ALCOHOL ABUSE

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ALCOHOL ABUSE
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Alcohol Abuse

• Approx 14 million Americans are alcoholics
• Approx 100,000 death/yr associated with alcohol
  abuse
• 18.8 have lived with an alcoholic some time
  during their childhood
• 9.2 have been married or cohabitated with an
  alcoholic
• 37.9 have a blood relative who is an alcoholic
• Approximately 1/3 of high school students report
  binge drinking once a month
• 1,400 college students a year die from accidents,
  violence or poisoning related to alcohol

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Alcohol Abuse

• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant,
  not a stimulant
• Feel release of personal inhibitions
• Broken down by the liver at a rate of 2/3 to 3/4
  of an ounce per hour
• If you drink more then this the alcohol level in
  your blood will rise

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Factors that influence absorption

• Strength of the drink
• Number of drinks consumed
• Speed of consumption
• Presence of food in your stomach
• Body chemistry
• Amount of time it takes for the stomach to empty
  depends on stress, anger, fear, nausea

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Factors that influence absorption

• Gender
• Women produce less of enzyme needed to breakdown
  alcohol
• Women have greater fat content and alcohol is not
  fat soluble so it enters the blood stream faster
• Women have less water so alcohol does not become
  diluted
• Women absorb more alcohol during the premenstrual
  phase

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Blood Alcohol Levels

• Legal blood alcohol is less the 0.08 if you are
  over 21
• 0.04 for 18-21
• 0.01 below 18

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Blood Alcohol Levels

• 0.02 no effect
• 0.03-0.05 relaxed, slightly lightheaded,
  decreased inhibitions
• Level reached by 160 pound man taking 2 drinks
  per hour
• 0.1 loss of motor coordination and impaired
  judgment
• 0.15 significant impairment of motor
  coordination and reaction time, slurred speech

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Blood Alcohol Levels

• 0.2 severely intoxicated, loud obnoxious drunk
• 0.3 limited control of functions, may be
  unconscious
• 0.4 comatose
• 0.6-0.7 suffocation and death, usually pass out
  before this point

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Sobering Up

• Acute alcohol poisoning
• Drank too much, too fast
• Call 911 if
• Unable to awaken person
• Shallow breathing
• Fast heart rate
• Cool skin
• Bluish color to skin

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Sobering Up

• Regurgitation and aspiration
• Lay person on their side and do not leave them
  alone

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Hangover
• Mild withdrawal from alcohol
• Nerve cells become dehydrated by alcohol
• No cure except time
• hair of the dog that bit you means drinking
  again to avoid withdrawal symptoms

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Alcohol and pregnancy do not mix
• Increased number of miscarriages
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
• Mental retardation
• Slow growth
• Facial abnormalities
• Small heads
• Widely spaced eyes
• Flattened noses
• 10 or more drinks/day 74 will have FAS

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Cardiovascular system
• High blood pressure
• Scar tissue formation on the heart
• Fatty deposit increase the size of the heart
• Death from heart failure

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Liver metabolizes the alcohol
• Liver is the most vulnerable organ to alcohol
• Heavy drinking damages the liver causing
  cirrhosis and eventual death

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Gastrointestinal system
• GI bleeding
• Esophageal varacies
• Malnutrition
• Esophageal cancer

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Endocrine disorders
• Decreased testosterone production
• Second leading cause of impotence
• May lead to early menopause in women
• Alters the menstrual cycle

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Alcohol Related Health Problems

• Central nervous system
• Brain cell loss
• Impaired nerve function
• Depression
• Alcoholics 30 times more likely to commit suicide
  then the general population

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Tolerance to Alcohol

• Develop a physical and psychological addiction to
  alcohol
• Develop a tolerance to alcohol
• Takes more alcohol to get the relaxed feeling
• As damage to liver increases unable to breakdown
  alcohol and it takes less alcohol to get drunk

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Effect on Society

• Motor vehicle crashes
• Every two minutes an alcohol related car crash
  injury happens
• 28 if all 18-29 yr olds say they have driven
  while drunk
• Do not drink and drive
• If caught you will lose you license for one year

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Effect on Society

• Drownings
• Alcohol is involved in 34
• Fires and burns
• Half of burn victims above legal BAL
• Crime and violence
• Homicides have alcohol involved 67 of the time
• 50 of rapists are intoxicated and 30 of victims
• Suicide
• Half of all suicides are committed by alcoholics
• Alcohol is related to impulsive suicides vs
  premeditated ones

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Hosting a Party Responsibly

• You are responsible for the health and safety of
  you guests and may be held liable if they drink
  and drive
• Dont push drinks
• Dont serve doubles
• Dont keep the glasses full
• Have non-alcoholic beverages
• Serve non-salty snacks

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Hosting a Party Responsibly

• Dont make drinking the main activity at the
  party
• Do not let someone drive if they are intoxicated,
  take their keys or call 911

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Keeping Yourself Sober

• Drink slowly
• Space your drinks
• Know your limits
• Designated driver
• Dont drink before the party
• Dont drink if you are mad or depressed
• Avoid drinking games
• Consume only a pre-planned number of drinks and
  stop drinking at a pre-planned hour

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Stages of Alcohol Dependence

• Early
• Escape drinking
• Binge drinking
• Guilt feelings
• Sneaking drinks
• Difficulty stopping after beginning to drink
• Increased tolerance
• Preoccupation with drinking
• Occasional blackouts

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Stages of Alcohol Dependence

• Middle
• Loss of control
• Self hate
• Impaired social relationships
• Changes in drinking patterns (more frequent binge
  drinking)
• Dietary neglect
• Increased blackouts

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Stages of Alcohol Dependence

• Late
• Prolonged binges
• Alcohol used to control withdrawal symptoms
• Alcohol psychosis
• Nutritional disease
• Frequent blackouts

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Causes of Alcoholism

• Genetics
• Strong family link
• 50 of fathers, sons, brothers of alcoholics are
  likely to become alcoholics
• Children of alcoholics are more then 3-4 times
  more likely to become alcoholics
• Personality types
• Low self esteem
• Chronic anxiety
• Antisocial personalities

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Treatment

• Biggest barrier to treatment and recovery is
  denial
• Families delay treatment by enabling the
  alcoholic
• Families deny the problem, delay treatment
• Cover up for the alcoholic
• Codependence with a significant other
• Dual addiction
• Alcoholic is addicted to alcohol and the family
  member is addicted to them
• Delays treatment

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Treatment

• Detoxification is first
• Go through physical withdrawal from alcohol
• Inpatient medical treatment
• Avoid DTs and seizures
• Psychological addiction is next
• Changing long term behavior
• Problem solving skills
• Stress management
• 2/3 can recover with good emotional support

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Treatment

• Alcohol Anonymous (AA)
• Based on the belief that people have to admit
  they have lost control over alcohol and they are
  powerless to control their drinking
• One of the most successful programs
• Alcoholics can not be social drinkers