Fact and Fiction

The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides -- alcohol is a leading factor in all three.

Drunk Driving Deaths are at a 10 Year HIGH!!!

Alcohol Related Traffic-Fatality Accidents were nearly 18,000 in 2006!

There are 1.4 million arrests for drunk driving every year.

Alcohol- also known as ethanol. It is a depressant that slows the CNS.

Affects neurotransmitters which control: behavior;alertness and memory;brain’s ability to function properly;pleasure senses and reward gratification system, thus reinforcing; more drinking.

How Neurotransmitters Work

What is Alcohol?•A drug that depresses the central nervous system.•Main affect is on the brain

What is fermentation?•The basis for the formation of all types of alcohol beverages•Process when yeast cells act on sugar in the presence of water producing a chemical change

What are the 3 types of alcoholic beverages?1.Beer is made from fermentation of grains such as barley, corn and rye.2.Wines are made from the fermentation of grapes and other fruits.3.Distilled spirits are alcoholic beverages that have higher concentrations of alcohol.

Why do Some People Drink???

People drink for many different reasons. Some reasons are listed below:

•to feel better; these people might see alcohol as an escape from sadness or loneliness

•to forget about their problems

•to relax

•celebrate

•they like the taste (alcohol is what’s known as an acquired taste, meaning that you have to grow into it--after having it a couple of times you might enjoy the taste)

•it’s a way for teenagers to rebel against their parents •to fit in

•to gain self-confidence

•The side effects are harmful to health •It costs too much

•It makes them sick

•They don’t like the taste• •It is fattening with little or no nutritional value

•They want to stay in control

•Not fully developed and body can’t handle it

•Leads to ADDICTION

Why do Some People Choose not to Drink???

•It is illegal for teenagers to buy or possess alcohol

•They’re afraid their parents will find out

•They would be breaking training rules

•It leads to other problems

•You can have more fun by staying sober

•Alcohol gives you bad breath

Blood Alcohol ContentBAC

(The amount of alcohol in a person’s blood)BAC is influenced by:

Your Gender

Your Weight

How Much You DRINK

How fast/long you drink

Amount of Food in your stomach

How STRONG the drink is

Medication

LEGAL Alcohol Limit in RI

.08http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htmhttp://bloodalcoholcalculator.org/

BAC Level Change in Drinker’s Behavior

.01-.02 Relaxed, with minor impairment of judgment or memory

.03-.04 Some loss of judgment and efficiency. Alertness is significantly decreased

.05-.06 Inhibitions are lowered. Decision making skills are affected. Drinker begins to have less control over actions and emotions

.07-.08 Walking, talking and balance are visibly affected. The drinker’s ability to react is notably slower. A BAC of .08 is considered legally intoxicated in most states.

.09-.10 Legally intoxicated in all states. Vision, judgment, and speech, reaction time are severely affected. Loss of balance.

.11-.15 Judgment, memory, and self-control are further affected. Irresponsible is evident. There is a decrease

.16-.19 Behavior is greatly affected. Lack of motor control; mental confusion. Slurred speech. Severe mood swings. Unale to perform tasks.

.2-.3 Confused or dazed. Unaware of surroundings. Unconsciousness may occur. All physical/mental abilities are severely impaired. CNS is acutely depressed.

Above .3 Unconscious. Irregular heartbeat and breathing pattern. Coma or death possible

1 Shot =1 Beer = 1 Wine = 1 Mixed Drink

It takes roughly 1 hour to oxidize 1 – 1 ½ ounces of whiskey.

20% of Alcohol passes directly through the stomach lining into the bloodstream.

What is the percentage of alcohol in a beverage?

•Beer 3-6% 12 oz.

•Wine Cooler 6% 12 oz.

•Wine 9-12% 4-6 oz.

•Distilled Spirits 40-60% 1 oz.

Effects on the Body Liver- cirrhosisHeart- weakens the muscle and causes high BP and fat depositsLips, Throat, Esophagus- cancerBreast- cancerUnborn Babies- FAS and mental retardation 

ALCOHOL FACT SHEET

1.The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you are to have a problem with

alcohol.

2.College students spend more on alcohol than on textbooks.

3.One 12 ounce beer = 5 ounce glass of wine = 1 ½ shots of 80 proof liquor.

4.How alcohol affects you depends on:

•how much alcohol is consumed

•the time period in which it is consumed

•how much food is in the stomach

•body weight

5.Alcohol is a depressant.

6.Alcoholics don't know they are becoming alcoholics-- "it just happens".

7.When someone has a problem, they follow certain patterns:

•lie to sober friends

•hide it from sober friends

•party more with drinking friends

•deny they have a problem

Alcohol Facts Cont…..

15.A BAL (Blood Alcohol Level) of .1 means you have 12 times

more likelihood of being in an accident.

16.A BAL of .2 means you have 60 times more likelihood of

being in an accident.

17.You ALWAYS have a choice about whether or not to drink.

18.Binge drinking can lead to permanent brain damage; coma,

then death, can happen in less than an hour.

19.Some of the social effects of alcohol are: unprotected sex,

pregnancy, STD's, date rape.

20.Up to 2/3 of date rape cases involve alcohol.

21.There is nothing that will sober you up except time.

22.It takes approximately 1 hour for each drink to be used by the

body.

Vocabulary List

Abuse: any use of legal drug (like alcohol) or an illicit drug that is detrimental t health.

Acute Alcohol Intoxication: potentially fatal elevation of BAC often resulting from rapid consumption of large amounts of alcohol.

Alcohol Poisoning: a severe elevation of BAC which may lead to coma or even death.

Alcoholic: a person who is physically or emotionally addicted to alcohol.

Alcholism: a disease characterized y the psycholoical and physical dependence upon alcohol, and the inability to control drinking.

Binge Drinking: rapid drinking of alcohol, sometimes on a bet, dare, or drinking game. Usually defined as a 5 or more drinks in a sitting.

Vocabulary List

Blackout: an episode of memory loss, usually occurring during a period of severe intoxication. Sign of alcoholism.

BAC: amount of alcohol in a person’s blood.

Cirrhosis: deadly liver disease characterized by scarring of the liver.

Delirium Tremors (DT’s): uncontrollable shaking and hallucinations associated with withdrawal from chronic heavy drinking.

DWI: driving an automobile while under the influence of alcohol. BAC of .08 or higher.

Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE): developmental impairment in a child linked to a mother’s use of alcohol.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): birth defects noted in the children of some women who consume alcohol during pregnancies.

Vocabulary List

Hangover: a variety of unpleasant physical sensations that follow the use of too much alcohol; may include headache, nausea, and muscular aches.

Heavy Drinker: a person who drinks, on average, more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day.

Hepatitis: inflammation of the liver.

Kidneys: organ that helps the body remove alcohol and other toxins from the blood.

Liver: organ that is the primary filter of alcohol in the bloodstream.

Problem Drinker: a pattern of alcohol use in which a drinker’s behavior creates personal difficulties. Or difficulties for others.

Proof: a standard of measurement of how much alcohol is in a drink. 2x the percentage of alcohol.