5 reasons that teens give for
drinking
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The other group thinks about 12 reasons given for not
drinking.
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Combine together and have each person pressure
someone from the other group using their lines.
True or False #1
 Drinking
is not really that dangerous.
FALSE- 1 in 3 teens is admitted to the
Emergency Room for intoxication.
Suicide, Drowning and homicides
are also associated with alcohol.
True or False #2
 Someone
who doesn’t appear drunk
probably is not drunk.
FALSE- Many people, particularly those with
alcohol problems, can drink a lot without
showing signs of drunkenness
True or False #3
 Beer
and wine are safer than “hard”
liquors like whisky and gin.
FALSE- One standard serving of beer, wine
or spirits contains the same amount of
alcohol.
True or False #4
I
can drink and still be in control
FALSE- drinking impairs your judgment
and increases your risk of doing
something you would not normally
do.
Examples: Violence, Rape, Sexual
Activity, Drinking and Driving
True or False #5
 When
a person has a hangover, coffee
and a cold shower will sober him/her
up.
FALSE- These do not speed up the liver’s
ability to break down the alcohol. It
takes about 3 hours to eliminate the
alcohol from 2 drinks (Depending on
weight)