1. Chapter 22
Alcohol

2. Choosing to Be Alcohol Free
Lesson 1
Choosing to Be Alcohol Free

3. The Facts About Alcohol
Alcohol = Ethanol
Fermentation = chemical action
Water, flavoring and minerals are mixed with ethanol to produce a variety of beverages, such as beer and wine

4. Immediate Effects of Alcohol Consumption
Initial rush = false sense
Depressant = slows central nervous system
Affects a person’s motor skills
Slows down reaction time
Impairs vision
Clear thinking and good judgment are impaired
The amount of alcohol that leads to intoxication is different for every person
Intoxication = poisoned by alcohol or another substance and the person’s physical and mental control is significantly reduced

5. Factors That Influences Alcohol Use
To Use or Not to Use???
Peer Pressure
Family
Media Messages
Advertising Techniques
Alcohol beverage companies spend billions of dollars a year to advertise
How do they spend their money?
Where do they spend their money?

6. Avoid Alcohol: Avoid Unsafe Situations
Alcohol-related traffic collisions = number one cause of death and disability among teens
Alcohol and the Law 21
Alcohol, Violence and Sexual Activity
More likely to be victims
Judgment, lowers inhibitions, compromise morals
Alcohol Abuse
Excessive use
Four times more to be dependent on alcohol when a person starts to drink as a teen rather an adult
Alcohol and Extracurricular Activities
Zero tolerance policy

7. Being Alcohol Free Maintain a healthy body Make responsible decisions
Avoid risky behaviors
Avoid illegal activities
Refusing Alcohol = Saying NO is much easier when you are prepared
Refuse to drink, Leave the situation, call for a ride home
Best defense is to avoid situations where alcohol is present

8. Harmful Effects of Alcohol Use
Lesson 2
Harmful Effects of Alcohol Use

9. Short-Term Effects of Drinking
Different for each individual
Body size and gender
Food
Amount and rate of intake
Figure 22.1
Nervous System
Cardiovascular System
Digestive System
Respiratory System

10. Alcohol and Drug Interaction
Do not mix
Lead to illness, injury, or even death
Understanding how the body works when using drugs
Metabolism – breakdown of substances
Multiplier Effect – when combining alcohol with medication, the medication will have a greater effect or different effect than taken alone

11. Typical Alcohol-Drug Interactions
Alcohol may slow down a drug’s absorption by the body.
Increases the length of time that the alcohol or drug is in the body, increase risk of harmful side effects
Drinking increases the number of metabolizing enzymes, causes medicines to be broken down faster, decreasing their effectiveness
Metabolizing enzymes can change some medications into chemicals that can damage the liver or other organs
Alcohol can increase the effects of some drugs

12. Driving Under the Influence
Drinking alcohol impairs vision, reaction time, and coordination
Results can be disastrous or even deadly
Driving while intoxicated, DWI, or driving under the influence, DUI, is the leading cause of death among teens
Blood alcohol level (BAC)
BAC exceeds the state’s legal limit = intoxication
Anyone under 21 there is NO exception, some states BAC level is 0.1 percent and others are 0.08

13. Medical Researchers and Drinking
Slows reflexes
Reduces a person’s ability to judge distances and speeds
Increases risk-taking behaviors
Reduces a person’s concentration while increasing forgetfulness

14. Consequences of DWI Harm to the driver and others
Severely restricted driving privileges and/or immediate confiscation of a drivers license
Alcohol-related injuries, property damage, and death
Living with regret and remorse from these consequences
Loss of parental trust and respect
Arrest, jail time, court appearance, and a heavy fine or bail
A police record and possible lawsuits
Higher insurance rates – up to three times higher than those for nondrinking peers

15. Binge Drinking & Alcohol Poisoning
Drinking five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting
Rapid binge drinking can be fatal or cause alcohol poisoning
Alcohol Poisoning
A severe reaction to an alcohol overdose
Alcohol acts as a depressant and shuts down involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex that prevents choking
A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these involuntary actions, a person can choke on her own vomit
Common to vomit if a person consumes too much alcohol because it is a stomach irritant

16. Effects of Alcohol Poisoning
Passing out
Alcohol does not stop entering the body after a person passes out, however alcohol in the stomach and intestines continues to enter the bloodstream and blood alcohol concentration levels continue to rise
It is dangerous to assume someone who is passed out is fine if left to “sleep it off”

17. Symptoms Indicating Alcohol Poisoning
Mental confusion, stupor, coma, inability to be roused, vomiting, and seizures
Slow respiration – 10 seconds between breaths or fewer than 8 breaths in a minute
Irregular heartbeat
Hypothermia or low body temperature – pale or bluish skin
Severe dehydration from vomiting

18. Alcohol, the Individual, and Society
Lesson 3
Alcohol, the Individual, and Society

19. Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Changes to the Brain
Addiction, loss of brain function, brain damage
Cardiovascular Changes
Heart damage, enlarged heart, high blood pressure
Liver Problems
Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis
Digestive System Problems
Irritation (lead to ulcers and cancer of stomach and esophagus)
Pancreas Problems
Lining of the pancreas (swells to block the passage from the pancreas to small intestine)

20. Alcohol During Pregnancy
The fetus’s liver is not developed enough to process alcohol = cause permanent damage to the fetus
During the first few weeks of pregnancy if a woman drinks it is doing harm to the baby’s central nervous system
Infants born to mothers who drink are at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
A group of alcohol-related birth defects that include physical and mental problems

21. Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Severe and lasting
Small head and deformities of the face, hands, or feet
Heart, liver and kidney defects
Vision and hearing problems
Slow growth and coordination
Difficulties with learning, attention, memory, and problem solving
FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation in the US
COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE

22. Alcoholism
A disease in which a person has a physical or psychological dependence on drinks that contain alcohol
Impaired ability to study, work or socialize normally
One of the most devastating effects of alcohol use

23. Alcoholics An addict who is dependent on alcohol
Some may display harmful behaviors such as drunk driving or violent or aggressive behaviors
Some may be quiet and withdrawn
It is not limited to any one age, race, ethnic or socioeconomic group

24. Symptoms of an Alcoholic
Craving
Loss of Control
Physical dependence
Tolerance
Health, family and legal problems

25. Factors Affecting Alcoholics
Genetic link
Children of alcoholics are four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics
Other environmental factors such as family, friends, culture, peers, pressure, availability of alcohol and stress can put a person at risk for alcoholism
Make the healthy choice and stay alcohol free

26. Stages of Alcoholism Stage 1 – Abuse Stage 2 – Dependence
Stage 3 - Addiction

27. Effects on Family and Society
Alcohol use is a major factor in the four leading causes of accidental death – car accidents, falls, drownings, and house fires
Alcohol plays a role in violent crimes – homicide, forcible rape, and robbery
Codependency – people who learn to ignore their own needs and focus their energy and emotions on the needs of the alcoholic
Lose their trust in others, their self-esteem and at times their own health

28. Treatment for Alcoholics
Recovery
Process of learning to live an alcohol-free life
The goal is to stop or control the intake of alcohol
Sobriety
Living without alcohol
A lifelong commitment
Figure 22.4