DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

OTC DRUGS•Over the counter drugs are medicines without a doctor’s prescription.▫Analgesics: are used to relieve pain.

Aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin)

▫Sedatives: are drugs that slow down the body functioning and make you sleepy. Mild sleeping pills

▫Stimulants: are the opposite of sedatives; they make you more alert. Most common drug is caffeine. Headache remedies, cold remedies, and appetite

suppressants

OTC DRUGS•No drug is completely safe.•Must follow directions.•Even basic drugs like aspirin have side

effects.•Antihistamines can cause drowsiness and

dizziness, which is why the person shouldn’t drive.

•Some drugs can mask the symptom, by covering up the symptom it can make the infection worse.

Guidelines•Don’t mix medications without checking

with a physician or pharmacist.•Don’t take someone else's prescription.•Don’t use OTC drugs for a long time,

maybe delaying a serious diagnosis.•Don’t ever conclude that if a little bit of a

drug makes you feel good, that more will make you feel better.

•Check with pharmacists about side effects, dosage, length of time, food, etc…

ALCOHOL

•Most misunderstood drug.•Widely advertised and used socially.•There is another side to it that can be

dangerous and it kills thousands of people every year and addicts millions more

•It can tear families apart and is involved in more than half the violent crimes in America.

ALCOHOL PROCESS1. Alcohol irritates the throat and esophagus on its

way into the body.2. About 20% of the alcohol drunk is absorbed into

the bloodstream through the stomach wall.3. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol travels

throughout the body, including the heart and brain. You can feel the effects within minutes.

4. The alcohol remains in the bloodstream until it can be metabolized by the liver.

5. The liver breaks it down into carbon dioxide and water. The more you drink, the harder the liver will have to work to rid the body of alcohol.

Studies show that even small doses of alcohol leaves fat deposits on the liver.

Short Term Effects•Feel relaxed•Face feels flushed/warm because the

alcohol has dilated, or widened, the blood vessels near the skin.

•Have to urinate frequently, as the body tries to get rid of the alcohol.

•Coordination and inhibitions begin to suffer

LONG TERM EFFECTS•Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol can lead to

addiction (alcoholism). •Sudden cessation of long term, extensive

alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including:▫severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and

convulsions. •Long-term effects of consuming large

quantities of alcohol, especially when combined with poor nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver.

DISEASES•Hepatitis can result from damage to the

liver. It is an inflammation or infection of the liver that can cause fever, yellowing of the skin, and sometimes death.

•Cirrhosis is another disease of the liver brought on by alcohol abuse. ▫Liver cells are permanently replaced with

useless scar tissue. Liver can no longer metabolize food properly.

▫People with Cirrhosis who continue to drink tend to only have a 50% chance of living for more than 5 years.

•Can cause damage to heart muscles and increase the risk of heart disease.

•Can increase the chances of breast cancer in women.

•It interrupts REM sleep•Lowers white blood cells •Kills brain cells•Teenagers who use alcohol can become

addicted to it in as little as one to two years.

•It takes adults about 5 – 20 years of alcohol abuse to become addicted.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

•In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. ▫These infants may suffer from mental

retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities.

▫In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

Causes of Addiction

•It’s not always clear why people can drink alcohol without becoming addicted, while others become addicts.

•Some evidence also claims it can be inherited through your genes.

•Probably a combination of environment, psychological and physical factors.

•Most people who have this disease go through 3 phases: ABUSE, DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION

Underage drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior.

•According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 5,000 kids under 21 die every year as a result of underage drinking – from crashes, homicides, and suicides.

•Teens that drink also are at risk for a long list of other injuries and potential life-long alcohol abuse.

•Reducing underage drinking can reduce drinking-related harm.

Brain Development and Alcohol Abuse•Research indicates that the human brain

continues to develop into a person's early 20's, and that exposure of the developing brain to alcohol may have long-lasting effects on intellectual capabilities and may increase the likelihood of alcohol addiction.

•The age when drinking starts affects future drinking problems. For each year that the start of drinking is delayed, the risk of later alcohol dependence is reduced by 14 percent.

BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL•One drink is enough to interfere with a

person’s judgment and reflexes.•The percentage in a person’s bloodstream is

called Blood Alcohol Level. A person’s BAL can be influenced by gender, body weight, the amount of food in the stomach, and the rate of drinking.

•One drink can raise your BAL to .025 or greater.

•According to the Oregon law drivers under 21 are considered legally intoxicated if the test indicates you have any alcohol in your system and adults at .08.

BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AND ITS EFFECTS#of Drinks in 1 hr (140 lb)

Approximate BAL

Effects on the Body

1 .025Feeling of relaxation, warmth, slight impairment

2 .05Inhibitions are lessened, judgment impaired, behavior impulsive/silly

3 .075Reflexes and coordination impairedSpeech and hearing slightly affected

4 .1Legally drunk, vision, hearing, judgment, reflexes, coordination impaired

6 .161Intoxication; coordination seriously affected; vision blurred, speech impaired

8 .215Intoxication extreme, no control over thoughts and perceptions, walking and standing difficult

12 .321Intoxication severe and dangerous; nervous system may become affect, coma and death can result

Drinking and Driving•Car crashes are the leading cause of death

among people ages 15 to 20. About 1,900 people under 21 die every year from car crashes involving underage drinking.

•Young people are more susceptible to alcohol-induced impairment of their driving skills. Drinking drivers aged 16 to 20 are twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as drinking drivers who are 21 or older.

Oregon Law•Take a breath test and fail it –

▫DMV will suspend your driving privileges for 90 days. If you have any prior alcohol-related entries on your driving record within five years, DMV will suspend your driving privileges for one year.

•Refuse to take a breath test – ▫DMV will suspend your driving privileges

for one year. If you have any prior alcohol-related entries on your driving record within five years, DMV will suspend your driving privileges for three years.

Suicide•Alcohol use interacts with conditions like

depression and stress, and contributes to an estimated 300 teen suicides a year.

•High school students who drink are twice as likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide, as compared to nondrinkers.

•High school students who binge drink are four times as likely to have attempted suicide, as compared to nondrinkers.

Sexual Behavior•Current teen drinkers are more than

twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse within the past three months than teens who don't drink.

•Higher drinking levels increase the likelihood of sexual activity.

•Adolescents who drink are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, like having sex with someone they don't know or failing to use birth control.

Other Risks

•Teens who drink alcohol are more likely than nondrinkers to smoke marijuana, use inhalants, or carry a weapon.

•Binge drinking substantially increases the likelihood of these activities.