Alcohol & Drugs D. Crowley, 2007

Monday, June 11, 2018 Alcohol & Drugs To be able to identify the effects of alcohol and other drugs on the body

Alcohol Quiz Try your knowledge at the alcohol quiz - are the statements true or false? Be prepared to give reasons for your answers Alcohol is produced by yeast cells Alcohol is poisonous You cannot become addicted to alcohol A pint of beer contains 1 unit of alcohol You can buy alcohol when you are 16 The legal limit for driving is 100mg of alcohol in 100cm3 of blood Alcohol makes you react quicker Alcohol makes you more relaxed Too much alcohol can damage the liver Alcohol affects all people in exactly the same way Women react more quickly to alcohol than men True True False False - 2 units False - 18 False - 80mg False - depressant so slows reaction times True True False True - absorb it quicker

Alcohol What is alcohol? Alcohol is a recreational drug that has short term and long term effects on the body Alcohol is a depressant that works by slowing down the nervous system and relaxing the brain - it can reach the brain in <1 minute The liver breaks down alcohol to remove this toxic drug from the body - too much alcohol can damage the liver and brain

Behavioural Effects Alcohol can result in some serious behavioural changes in people - it’s a depressant (slows the nerve impulses) which can make people feel relaxed and happy, but also severely slows their reaction times But it is different for different people - some people can become aggressive, confused and loud! This is because the alcohol affects the brain and stops the nerves from working Excess alcohol will cause vomiting (your bodies defense in trying to remove the poisonous alcohol), however too much can lead to death as it stops signals from the brain informing the lungs to breathe

Anatomical Effects Alcohol also has some nasty affects on the body These include brain damage - from brain cells being destroyed The liver is also extremely vulnerable - the liver breaks the toxic alcohol down, but too much of it slowly kills of the liver cells leading to cirrhosis and possibly cancer Alcohol also stops some vitamins being absorbed into the body - heavy drinkers will suffer vitamin deficiencies And if you’re pregnant, all the poisonous alcohol in your blood will pass to the foetus - severely affecting its development

How Much? How much alcohol is safe?! Alcohol is an addictive drug, which can have serious consequences - killing nearly as many people as smoking! It is recommended that men should drink no more than 21 units a week (10 pints of lager) Women should drink no more than14 units (7 alcopops)

Hangover

Worksheet Complete the alcohol abuse worksheet Alcohol abuse is when someone is regularly drinking too much alcohol Brain; liver; and stomach can all be damaged by alcohol An alcoholic is someone who is addicted to alcohol Cirrhosis of the liver kills many alcoholics Alcohol affects the foetus too - damaging the brain, liver and slowing the foetus growth. Women who are alcoholic often give birth to smaller than average babies as the alcohol has affected the rate of growth of the foetus Again, the brain and liver of a foetus (just like in the mother) can be severely affected by alcohol

Drugs What is a drug? A drug is any substance that changes the way the body or mind works Drugs are substances that have effects on the body Medicines are drugs that help people suffering from pain or disease, such as aspirin or penicillin Other drugs, often called recreational drugs, are taken for pleasure

Legal Some recreational drugs are legal, such as tobacco, alcohol and caffeine. Most other recreational drugs are illegal, such as cannabis, ecstasy and heroin. Recreational drugs are addictive, and they may be depressants or stimulants. Any drug that is misused can cause damage to the body, as well as personal and social problems. Injecting any drug with a needle and syringe that someone else has used may lead to a number of diseases from infected blood, including HIV and hepatitis.

Stimulants Stimulants - increase the speed at which nerves carry messages (they make you feel more alert) Caffeine (legal) Cocaine Ecstasy Amphetamines They make you feel more energetic and confident, but they can damage the liver and heart. They can also cause loss of memory and concentration, and bring an increased risk of mental illness.

Depressants Depressants - slow down messages in the brain and along the nerves (they make you feel more relaxed, happy, distorted view of surroundings) Alcohol (legal) Cannabis Solvents Heroin Some of the long-term effects of depressants on the body include damage to the liver, brain and heart Alcohol can cause weight gain; solvent abuse causes a rash around the nose and mouth; cannabis causes loss of memory and concentration, as well as an increased risk of mental illness.