Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse

1
Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse

• By Pam Cole

2
Overview

• Alcohol tobacco
• How they affect people
• Signs symptoms
• How teachers can help
• Resources we can use

3
What is Alcohol?

• We dont think of alcohol as a drug, but it is.
  Alcohol is often thought of as a stimulant,
  because it lowers inhibitions.
• However, alcohol actually acts as a depressant
  on your central nervous system, slowing down
  brain functioning.

4
Types of Alcohol

• There are two kinds of alcohol in common use.
• 1.Ethyl alcohol is the kind present in beer,
  wine, spirits and liqueurs.
• 2.Methyl alcohol is completely different and is
  found in solvents, paint removers, antifreeze and
  other household and industrial products.

5
How Does Alcohol Affect People?

• Because alcohol is a drug it changes your
  perceptions of everything.
• We see and hear story after story about people
  taking chances they would never take, just
  because they've had a few drinks.
• Alcohol can also deepen depression and other
  negative feelings by slowing down your brain
  functions.

6
Effects of Alcohol Vary For Each Person

• Vomiting
• Uncoordinated
• Dizziness
• Blackout
• Hangover
• Increased chance of taking part in risky behavior

• Feelings of relaxation
• Giddiness
• Lightheadedness
• Slurred speech
• Headache
• Upset stomach

7
The Journey From The Bottle To Your Body

• Alcohol goes directly from your digestive system
  into your blood and within minutes, it spreads
  out to your entire body - including your brain.
• The alcohol spreads out evenly throughout your
  body, except for your brain, which actually gets
  the highest concentration of alcohol.
• More blood equals more alcohol so intoxication
  actually starts in the brain.
• When alcohol enters the brain, like with any
  drug, it changes the chemical functions of almost
  everything you do.

8
When Do Adolescents Begin to Experiment with
Alcohol?

• The average age for first time use of alcohol is
• Boys--11.9 years
• Girls--12.7 years

9
Why Do Adolescents Begin Using Alcohol?

• Adolescents almost always use alcohol or drugs
  the first time to deal with peer pressure.
• They want to be accepted and be a part of the
  group.
• Children are likely to model after the chemical
  use of their parents.
• Children with alcoholic parents are at greater
  risk of becoming chemically dependent.

10
What Happens when the Adolescent Continues
Drinking?

• They will increase drinking to a regular pattern
  (usually weekends).
• They may experiment with other drugs.
• They begin to use drugs to communicate, to
  relate, to belong.
• With regular drinking, tolerance develops.
• The adolescent needs more of the drug to get
  intoxicated.
• They may begin not caring for themselves or
  others.
• Separation from parents and siblings begins to
  occur.

11
Signs Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

• Loss of interest
• Loss of ambition
• Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, or
  activities
• Overall deterioration of morals or values
• Deterioration in health and/or physical
  appearance

• Loss of interest in school
• Secretive behavior
• Personality changes
• Appetite swings, either a loss or an increase

12
Signs Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

• Severe depression
• Threats of suicide or actual attempts
• Avoidance of others
• Running away from home or threats to run away
• Hanging out with older children

• Chronic lying
• Frequent excuses
• Changes in friends or hangouts
• Verbal and/or physical abuse of parents or
  siblings

13
Childrens Roles of Alcoholic Parents

• Although most parents do their best to provide
  their children with the love, caring and
  discipline they need, alcohol abuse by a parent
  can interfere with the normal family system.
• "Don't talk, don't trust and don't feel" is a way
  of describing how children cope in homes where
  alcohol abuse is a problem.
• In order to cope, children often take on one or
  more of the following roles

14
The Responsible Child

• These children are the ones that the family
  counts on to take over when others flounder.
• They are successful at home and at school.
• They win a place in the family by taking care of
  others, by becoming a junior mom or dad.
• They are good leaders and decision-makers, but
  have difficulty listening and negotiating with
  others.

15
The Adjuster

• Also known as "The Lost Child," these children do
  not seem to care what is happening within the
  family.
• They spend a great deal of time on their own,
  away from the family.
• They try very hard not to draw attention to
  themselves.
• They are flexible and easygoing, but have
  difficulty making decisions.

16
The Placator

• These children work at minimizing the negative
  feelings experienced by other family members.
• They are warm, empathetic and sensitive
  individuals, but they tend to put up with
  inappropriate behavior from other people.
• They also have difficulty focusing on themselves.

17
The Acting-Out Child

• These children are often involved in unacceptable
  behavior, such as fighting, stealing or acting
  out.
• They get their attention in negative ways.
• They tend to be strong leaders and creative
  individuals. However, they may have poor social
  skills and have difficulty dealing with
  authority.

18
What is Nicotine?

• Nicotine (present in the tobacco leaf) is the
  drug responsible for making cigarettes so
  addictive.
• It makes your body crave more cigarettes and that
  means inhaling chemicals.

19
How Nicotine Works

• The nicotine in tobacco products is quickly
  absorbed into the bloodstream.
• In the brain, nicotine causes biological and
  chemical changes.
• Within seven seconds of inhaling on a cigarette,
  the nicotine reaches your brain, stimulating the
  nervous system, increasing heart rate, raising
  blood pressure and constricting small blood
  vessels under the skin.

20
Health Effects of Smoking

• There is strong medical evidence that smoking
  tobacco is related to more than two dozen
  diseases and conditions.
• It has negative effects on nearly every organ of
  the body and reduces overall health.
• Smoking tobacco remains the leading cause of
  preventable death and has negative health impacts
  on people of all ages unborn babies, infants,
  children, adolescents, adults, and seniors

21
Short-Term Effects of Smoking

• Increase in blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Constriction of blood vessels
• Lower skin temperatures in hands feet
• Decreased appetite

• Coughing
• Gagging
• Dizziness
• Dry, irritated throat
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Headache

22
Long-Term Effects of Smoking

• Chronic respiratory diseases
• Damage to both the cardiovascular respiratory
  systems
• Heart disease

• Strokes
• Emphysema
• Chronic bronchitis
• Aneurysms
• Lung oral cancers

23
When Do Adolescents Begin to Experiment with
Tobacco?

• The average age for first time use of tobacco is
• 11.8 years

24
Perceived Reasons Why Adolescents Smoke

• The two most commonly stated perceived reasons
  that youth start to smoke are
• It's cool"
• It was the behavior of their friends
• Another perceived reason was
• "weight control"

25
Spit Tobacco

• Contains more than 3000 chemicals, including 28
  known carcinogens.

26
Long-Term Effects of Spit Tobacco

• Tooth abrasion
• Gum recession
• Gum tooth disease
• Loss of bone in the jaw
• Yellowing of teeth
• Chronic bad breath

• Cancer of the mouth throat
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure

27
Attitudes and Beliefs

• Almost all youth, whether having ever tried
  smoking cigarettes, or not, believed that tobacco
  is addictive.
• Students believed that smoking can harm the
  health of non-smokers.
• Youth who had ever tried smoking cigarettes were
  more likely than those who had never tried a
  cigarette to believe that smoking helps to stay
  thin.
• Some students believed that smoking helps when
  bored.
• Others believed that smoking is cool.
• Students also believed that you must smoke many
  years to hurt health.

28
How Teachers Can Help

• Be a good role model for students
• Educate students to say NO
• Educate inform students on the repercussions of
  alcohol and tobacco abuse
• Provide students with alternative ways to deal
  with stress, depression, etc.
• Provide support
• Make students feel respected accepted
• Direct students in the right direction to get
  help if they are suffering from alcohol or
  tobacco abuse

29
What Resources Can We Tap Into?

• School counselors
• Health professionals
• Addictions Foundation of Manitoba
• Brandon MB 729-38381-866-767 3838
• Child Adolescent Treatment Center
• Brandon MB727-3445571-7278 (after hours)

30
References

• Health Canada
• http//www.hc-sc.gc.ca
• Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission
• http//teacher.aadac.com
• Child Adolescent Treatment Center, Brandon MB

31
Reflection Question.

• You've noticed changes in the behavior of one of
  your students. You think they might be using
  drugs or alcohol. What would you do?