Alcohol is a Drug

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Alcohol is a Drug

• Chapter 19

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Alcohol is a Drug

• a DRUG is any chemical that causes changes in a
  persons body or behavior
• This is the exact reason why alcohol is a drug
• It most definitely causes changes
• in a persons body and behavior!
• Alcohol is the most widely abused drug by high
  school students

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Ethanol

• This is found is beverages such as beer, wine and
  liquor
• It is produced when yeast changes sugar into
  carbon dioxide and alcohol
• Not all alcoholic beverages contain the same
  amount of ethanol
• Beer and wine indicate the percentage of alcohol
  on their labels

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Ethanol

• Percentages can widely vary and can range from
  6-50
• Beverages that have greater amount of alcohol
  than beer and wine like gin, whiskey, rum and
  vodka have a proof listed on the label
• PROOF is a measure of the of the percentage of
  alcohol in the beverage

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Ethanol

• The PROOF is twice the percentage of alcohol by
  volume
• For example 100 proof vodka is 50 alcohol

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Alcohol

• Alcohol has a tremendous effect on the body
• This drug is a very powerful DEPRESSANT
• A DEPRESSANT is a drug that slows the activity of
  the bodys central nervous system
• Alcohol slows the bodys natural reactions down

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Alcohol Can Cause.

• Confusion
• Decreased alertness
• Poor coordination
• Blurred vision
• Drowsiness
• As well as many others

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What Else??

• In those who drink heavy amount of alcohol, vital
  functions like heart beats and breathing can be
  seriously affected and slowed down resulting in
  deathg

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Legal Problems

• Attempting to buy alcohol under age is illegal as
  well as selling to someone who is under age
• Possessing alcohol underage is against the law
  and usually comes with heavy fines and other
  consequences
• In all states, an individual must be at least 21
  years of age in order to purchase and drink
  alcohol

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Legal Risks

• The National Highway and Traffic Safety
  Administration estimates that about half of all
  fatal automobile crashes are alcohol related

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Alcohols Effects on the Body

• Once alcohol reaches the blood, it is circulated
  throughout the body and affects every part
  including the brain and the rest of the nervous
  system
• Alcohol can be toxic or poisonous
• The word intoxication is actually derived from
  the word TOXIC

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Alcohols Effect on the Body

• Intoxication refers to the negative effects
  alcohol has on a drinker's body and behavior

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Bloodstream

• When alcohol enters the blood stream it causes
  the blood vessels to widen
• More blood then flows to the skins surface and
  the drinker begins to feel warmer
• Although you feel warmer, your body temperature
  begins to drop
• Since all the blood is at the surface this is a
  false sense of warmth
• Therefore those that drink in the cold to stay
  warm are not exactly accomplishing that!

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Brain

• Upon meting the brain, alcohol immediately has a
  depressant effect
• People may get the false sense of relaxation when
  they drink but that is just because drinking
  slows down brain activity
• Alcohol slows down every part of the brain,
  vision, speaking, hearing, balance and
  coordination

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Brain

• If the drinking still continues this can even
  depress the part of the brain that is responsible
  for breathing and heart beat which can lead to
  death

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Brain

• Black outs are periods of time that the drinker
  cannot recall. Other people may see the drinker
  walking and talking but the next day the drinker
  has no recall of the event
• Studies show that those who black out before the
  age of 15 are more likely to get a blackout every
  time they drink as they get older ( Duke
  University)

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Brain Damage

• Long term alcohol abuse destroys nerve cells in
  the brain
• The loss of nerve cells typically means that they
  will not grow again
• This can cause forgetfulness, inability to
  concentrate and poor judgment

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Liver

• once in the bloodstream the alcohol is carried
  to the liver
• Liver breaks down toxins in the body to allow it
  to be excreted
• When the liver cannot keep up with the break down
  of alcohol that is when a person becomes
  intoxicated

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Liver Damage

• Alcohol interferes with the livers ability to
  break down fat
• Because of this the liver turns fill with fat
• The fat blocks the flow of blood to the liver and
  the cells begin to die
• Cirrhosis of the liver is a disease in which
  useless scar tissue replaces the liver tissue,
  because there is no blood flow the liver begins
  to fail

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Liver Damage

• This will cause the drinker to have high blood
  pressure, get infections easily, swelling in the
  abdomen, yellowing of skin and eyes, this often
  results in death
• ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS inflammation of the liver
  caused by toxic effects of alcohol, this often
  will lead to liver failure and death

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Kidneys

• alcohol prevents the release of body chemicals
  that regulate how much urine the kidneys make
• The kidneys will produce more urine than usual
  when the individual is drinking alcohol
• The drinker loses more water than usual and could
  be enough to needed for the body to function
  properly

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Digestive Problems

• ongoing drinking irritates the tissue lining the
  mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach
• This irritation can cause the tissue to become
  inflamed
• This can cause risks of cancers, intestinal
  problems and diarrhea
• Large amounts of alcohol can cause the body to
  produce too much acid, which can lead to
  indigestion, heart burn and ulcers

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Heart Disease

• excessive drinking contributes to increased
  blood pressure ,heart rate, and irregular heart
  beat
• These problems can cause irregular or poor blood
  flow and heart damage
• Alcohol cause the parts of the heart to turn to
  fat
• Fatty heart muscle causes blood to be pumped
  through the body less efficiently

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Long Term Health Risks

• DEPENDENCE, ADDICTION, WITHDRAWAL
• DEPENDENCE when the body develops a resistance
  to a drug and requires the drug to function
  normally
• the drinkers body develops a chemical need for
  alcohol

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Long Term Health Risks

• ADDICTION this is also known as dependence. The
  body is addicted to the substance and cannot
  function without it. The drinker feels that way
  at least!
• WITHDRAWAL signs of alcohol withdrawal includes
  shaking, problems sleeping, irritability, rapid
  heart beat, and sweating
• A person going through withdraw may even see or
  smell things that arent there