Alcohol

1
Alcohol
Presented by
Charlene Reynolds
2
Effects of Alcohol on the Body

•  Studies have shown that long-term drinking
  produces serious harmful effects on the body's
  organ system.
• The parts of the body most effect is the liver,
  cardiovascular, brain and skeletal systems.
• Heavy drinkers are likely to suffer hypertension,
  high blood pressure, heart attacks, and
  Alzheimer's disease.
• Sensible drinking helps to reduce or preventing
  liver damage, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis,
  bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones,
  stress, depression, poor cognition and memory,
  Parkinson's disease, hepatitis cancer, ulcer,
  hearing loss, gallstones, and poor physical
  condition.

3
Alcohol Absorption

•  
• Alcohol is absorbed quickly because it does not
  require digestion by the stomach.
• About 90 of the alcohol consumed is absorbed by
  the small intestine.
• Rates of absorption for alcohol depend on the
  amount and type of food in the stomach.
• The effects of alcohol may appear within 10
  minutes after drinking and peak at 40 to 60
  minutes.
• Alcohol remains in the bloodstream until it is
  broken down by the liver.
• As a central nervous system (CNS) depressant
  alcohol depresses the breathing rate, heart rate
  and the control mechanisms of the brain.

4
Four Symptoms of Alcoholism

• Craving--A strong need, or urge, to drink.
• Loss of control--Not being able to stop drinking
  once drinking has begun.
• Physical dependence--Withdrawal symptoms, such as
  nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after
  stopping drinking.
• Tolerance--The need to drink greater amounts of
  alcohol to get "high."

5
What is Alcoholism?

• Alcoholism is an illness marked by consumption of
  alcoholic beverages at a level that interferes
  with your physical or mental health, and social,
  family, or job responsibilities
• They have withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is
  taken away or decreased.
• Alcohol abusers have problems such as legal
  problems, drinking driving, and binge drinking.
• The carving an alcoholic feels for a alcohol can
  be as strong as the need for water or food.  
• Alcoholism cannot be cure.
• Treatment can help you stop drinking, but you as
  person needs to avoid it.

6
Alcohol Facts

• The effects of drinking depend on the amount of
  alcohol consumed on an occasion not the type of
  beverage.
• Alcohol is absorbed into the body through the
  bloodstream from the small intestine.
• It is the amount of alcohol in the blood that
  causes the effect.
• Drinking heavy over a short period of time will
  result in a "hangover" which is feeling of
  sickness, headache, shakiness and tiredness.
• Alcohol damages the brain you have blurred
  vision, slurred speech, slow reactions,
  difficulty walking and memory is impaired.

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Alcohol Facts (cont)

• Alcohol can cause blackouts.
• Alcoholism cannot be cured.
• The best hangover remedy is to drink water while
  you are drinking alcohol.
• Mixing different types of alcohol is more likely
  to lead to vomiting.
• People who drink more become tolerant to alcohol.
• Nearly 14 million people in the United States--1
  in every 13 adults abuse alcohol or are
  alcoholic.
• In general more men than women are alcohol
  dependent or have alcohol problems.
• Alcohol problems are highest among young adults
  ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and
  older.
• Cutting out alcohol is the best course for
  recovery.

8
Alcohol

•  
• The definition of alcohol is Beverage alcohol
  (scientifically known as ethyl alcohol, or
  ethanol) is produced by fermenting or distilling
  various fruits, vegetables, or grains.
• Types of alcohol are beer, wine, and spirits.
  They can be made into cocktails and shots.
• Alcohol is often not thought of as a drug. This
  is due to the fact that it is commonly used for
  both religious and other social purposes. Alcohol
  is a drug. Few people actually pay attention to
  this information and actually know it is a drug.
• Alcohol has very paradoxical effects - in small
  doses, it acts as a stimulant, but after a few
  more drinks it acts as a depressant. Alcohol is
  addictive just because it's legal does not mean
  it's safe.

9
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical
  and mental birth defects  
• This is a serious health problem that affects
  babies.
• It is caused by the mother drinking during
  pregnancy. When a mother drinks alcohol so does
  her baby.
• Alcohol passes through the placenta right into
  the developing baby.
• It is the leading known preventable cause of
  mental retardation and birth defects.

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (cont)

• It affects 1 in 100 live births or as many as
  40,000 infants each year.
• Research says that the mother should limit 
  herself to one drink which is 12ounces of beer,
  1.5 ounces of spirits and of wine.
• The baby is born with deformed facial features,
  smaller heads, poor coordination, problems with
  learning, short memories and abnormal joints and
  limbs.

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Binge Drinking

• Binge drinking describes an extended period of
  time about two days, during this time a person
  repeatedly becomes intoxicated and gives up his
  or her usual activities and obligations in order
  to become intoxicated
• Binge drinking, for a typical adult, is defined
  as consuming five or more drinks in about 2 hours
  for men, or four or more drinks for women.
• Binge drinking can lead to loss of jobs, money
  and family problems.

12
Liver Disease

• The liver is the organ responsible for breaking
  down alcohol into harmless byproducts and
  clearing it from the body.
• Most people know alcohol can cause liver damage
  and disease such as cirrhosis.
• Cirrhosis replaces the healthy liver tissue with
  scars, which can lead to liver failure and death
• Some treatment methods are clear the patients
  blood of harmful toxins or a liver transplant.