Human Health Alcohol and Reaction Time

Alcohol Learning Intentions:  What are the short term effects of alcohol?  What are the long term effects of alcohol?  Name a low and high tech method of measuring alcohol content of the body.  What effect does alcohol have on your reaction time?  What effect does alcohol have on an unborn child?

Alcohol – General facts  Alcohol is a drug  Alcohol enters the blood stream and alters how your body works  Alcohol has a direct influence on the function of your brain and how it responds to different stimuli  Alcohol has varying effects depending on how much you consume

Alcohol - General facts cont’d  Alcohol usually makes you feel -relaxed -uninhibited (you are more likely to do something you would never normally do when under the influence of alcohol)

Alcohol  Alcohol is broken down by -the liver  Alcohol is broken down at the rate of -1 unit per hour after alcohol consumption has stopped  Acceptable units of alcohol per week -Female14units -Male21 units (these figures have been altered since this course was written)

How to work out the units of alcohol  Work out your alcohol units for yourself with this handy sum:alcohol  No. of = Strength (%) x volume (ml) units 1000  E.g.Pint of Stella 5.2 (%) x 568 (ml) ÷ 1000 = 2.95 units

Measuring alcohol level of body  Low tech method  breathalyser  High tech method  Digital alcometer

Short term effects of alcohol  Longer/slower reaction time -you will take longer to brake in a car therefore are more likely to have an accident  Scottish Drink Driving ad - YouTube Scottish Drink Driving ad - YouTube

Short term effects of alcohol  Poorer muscle control and co-ordination -more likely to fall and hurt yourself and need medical attention wasting NHS resources

Short term effects of alcohol  Poor judgement -more likely to take something someone says the wrong way and end up in a fight

Long term effects of alcohol  If consumed to excess on a regular basis or as part of binge drinking at the weekend alcohol will eventually cause permanent damage to the: -brain -liver Stacy died aged 24 from alcoholic liver disease

Teen drinkers and the liver  YouTube - Binge drinking dangers - Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Binge drinking dangers - Embarrassing Teen Bodies  YouTube - Alcohol tests the morning after - Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Alcohol tests the morning after - Embarrassing Teen Bodies  YouTube - Liver testing teens 1 - Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Liver testing teens 1 - Embarrassing Teen Bodies  YouTube - Liver testing teens 2 - Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Liver testing teens 2 - Embarrassing Teen Bodies

Reaction time Reaction time is time taken to respond to a stimulus. Measured using:  Calibrated ruler (low tech)  Electronic timer (high tech) Affected by:  Drugs  Excitement  alcohol  Used as an indicator of health. Slower reaction times caused by:  Diabetes  Nerve disorder  Brain disorder  Arterial disease

Alcohol and reaction time  Under the influence of alcohol you have slower reaction times  You break down alcohol at 1 unit per hour after you stop drinking  Think about the scenario on the next slide

Scenario  You binged on alcohol at the weekend and consumed 12 units before you stopped drinking at 2am.  Would you be safe (i.e. have your reaction times recovered enough) to drive to work at 8am the same morning?  1 in 4 accidents are caused by drink driving

Alcohol and pregnancy  If a mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy the baby also consumes the alcohol – it passes across the placenta from mothers blood to baby’s blood  Alcoholic expectant mothers can have a baby who has foetal alcohol syndrome – low birth weight, developmental problems and low IQ

Quiz  What are the short term effects of alcohol?  What are the long term effects of alcohol?  Name a low and high tech method of measuring alcohol content of the body.  What effect does alcohol have on your reaction time?  What effect does alcohol have on an unborn child?