Transcript Slide 1

THE
DANGERS
OF
ALCOHOL
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WHAT IS ALCOHOL?
Alcohol is a depressant drug
that slows down the central
nervous system.
Even in small doses, alcohol
affects a person’s reaction
time and coordination.
Alcohol also interferes
with a person’s ability to
concentrate and make
logical decisions.
In large doses, alcohol can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
HOW IS ALCOHOL MADE?
Most drinking alcohol is
created through a process
called fermentation.
Fermentation uses the
waste (or excrement)
of a fungus called yeast
to create the beverage
that we know as alcohol.
Beverage alcohol (ethanol) is technically classified as a food because
it contains calories. However, alcohol has no nutritional value.
PICK A POISON, ANY POISON
There are three basic types of alcoholic beverages:
BEER (3-6% alcohol)
is fermented from grains
WINE (3-6% alcohol)
is fermented from fruits
LIQUOR (40-50% alcohol)
is distilled alcohol made
from grains, fruits, rice
or vegetables
A special note about liquor:
The “proof” of an alcoholic drink is twice as high as its actual alcohol content. This means
that 80-proof liquor is really composed of 40% alcohol.
TYPES OF ALCOHOL
These drinks all contain about the same amount of alcohol and have
roughly the same effect on the body:
A can of beer
(12 ounces at 5% alcohol)
A bottle of alcoholic cider
(12 ounces at 5% alcohol)
A glass of wine
(5 ounces at 12% alcohol)
A shot of liquor *
(1 ¼ ounces at 40% alcohol)
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A shot of liquor will have the same effect whether it is consumed straight or mixed
with other ingredients in a cocktail.
DEADLY DECISIONS
Alcohol is involved in…
…nearly 60% of all fires
…68% of all drowning deaths
…nearly 70% of all suicides
…70% of all violent behavior
on college campuses
…64% of all homicides
…90% of all vandalism
ALCOHOL AND CAR CRASHES
Every minute…
of every day…
of every year…
a young person between
the ages of 16 and 20
is injured in a car crash.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death
for 13 to 20 year-olds in the United States.
WHAT IS BINGE DRINKING?
If you are…
a male who
consumes
or
5 or more
drinks in
one sitting…
a female who
consumes
4 or more
drinks in
one sitting…
…then you can be classified
as a binge drinker.
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Rapid binge drinking on
a dare or at a party is
extremely dangerous.
If a large quantity of alcohol
is consumed too quickly,
the body cannot process
the alcohol fast enough.
The high level of alcohol
in the bloodstream causes
the body’s systems to
shut down.
Binge drinking can lead to
alcohol poisoning and death!
WHAT IS BAC?
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
refers to the amount of alcohol that
is present in a person’s bloodstream.
BAC is commonly measured in percentages.
For instance, a BAC of 0.10% means
that a person has one drop of alcohol
per 1,000 drops of blood in the body.
BAC AND THE LAW
In most states, if you have a BAC of 0.08% or above, you can be
convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
This does NOT mean it’s okay to
drive after drinking as long as your
BAC is below 0.08%.
At a BAC level of 0.20%…
the drinker’s physical and mental
abilities are extremely impaired.
Unconsciousness may occur.
At a BAC level of 0.30% or higher…
the body’s reflexes are so reduced
that coma or death are possible.
BAC LEVEL - MALES
On this table,
“one drink” equals:
1 ¼ ounces of 80-proof liquor…
or
12 ounces of beer…
or
5 ounces of wine.
A BAC above 0.30% is potentially lethal!
Impairment begins with your first drink!
BAC LEVEL - FEMALES
On this table,
“one drink” equals:
1 ¼ ounces of 80-proof liquor…
or
12 ounces of beer…
or
5 ounces of wine.
A BAC above 0.30% is potentially lethal!
Impairment begins with your first drink!
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
This is what it feels like to be drunk:
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splitting headache
bloodshot eyes
vomiting
red nose
slurred speech
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nausea
fatigue
trembling
blackouts
dry mouth
A hangover is the body’s reaction to
drinking too much alcohol.
A hangover may last up to 12 hours.
LONG-TERM DAMAGE
Mouth, Throat and Esophagus
Alcohol abuse increases a drinker’s risk of
developing cancer of the mouth, tongue,
throat and esophagus.
Brain
Alcohol can cause the brain to shrink.
Brain cells damaged by alcohol cannot
be repaired. Alcohol also dulls the senses
and impairs the memory.
Stomach
Because it constantly irritates the stomach
lining, alcohol can cause gastric inflammation,
bleeding and ulcers, as well as stomach cancer.
LONG-TERM DAMAGE
Liver
Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to liver damage,
liver cancer and cirrhosis—which literally means
that the liver is covered with scar tissue and cannot
produce new, healthy liver cells.
Heart
Over time, excessive use of alcohol weakens the
heart, increasing a drinker’s risk of stroke or heart
attack. Alcohol can also cause high blood pressure
and an enlarged heart.
Reproductive System
Heavy drinking can cause infertility in men
and women. Alcohol may lead to irregular
menstrual cycles, reduced sperm production
and problems with sexual performance.
SOBERING UP
MYTHS: You can sober up if you:
…drink black coffee
…take a cold bath or shower
…sleep it off
…walk it off
…eat a big meal
…vomit
FACTS: NONE of these myths work!
It takes the body two hours to process the alcohol
in one drink—whether it is wine, beer or hard liquor.
ALCOHOL POISONING
Everyone has a different
tolerance to alcohol.
What is relatively safe for
someone else might be
lethal for you.
Some teens have died
from alcohol poisoning after
drinking as much alcohol
as their friends who survived.
In 2004, there were over 142,000 alcohol-related
emergency room visits by 12 to 20 year-olds.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
These are signs of alcohol poisoning. Watch out if a friend:
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does not respond to being talked to
or shouted at
does not respond to being pinched,
prodded or poked
vomits while sleeping or passed out
cannot remain standing without help
takes fewer than six breaths per minute
has skin that appears flushed, clammy
or cool to the touch
has a pulse rate less than 40 beats
per minute
SAVE A LIFE
If a friend shows signs
of alcohol poisoning:
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Don’t leave your friend alone!
Call 911 immediately.
Place your friend on his/her side to reduce
the risk of choking on vomit.
Wait with your friend until help arrives.
If your friend’s breathing becomes slower
than six breaths per minute, perform mouthto-mouth resuscitation immediately!
If you are no longer able to feel a pulse, or if
your friend’s pulse goes below 40 beats per
minute, perform CPR until help arrives.
Tell the emergency crew all you know about
how much alcohol your friend has consumed.
TWO WHO DIED
Katie Lutz
On the night of her 16th birthday,
one of Katie Lutz’s friends gave
her a bottle of vodka.
They said, “Come on, you’re a
big girl now. You should learn
how to chug it.”
Katie drank the vodka, went home
and fell into a coma.
She died before daybreak.
TWO WHO DIED
Matthew Hickok
One night, 21-year-old Matthew Hickok
went bar-hopping with friends.
At the tenth bar, the bartender refused to
serve Matthew any more alcohol, and told
his friends that Matthew should be taken
to the hospital at once.
Instead, the designated driver left Matthew
“sleeping” in the back seat of his car.
The next morning, Matthew was found
dead of alcohol poisoning.
WOMEN AND ALCOHOL
Because women usually have more body fat and less muscle tissue
than men, more alcohol enters their bloodstreams directly, causing
greater intoxication.
Women have a higher risk of alcohol poisoning than men.
WOMEN AND ALCOHOL
Women who drink heavily are four times more likely than men to die
of an alcohol-related disease.
Women produce less of an enzyme called dehydrogenase that breaks
down alcohol in the bloodstream. This makes women more susceptible
to the effects of alcohol.
ALCOHOL AND SEX
Binge drinkers are five times more likely to have unprotected sex than
non-drinkers.
Teens who drink are at an increased risk of date rape, unprotected sex
and possible infection with a sexually transmitted disease.
50% of all unplanned sexual
encounters occur under the
influence of alcohol.
In more than 65% of unplanned
pregnancies, the woman was
intoxicated during sex.
90% of all sexual assaults occur
under the influence of alcohol.
FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal
Alcohol Effect (FAE) are permanent birth
defects that result when the alcohol in a
pregnant mother’s bloodstream passes
through her placenta and damages the
growing fetus.
Infants with FAS or FAE may be born
with facial deformities, heart defects
and mental retardation.
FAS is the leading cause of non-genetic
mental retardation today.
A pregnant woman should not drink ANY
alcohol during her pregnancy.
ALCOHOLISM
alcoholism \al·co·hol·ism\: A chronic disease
marked by a dependence upon alcohol.
The need for alcohol is so strong that it dominates all
other concerns.
Without alcohol in the system, the person suffers from
withdrawal symptoms.
Teens who drink are more likely to develop alcoholism
than those who begin drinking later in life.
Typically, it takes a teenager six months to two years to
become an alcoholic. It takes an adult five to 15 years
to become an alcoholic.
CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS
By age 18, about 1 in 4 children in the U.S. has lived
with a family member who has an alcohol problem.
Children of alcoholics (CoA’s) are at higher risk of becoming alcoholics
than children from other families. If you are the child of an alcoholic,
you can deal with your family by:
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talking with friends, relatives and neighbors
that you trust
speaking with a physician, teacher, clergy
member or other professional
attending self-help groups such as Al-Anon
or Alateen
working with a counselor or a therapist
ARE YOU ABUSING ALCOHOL?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
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Are your friends or family concerned
about your drinking?
Is drinking affecting your performance
at school or work?
Are you using alcohol as a way to
escape your problems?
Are you using alcohol to change your
personality or to be the life of the party?
Do you try to hide the amount of alcohol
that you drink from others?
If you (or someone you know) answered yes to any of these questions, you should
seek help immediately. Talk to a counselor, a friend, a parent or a clergy member.
You can also consult your local phone book for “Alcoholism Treatment.”
GETTING HELP
Dozens of organizations can help those who have problems with alcohol or
live with alcoholics. Contact these resources if you need help:
Al-Anon
and Alateen
(888) 4AL-ANON
www.al-anon.org
Mothers Against
Drunk Driving
(800) GET-MADD
www.madd.org
National Drug and
Alcohol Referral Hotline
(800) 662-HELP
Alcoholics
Anonymous
(212) 870-3400
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
National Association
for Children of Alcoholics
(888) 554-COAS
www.nacoa.net
National Institute
on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov
Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment Facility Locator
(800) 662-HELP
www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
National Clearinghouse for
Alcohol and Drug Information
(800) 729-6686
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov
Students Against
Destructive Decisions
(877) SADD-INC
www.sadd.org