SUBSTANCE ABUSE:Making Responsible Choices

Ms. Mai

Lawndale High School

Alcohol’s Long-Term Effects

When alcohol is used in moderation and responsibly, it can be a source of relaxation and social pleasure for some adults

However, when used to excess alcohol can cause serious harm to many people

Studies have shown that the life expectancy of heavy drinkers decreases by 10-12 years

What Alcohol Does to your Body

Brain – shrink the size, lose memory and intelligence

Liver – can’t break down fat, so fat collects in the liver, liver stops functioning (difficult to detect in early stages because it is painless until your liver gets infected

You can get cirrhosis (scarring of liver), hepatitis (liver inflamed), or liver cancer

What Alcohol Does to your Body

Mouth – oral and esophagus cancer

Stomach – too much acid causing indigestion and ulcers

Heart – weakens heart muscle so higher risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and heart attack

Damage During Pregnancy

Alcohol that enters a mother’ bloodstream will also enter the fetus

Mothers who drink during pregnancy can produce children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), miscarriage, or stillbirth

FAS is characterized by mental retardation, delayed growth, and abnormal facial features

How to Recover from Alcohol Addiction

Although it may be difficult for an alcoholics to give up their drink, there are many effective ways to do so…

1. Support Groups

2. Individual Counseling

3. Drug Therapy

4. Detoxification

1. Support Groups

This is the most effective long-term treatment for alcohol addiction

Hospitals, clinics, health agencies, family service organizations, churches, and private organizations offer group programs for addicted drinkers

Alcoholics Anonymous for recovering addicts, Al-Anon for family of addicts, Alateen for children and teens of addicts

2. Individual Counseling

Some addicts drink as a way of avoiding problems in their lives

For these people, individual counseling is best because people can begin to understand themselves better and the behaviors that lead to their drinking

3. Drug Therapy

Doctors sometimes prescribe the drug Antabuse to block enzymes that enable the drinker’s body to process alcohol

When someone on this drug drinks alcohol, they get severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and other hangover reactions

In this way, drinking becomes associated with getting sick, so the drinker avoids alcohol altogether

4. Detoxification

The first step in many alcohol treatments is detoxification (allowing the body to rid itself of all alcohol)

During detox, many alcoholics will experience withdrawal symptoms which will usually last 3 – 4 days

After detox, a healthy nutritional program is usually put in place to replace the lost nutrients during drinking

Alcohol and Society

Alcohol abuse affects not only the drinker, but the drinker’s family, friends, and co-workers

Innocent victims are also affected by alcohol-related accidents, violence, and crime

Alcohol plays a major role in accidental deaths, suicides, homicides, rapes, and robberies

Alcohol in the Home

Alcohol destroys trust in the family life

Family members live in fear of the drinker’s sudden mood changes

2/3 of all child abuse cases involve alcohol

Many children are neglected, uncared for, unfed, and have behavior problems at school (some even abused at home)

Alcohol on the Job or In School

Alcohol abuse leads to absences, poor concentration, poor performance, and accidents in school and at work

Heavy drinkers often drop out of school or lose their jobs as a result

Alcohol also affects memory, concentration, and someone’s ability to study and learn (lower grades)

Alcohol and Driving

Every year 20,000 people are killed and 500,000 people are injured in drunk driving accidents

Drunk drivers ages 16-24 cause more fatal accidents than any other age group

Drunk drivers cannot concentrate, underestimate dangers, take risks, have slower reaction time, and their eyes move more slowly because it is blurred

Driving While Intoxicated

In every state, it is illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol

In many states, it is also illegal to carry open containers of alcohol in the car

There is a mandatory jail sentence as the immediate consequence for anyone caught driving while intoxicated (DWI)

In the state of California, the BAC limit is 0.08%

Drinking and the Law

Because of so many alcohol-related accidents, many laws have been passed in recent years

Many states have outlawed “happy hours” because bar owners and bartenders are legally responsible for damage or injury caused by drunk drivers

The legal drinking age in all states is 21

Deciding Not to Drink

There is great evidence that heavy alcohol is extremely damaging to your health, can impair your relationships, and interfere with your development

At the legal age if you do decide to drink, make sure to use alcohol moderately and responsibly (half of all teenage deaths are the result of alcohol-related accidents)

How to Resist Peer Pressure

Refusing a drink is a personal decision that requires no apology or explanation

Say, “NO THANKS”

Keep it brief

Don’t make fun of another person who decides to drink (you are asking for trouble)

Consider another group of friends

Coping with Stress

Drinking does not solve problems, but creates other problems

Everyone experiences stressful times; learning to deal with stress in a healthy manner can enable you to avoid alcohol as an escape for your problems

Learn constructive ways to relax like working out, listening to music, or others to relieve your stress

Avoiding Intoxicated Drivers

Every 15 minutes someone dies in an alcohol-related accident

Offending and inconveniencing a friend is far better than risking serious injury

Take someone’s car keys away

Choose a designated driver who will NOT drink at all (good excuse to refuse alcohol)

Getting Help

If you or someone you know has a drinking problem, get help!!

All alcoholic groups are completely confidential (don’t even need a name)

The key is the realize that the drinker’s problem is not your responsibility, but if you care enough you would help