Warm-Up

1. Warm-Up • Based upon prior knowledge, how do you think alcohol effects each side of the health triangle? (physical, metal/emotional, social health)

2. Harmful Effects of Alcohol Use Lesson 14

3. Objectives: • Analyze the harmful physical, emotional, social and legal consequences of alcohol abuse • Analyze the effects of alcohol on the fetus • Identify the various stages of alcoholism • Describe how to access school and community health-related services that assist with the prevention and/or stopping the use of alcohol

4. Short Term Effects of Drinking • Different for each individual • Factors that influence these effects include: • Body Size: a small person feels the effects sooner then a larger person • Gender: in general, alcohol moves into the bloodstream faster in females • Food: Food in the stomach slows down the passage of alcohol into the bloodstream • Amount of intake: as the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the level of alcohol in the bloodstream • Rate of intake: when a person drinks alcohol faster than the liver can break it down, intoxication results

5. Short Term Effects: Figure 22.1 pg 569

6. Drug Interactions • Alcohol doesn’t mix with medications or other drugs • Interactions can lead to illness, injury or even death • Alcohol-drug interactions are a factor in about ¼ of all emergency room admissions • How it Works: • When a drug enters the body it travels through the bloodstream to its target organ or tissue • Over time the body metabolizes (process in which the body breaks down substances) the drug • Alcohol also travels through the bloodstream to he brain, liver, and kidneys • Impairs brain functions • Kidneys filter the waste products from the blood and produce urine • Liver metabolized the alcohol, making it less active • The presence of alcohol and medications can result in a multiplier effect in which the medication has a greater or different effect than if it were taken alone

7. Typical Alcohol-Drug Interactions • Slow down a drug’s absorption by the body • Increases the length of time that the alcohol or drug is in the body and increases the risk of harmful side effects • Increase in the number of metabolizing enzymes in the body • Caused by frequent drinking • Medications can be broken down faster than normal, decreasing their effectiveness • Metabolizing enzymes can change some medications into chemicals that can damage the liver or other organs • Ex: acetaminophen (common painkiller) can cause serious liver damage • Increases the effects of some drugs • Ex: antihistamines (taken for colds or allergies) can be intensified when taken with alcohol, causing extreme dizziness and sleepiness

8. Driving Under the Influence • DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) also know as DUI (Driving Under the Influence) is the leading cause of death among teens • Someone is said to be intoxicated when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds the states legal limit • Most states this is .1%, however in some states the figure is .08%. • For someone under 21 there is NO acceptable BAC percentage

9. DUI continued • Researches have found that drinking of any sort: • Slows reflexes • Reduces a person’s ability to judge distances and speeds • Increases risk-taking behaviors • Reduces a person’s concentration • Increases forgetfulness • Clearly, every single one of these factors decreases driving ability, increasing your chance of injuring or killing yourself or someone else

10. DUI Consequences • Harm to the driver or someone else • Severely restricted driving privileges • Immediate confiscation of driver’s license • Alcohol related injuries, property damage and death • Living with regret or remorse • Loss of trust and respect • Arrest • Jail time • Court appearance and accompanying fees • Police record • Possible lawsuits • Higher insurance rates

11. Binge Drinking • Drinking five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting • Serious problem amount young people • Impairs decision making • Can cause alcohol poisoning

12. Alcohol Poisoning • Severe, potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol over dose • Alcohol is a depressant slowing down the bodies involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex that prevents choking. Too much alcohol will eventually STOP these actions • A person who has consumed too much alcohol will often vomit because alcohol is a stomach irritant. If the gag reflex is shut down a person can choke and be asphyxiated by his or her own vomit • Effects of Alcohol Poisoning: • Mental confusion • Coma • Inability to be roused • Vomiting • Seizures • Slow respiration, <8 breaths a minute • Irregular heartbeat • Hypothermia • Severe dehydration from vomiting • A person exhibiting any of these signs may die if left untreated. Call 911 if you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning

13. Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse Healthy Liver vs. Liver Damaged by Alcohol

14. Alcohol During Pregnancy • When a pregnant woman drinks the fetus does too • The alcohol passes from the mother’s body into the bloodstream of the fetus • Unlike the adult liver, the fetus’s liver is not developed enough to process the alcohol • As a result, a female who drinks during pregnancy risks permanent damage to the fetus • Drinking during the first few weeks of pregnancy can be especially harmful to a baby’s central nervous system • This is especially dangerous because many women do not yet realize they’re pregnant during this time • Infants born to mothers who drink during pregnancy may be at risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) • A group of alcohol-related birth defects that include physical and mental problems • Effect of FAS • Severe and long lasting • Born with a small head • Deformities of the face, hands, feet • Heart, liver, kidney defects • Vision and hearing problems • Slow growth • Delayed coordination • Learning difficulties • Difficulties with attention, memory and problem solving • FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States • It is 100% preventable • There is NO safe amount of alcohol to drink when pregnant

15. Alcoholism • A disease in which a person has a physical or psychological dependence on drinks that contain alcohol • Characterized by impaired ability to study, work and socialize normally • Alcoholic: an addict who is dependent on alcohol • Some may participate in harmful behaviors such as drunken driving or violent behaviors • Other may become quiet and withdrawn • Isn’t limited to age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic group • Symptoms: • Cravings: strong need to drink, inability to manage stress without drinking • Loss of control: inability to limit drinking, preoccupation with alcohol • Physical dependence: withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety when the person is not drinking • Tolerance: a need to drink increasingly greater amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects • Health, family, and legal problems: repeated injuries, drunk driving citations, poor relationships with family members

16. Factors Effecting Alcoholics • Genetic link • Environmental factors • Family • Friends • Culture • Peer pressure • Alcohol availability • Stress

17. Stages of Alcoholism • Stage 1: Abuse • Begins with social drinking • Over time a physical and psychological dependence develops • Person begins to lie or make excuses about his or her drinking • Person develops a higher tolerance and progressively needs to drink more in order to feel the effects of alcohol • Stage 2: Dependence • Person can’t stop drinking and is physically dependent • Alcohol becomes the central focus • Drinker tries to hide the problem, but performance on the job, school or at home suffers • Drinker makes excuses and blames others for problems • Stage 3: Addiction • Drinking is the MOST important thing in the person’s life • Liver damage occurs • If consumption of alcohol is stopped, the person will experience severe withdrawal symptoms

18. Effects on Family and Society • Estimated 14 MILLION alcoholics in the US • Alcohol use is a major factor in the 4 leading causes of accidental death • Car accidents • Falls • Drownings • House fires • Alcohol also plays a major role in violent crimes • Homicide • Rape • Robbery • Statistics: • About 40% of violent crimes, totaling 3 million annually, are alcohol related • 2/3 of domestic violence report that alcohol was a factor in the crime • Nearly ½ of all homicide victims have alcohol in their bloodstreams • Alcoholism effects those around you • Codependency: codependents learn to ignore their own needs and focus their energy and emotions on the needs of the alcoholics • In the process they lose their trust in others, self-esteem and at times their own health suffers

19. Where to Get Help: Figure 22.4 pg 579

20. Treatment • Alcoholism can’t be cured, but it can be treated • Recovery: the process of learning to live an alcohol-free life • 2/3 of alcoholics who try to recover do so with the proper treatment • Treatment programs aim to stop or control the intake of alcohol • Counseling • Medication • Sobriety: life without alcohol • Lifelong commitment • Many resources are available to help people who have a drinking problem as well as family and friends