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Wasted or Wise?

Wasted or Wise?. October 30, 2012 Linda M. Keegan Moraine Park Technical College. Is Alcohol a Drug?. Yes!. Alcohol is a Sedative-Hypnotic Drug. Sedative-Hypnotics= “ depressants”. These drugs slow down, or “depress,” brain activity, and diminish a person’s level of awareness.

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Wasted or Wise?

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  1. Wasted or Wise? October 30, 2012 Linda M. Keegan Moraine Park Technical College

  2. Is Alcohol a Drug?

  3. Yes! Alcohol is a Sedative-Hypnotic Drug.

  4. Sedative-Hypnotics= “depressants” These drugs slow down, or “depress,” brain activity, and diminish a person’s level of awareness.

  5. There are many different kinds of sedative-hypnotic drugs.  • Some drugs=treat specific medical conditions • Some drugs=require a prescription • Some drugs=over-the-counter • Some drugs=alcoholand opioid narcotics, such as heroin

  6. In Short… All Sedative-Hypnotic drugs produce central nervous system depression.

  7. So… What happens when people abuse alcohol?

  8. A Look At Wisconsin

  9. Wasted in Wisconsin • In October 2008, “Wasted in Wisconsin” was the reporting title of a front-page series of articles in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. • According to this newspaper, every year in Wisconsin there are $2.7 billion in alcohol-related costs… • Costs include law enforcement and court costs, incarceration, crash investigation and cleanup, lost productivity and academic failures. • There is the incalculable toll on families that lose loved ones.

  10. and… • Three times the national arrest rate for liquor law violations from 1997 to 2006. • Statewide costs in 2007 for alcohol-related accidents and medical conditions of $935 million. • Increased by 2 percent the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities from 2006-2007.

  11. According to UW-Health http://www.uwhealth.org/aware/aware-all-wisconsin-alcohol-risk-education/13951 The Problem -- Our state has: • The highest rates of alcohol consumption, binge drinking and heavy drinking among all U.S. states and territories in 2006. • The highest alcohol use in the country (49 percent) among high school students in 2007.

  12. Wisconsin receivesnational attention in NY Times “When it comes to drinking, it seems, no state keeps pace with Wisconsin. This state, long famous for its breweries, has led the nation in binge drinking in every year since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began its surveys on the problem more than a decade ago. Binge drinking is defined as five drinks in a sitting for a man, four for a woman.”

  13. How much is a drink? One “standard” drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: • 12 ounces of regular beer (about 5% alcohol) • 5 ounces of wine (about 12% alcohol) • 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (about 40% alcohol) Does this surprise you? Are your drink sizes larger than a “standard” drink?

  14. Alcohol and the Body • Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. • These disruptions can changemood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. • The long-term effects can involve organ damageand other permanent changes… • Alcohol can cause death… -- National Institutes of Health

  15. What are the Risks?

  16. Short-Term Risks… • Low to moderate doses=Interfere with motor activity, reflexes and coordination • Moderate doses=Increase heart rate, dilate blood vessels • Higher doses=Difficulty in walking, talking and thinking (drowsiness and sleep induced) • Large amounts consumed rapidly=severe depression of brain system (confusion, disorientation, stupor, coma, possibly death)

  17. And then…

  18. Long-Term Risks… • Heart=Cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias, Stroke, High Blood Pressure • Liver=Steatosis(or fatty liver), Alcoholic Hepatitis, Fibrosis, Cirrhosis • Pancreas=Pancreatitis (dangerous inflammation) • Cancer=Mouth, Esophagus, Throat, Liver, Breast • Weakened Immune System=Easier target for disease

  19. Alcohol and the Fetus • Fetal alcohol exposure occurs when a woman drinks while pregnant. • No amount of alcohol is safe for pregnant women to drink. • Alcohol can disrupt fetal development at any stage during a pregnancy. • Drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damagein the fetus, leading to a range of developmental, cognitive and behavioral problems for children.

  20. What is “dependence”? • Many people become dependent on the psychological influences of alcohol. • Physical dependence also can occur with regular consumption and large quantities. • Dependence involves compulsive behavior to continually consume the drug. • Recovery from alcohol dependence is a long-term process.

  21. What is “withdrawal”? • Withdrawalinvolves the unpleasant effects that occur when use of adrug is stopped. • Severityof withdrawal symptoms is dependent on the dose, duration of use, and specific drug used. • Sometimeslife-threateningwithdrawal symptoms may occur, and appropriate medical care is critical. • Note: Overindulgence of alcohol is often experienced as a “hangover.”

  22. More on withdrawal… Severity can vary according to length and intensity of alcohol habit. • Stage 1 (minor)=restlessness, anxiousness, sleeping problems, agitation, tremors, and rapid heartbeat. • Stage 2 (major)=“minor” symptoms, plus hallucinations, whole-body tremors, increased blood pressure, and vomiting. • Stage 3 (delirium tremens)=fever, disorientation, confusion, seizures, and fatality in 3% to 5% of cases.

  23. What needs to change?

  24. Internet References • http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA67/AA67.htm • http://www.drugs.com/health-guide/substance-abuse-depressants-or-sedative-hypnotic-drugs.html • http://www.alcoholpolicymd.com/pdf/AMA_Final_web_1.pdf • http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/standard-drink • http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body • http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/fetal-alcohol-exposure

  25. Internet References • http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/70727962.html • http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/hw2020/pdf/alcohol.pdf • http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/us/16wisconsin.html?_r=0 • http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/niaaacollegematerials/taskforce/taskforce_toc.aspx • http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/media/TaskForceReport.pdf

  26. Internet References • http://www.uwhealth.org/about-uwhealth/community-relations/25385 • http://www.uwhealth.org/aware/aware-all-wisconsin-alcohol-risk-education/13951 • http://www.uwhealth.org/aware/aware-all-wisconsin-alcohol-risk-education-wisconsin-partnership-initiatives/13952 • http://www.healthfirstwi.org/alcohol/documents/AddressingWisconsinsAlcoholProblemBrownMDMPH.pdf

  27. Internet References • http://scaoda.state.wi.us/docs/ace/ACE2011reprint.pdf • http://law.wisc.edu/wapp/ • http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/_WMS/publications/wmj/pdf/108/7/359.pdf • http://www.wwhf.org/health-information/how-wisconsin-women-are-affected-alcohol/ • http://www.sirc.org/publik/drinking6.html • http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/123290.php

  28. Book Resource • Hanson, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2012). Drugs and Society. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. • http://www.go.jblearning.com/hanson11

  29. Need Help? Call… 211 or 911

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