The Facts Served “Straight Up” Alcohol The Facts Served “Straight Up”

Definitions Alcoholism – a physical dependency on and a preoccupation with alcohol to the extent that this behavior interferes with normal personal family, social, or work life. Alcohol abuse – drinking too much or too often without physical cravings or withdrawal symptoms. (this behavior can lead to alcoholism) Alcohol poisoning – an over dosage on alcohol. (this is considered a medical emergency) Binge drinking – drinking too much, too fast. for men is considered five or more drinks in a row. for women is considered four or more drinks in a row.

Definitions, continued Blackouts – Alcohol in the brain may cause a person to have gaps in their memory of things that happened while drinking. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) – Alcohol concentration in a person’s blood. Intoxication - The amount of alcohol consumed exceeds the individual's tolerance and produces behavioral or physical abnormalities. Tolerance – Over a period of time more alcohol is required to achieve the same effect. This is a sign that a person is becoming dependent on alcohol and may not realize how impaired they actually are.

40% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related 40% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related. Could this be you someday?

Blood Alcohol Concentration – How does this affect you? .02% - Alcohol immediately slows the nervous system and reaction time is impaired to some extent. You become more relaxed .04% - Reaction time continues to slow. A “buzz” develops. Relaxation deepens. .055% - .06% - Effects of alcohol change. Good feelings get less positive and negative feelings more negative. The negative effects will continue as long as you continue to drink. Brain’s ability to process information and make judgments is greatly impaired.

BAC - How it affect you ? Continued .08% - Legally Drunk. Decrease in Motor coordination. May feel nauseous and throw up. This can occur in some people with just one or two drinks. .10% - A clear breakdown in judgment and motor coordination, visibly sloppy. .15% -.25% - High risk of blackouts and injuries. .25% -.35% - Can pass out. Risk of death. .40% -.45% - Lethal dose for most.

What Is A Standard Drink?

Factors that may influence alcohol concentration levels: Gender – body compositions differ Body weight Alcohol content in drinks How much you drink Food intake Age Mood Men generally have more muscle and women have more fatty tissue per pound. Fatty tissue has a smaller blood supply than muscle tissue, so more alcohol goes into the bloodstream. The result is that when a man and woman of equal weight drink equal amounts of alcohol, the alcohol concentration will be higher in the woman than in the man. Lower body weight and / or a higher ratio of fat to muscle results in a higher alcohol concentration. a standard drink is a 12 oz. beer 5oz. Glass of wine 9 oz. wine cooler 1½ oz. of rum, whiskey, gin, vodka, etc. in a mixed drink It is very important to remember that mixed drinks often contain more than 1½oz of alcohol 4. Drinking on an empty stomach can have a greater effect on judgment and behavior than expected. A full stomach will slow down the absorption of alcohol, but not as much as people believe. 5. The body becomes less tolerant with age due to the slowing down of the metabolic rate that accompanies age. 6. One’s mood does not directly affect the alcohol concentration level, but the effect of alcohol can be greater than expected when a person is tired, stressed out, angry, lonely or dealing with any other emotion.

Health problems associated with long term use of alcohol: Alcoholism (addiction to alcohol) Cancers Esophagus, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box). Increase risk of colon and rectal cancer Heart damage Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) High blood pressure High triglycerides leading to heart attack or stroke. Liver damage Cirrhosis Hepatitis Stomach Chronic irritation of the stomach lining and bleeding ulcers pancreatitis