Alcohol Overview

Alcohol Overview What is the legal age for consuming

alcohol?The myelin sheath encompassing the brain

reaches it’s fullest thickness at about age 21

Of all the people who choose to consume alcohol, what percent become addicted?

30%

Depressant or Stimulant

Depressants

Slow down the central nervous system; breathing, heart rate, etc.

Ex: sleeping pills

Stimulants

Speed up the central nervous system; breathing, heart rate, etc.

Ex: methamphetamines

Is alcohol a STIMULANT or a DEPRESSANT?

Depressant

Good mood >>>>> GREAT mood.

Alcohol is also a mood enhancer.

Bad mood >>>>> WORSE mood.

Alcohol is also a DEHYDRATOR.

-mainly dehydrating the brain and kidneys.

Blackout or Passout

Passout

Appear to be asleep, but cannot be woken

Blackout

Up and functioning but cannot remember parts of it.

Police: Drunken driver decapitated best friend

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Marietta, Ga – a drunken driver ran off the road and sideswiped a telephone pole support wire, decapitating his best friend, who was hanging out the passenger window, police say.

John Hutcherson, 21, then drove 12 miles back to his suburban Atlanta home early Sunday and went to sleep in his bloody clothes, leaving the headless body in the truck.

A neighbor walking with his baby daughter Sunday discovered 23 year old Francis Brohm’s headless corpse in the parked truck and called authorities. The head was found in the bushes near the pole.

Hutcherson was charged with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and other offenses. He was jailed Monday on $100,000 bail.

What percent of people are driving drunk after 10:00 pm?

10%

What is the legal drinking age in the state of Idaho?

21

B.A.C. stands for Blood Alcohol Content

What is the legal limit for B.A.C in the state of Idaho?

.08

How much would I have to drink to reach a .08?

Depends on 5 major things:

toleranceSize gend

erFood – empty stomach

age

A driver with a B.A.C of .08 or higher will be charged with what?

DUI

Driving Under the Influence

It is estimated that approximatelyof all preventable deaths in the US are related to the intake of alcohol.

30%

The LIVER is the largest gland in the body.The liver weighs about 3 pounds and is about

the size of a football. It sits behind the ribcage on the upper right side near the stomach.

The liver is responsible for over 500 functions in the body.*Plays a role in processing food, sugar and

fat

*Helps fight off illness and disease.

*Filters and purifies almost everything you eat, drink, breathe and even what you get on your skin.

*Stores vitamins and iron and helps clot the blood

Converts food to energy.

Breaks down poisons like those found in alcohol.

It takes the liver approximately 1 hour to metabolize one average size serving of alcohol.

CIRRHOSIS.When the liver develops a rough surface of scar tissue.

Varicose veins of the esophagus.

The esophagus connects the mouth to the stomach.

Repeat vomiting causes the veins of the esophagus to become varicose. They can then rupture and cause the person to vomit blood.

Ulcer of the stomach.

Alcohol use irritates ulcers and causes them not to heal.

What chemical in a cigarette causes ulcers to form – do you remember?

Nicotine

Alcohol- conditions

Alcohol

Arteriosclerosis: a hardening of the arteries. It is also a major cause of heart attack and stroke. Four main things that lead to arteriosclerosis:

Tobacco

Lack of exercise

Fatty foods, poor nutrition

Stroke.

A clot in a vessel feeding the brain.

This can cause death or disability depending on the severity of the stroke.

Heart Attack.

Enlarged heart, clogged vessel, or vessel that tears.

This can cause death or disability depending on the severity of the clot.

Cerebellar degeneration.

The cerebellum controls balance and coordination.Long-term, heavy use of

alcohol destroys the cerebellum. The cerebellum has tight branches inside it, much like that of a tree. Damage to the cerebellum results in staggering, uncoordinated movement and slurred speech.Unfortunately, this damage is not repairable.

Breast Cancer.

Just 3 drinks per week increases your chance of developing breast cancer.

Can males develop breast cancer?

Yes

Hormones: testosterone and estrogenWhat 2 drugs goof up these 2 hormones?

Steroids and Marijuana

F.A.S - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Caused by a mother drinking while pregnant.

-wide set eyes-short, upturned nose-flattened cheekbones-thin upper lip

Fetal means unborn baby.Fatal means deadly.

1. FAS and FAE are caused by a woman drinking alcohol while pregnant.

2. A can of beer, a glass of wine, a shot of hard liquor and a wine cooler all contain different amounts of alcohol.

TRUE – damage can be caused by alcohol throughout the pregnancy.

FALSE – all 4 contain approximately the same amount of alcohol per standard serving.

3. The only way to prevent FAS and FAE is to NOT drink alcohol while pregnant.

TRUE – Since there is no known safe amount for a pregnant woman to drink, the only sure way of preventing FAS and FAE is to NOT drink while pregnant.

4. Good food and love will help a child with FAS to “catch up” with other children in size and mental development.

FALSE – Once the damage has been done, the child will be unable to “catch up.” Good food and love cannot “undo” brain damage.

5. A person affected with FAS or FAE could be sitting right next to you and you might not know it.

TRUE – People affected with FAS or FAE may look like everyone else and have IQ’s in the normal range. We may not be able to see the brain damage that came with this birth defect. In some children the physical facial characteristics may be seen.

-wide set eyes-short, upturned nose-flattened cheekbones-thin upper lip

6. Men can’t do anything to prevent FAS

FALSE – Men can HELP prevent FAS by choosing to not drink alcohol and encouraging their partner to choose not to drink alcohol as well.

7. The placenta protects the baby from any alcohol the mother consumes.

FALSE – The umbilical cord is responsible for carrying nutrients to the fetus – it does not have the ability to filter out poisons.

8. FAS can be passed on genetically. If your mom or dad was born with FAS, there is a good chance you will as well.

FALSE – This birth defect is not related to genetics. It is a result of drinking alcohol while pregnant.

9. Alcoholism is a genetic trait that runs in families; much like brown eyes or blonde hair.

TRUE – Yes, research has continually shown that children of alcoholics are at a much greater risk of becoming alcoholics than children who are not born to parents who consume alcohol.

It takes about 3 generations to break the cycle of addiction.

25,000 people die in alcohol related car crashes each year.

68% of those are aged 16-24…..most not even of legal age to consume alcohol.

2 out of 3 murders involve alcohol

2 out of 5 assaults involve alcohol.

3 out of 5 cases of child abuse involve alcohol

1 out of 3 rapes and suicides are related to the intake of alcohol.

The 3rd leading cause of death in America is alcohol related.

1 – lung cancer2 – heart disease

#1 cause of death for a 16 year old kid?

Alcohol related car crashes

42 teens die each week in alcohol related car crashes – about 6 per day.

4,000 teens die each year from alcohol poisoning – about 10-11 per day.

Every 32 seconds a person is injured in an alcohol related incident.

During this class period, how many incidents will that be?

90

-breathing-heart rate-digestion-metabolism

When alcohol reaches the vital center of the brain, 4 major things will begin to shut down:

What help is available for people struggling with

alcohol issues?*School Counselors and group counseling

*AA – Alcoholics Anonymous – helps the person dealing with addiction*Alateen – helps children of alcoholic parents

*Al-Anon – helps husbands, wives and friends of alcoholics