 Have you ever watched someone smoke a cigarette or drink a glass of wine? Did you notice a change in that person’s behavior? How was he or she affected?

 Using cigarettes and wine may make a person feel energetic, relaxed, or out of control. Any kind of tobacco or alcohol product can cause these effects. Nicotine and alcohol are drugs.

Tobacco & Alcohol Grade 6 ~ Health Week 4

 Erin just started going to a new school. She met some girls that she likes, but they keep inviting her to smoke with them after school. She doesn’t want to smoke, but she wants to be friends with these girls.

Tobacco  Tobacco is a plant with leaves that can be dried and mixed with other chemicals to make products such as cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars.

Tobacco  Tobacco products are made with hundreds of chemicals. Most of them are dangerous to the human body. Nicotine is the most common chemical found in cigarettes. Nicotine is an addictive drug that causes people to want more.

Tobacco  Secondhand smoke is smoke from other people’s tobacco.  Secondhand smoke harms the heart and lungs.  It can make you cough and sneeze.  Your eyes might sting.  Stay away from secondhand smoke.

Alcohol  Sebastian’s best friend, Liam, was hanging out with a new group of guys. Liam drank beer with his new friends every weekend. Liam always invited Sebastian, but going with them seemed risky to Sebastian.

Alcohol and the Body  It is against the law for minors to drink alcohol. A minor is a person under the legal age for an action such as drinking alcohol.  The legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21 years old.

Alcohol and the Body  When a person drinks, some alcohol enters the blood right away. Alcohol enters the blood more quickly if a person hasn’t eaten in a while.

Alcohol and the Body  The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol so that the body gets rid of it. The liver can only handle a limited amount of alcohol at once, though.

Alcohol and the Body  For most adults, the liver can handle about as much alcohol each hour as is in one beer. If a person drinks more alcohol than the liver can handle, the rest of the alcohol builds up in the blood.

Alcohol and the Body  The amount of alcohol in a person’s blood is called the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A BAC of 0.01 means that one thousandth of a person’s blood is alcohol.  The BAC depends on a person’s weight and how much alcohol the person has drank.  It also depends on how long the person has been drinking.

Alcohol and the Body  A high BAC can lead to intoxication.  Intoxication is the state of being drunk.  Intoxication makes it difficult to think clearly.  It slows down a person’s reaction time.  It decreases a person’s coordination.  People who are intoxicated are more likely to have car accidents.  In NJ, it is illegal for a person with a BAC of 0.08 or higher to drive a car.

Long-term Effects of Alcohol  Drinking alcohol can also have long-term effects. People who start drinking at a young age can have health problems later in life. Some of these problems can shorten a person’s life.

Long-term Effects of Alcohol  Liver Disease  The liver has to work very hard to remove alcohol from the blood. Over time the extra work can cause damage to the liver and diseases such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.

Long-term Effects of Alcohol  Heart Disease and Cancer  Heavy drinking can also increase the risk of heart disease over time. The heart does not pump blood as well. Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, breast, esophagus, liver, and colon.

Long-term Effects of Alcohol  Birth Defects  Women who drink while they are pregnant risk harming their babies. Birth defects caused by a mother using alcohol are called fetal alcohol syndrome.

Long-term Effects of Alcohol  Social Problems  Alcohol makes it difficult to make responsible decisions.  People who abuse alcohol are more likely to be involved in violence. This can lead to injuries and even death.  People who drink heavily may also have trouble expressing their emotions in healthful ways.

Alcohol and the Body  Alcoholism is a disease in which a person is addicted to alcohol.  The signs of the disease aren’t the same in everyone who has it.  Some people drink often, some people don’t.  A person who has family members with alcoholism has a higher risk for the disease.  People who start drinking at a young age also increase their risk.