September is...

AlcoholAwareness Month

How does alcohol affect a person?Alcohol affects every organ in the body. It is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver by enzymes; however, the liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at a time, leaving the excess alcohol to circulate throughout the body. The intensity of the effect of alcohol on the body is directly related to the amount consumed.

What happens when a person drinks alcohol?When you have a drink, alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream from the stomach and enters tissues in the body. The effects of alcohol depend on a variety of things, such as:

• Your size, weight, body fat and sex • Amount of alcohol consumed • Amount of food in your stomach • Use of medications, including non-prescription drugs In general, it takes the average drinker about one hour to metabolize one drink. When you drink more than that, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rises, and you start to feel the effects of intoxication. You may start to think that women are only joking when they say, “Leave me alone, you drunk,” which will only make you seem more like That Guy when you continue to talk to them.

What does it mean to get drunk?“Getting drunk” or intoxicated is the result of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. Binge drinking typically results in acute intoxication. Alcohol intoxication can be harmful for a variety of reasons, including:

• Impaired brain function resulting in poor judgment, reduced reaction time, loss of balance and motor skills, or slurred speech.

• Dilation of blood vessels causing a feeling of warmth but resulting in rapid loss of body heat.

• Increased risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver diseases (e.g., cirrhosis), particularly when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed over extended periods of time.

• Damage to a developing fetus if consumed by pregnant women. • Increased risk of motor-vehicle traffic crashes, violence, and other

injuries. • Coma and death can occur if alcohol is consumed rapidly and in

large amounts.

Alcohol Poses Unique Health Risks for Women• Research shows that women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related diseases because when men and women drink the same amount of alco-hol, women develop higher blood alcohol levels than men do.3 In other words women get more intoxicated and get intoxicated faster than men do. •Women have a higher propensity to develop liver disease than men do. The amount or alcohol necessary to produce cirrhosis in the liver in women is two to three times less than in men.4 •Drinking can affect your skin because dehydration deprives skin of vital nutrients. •For many reasons including hormonal changes and social pressures women are 50% more likely to suffer from depression.5Depression and stress are leading factors for drinking in women.67 Additionally after

drinking heavily, many women feel depressed.

How does a person know if someone needs help?If you think you might have a problem, ask yourself the following questions:• Have you ever felt you should cut back on your drinking? • Does your drinking ever make you late for work? • Do you ever forget what you did while you were drinking? • Do you ever drink after telling yourself you won’t? • Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? • Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking? • Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

If you answered “yes” once it’s possible you may have a problem. More than one “yes” means it is highly likely that there’s a problem.

If you’re worried about a friend or loved one, the best thing you can do for them is to take action right away.Here are some important alcohol warning signs to watch for:• Neglecting major work or family responsibilities • Missing work, poor performance reviews and/or disciplinary actions • Getting drunk regularly • Lying about how much he/she is drinking • Believing that alcohol is necessary to have fun • Having frequent hangovers and blackouts• Getting in trouble with the law because of drinking • Mood changes (temper flare-ups, irritability or defensiveness) • Becoming “That Guy”

The Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions