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ALCOHOL

WHAT MOST OF YOU DO NOT KNOW!

THAT ALCOHOL IS A DRUG.

In the body it acts as powerful

depressant.

DEPRESSANT- are drugs used to

slow down the body’s functions. It

relieves tension, relaxes muscles,

and slows processes such as heart

rate, respiration and reflexes.

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What is in Alcohol Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol Flavoring Minerals Water

Beer, wine, and hard liquor (distilled spirits) all contain alcohol. The following common alcoholic drinks contain equal amounts of alcohol and are often referred to as a drink or a standard drink:

Proof is the amount of alcohol in hard liquor or distilled spirits. The percentage of pure alcohol in the hard liquor is usually one-half the proof. For example, a 100-proof liquor is about 50% pure alcohol. Thus, the higher the proof, the more pure alcohol the hard liquor contains.

*Different beers have different alcohol content. Malt liquor has higher alcohol content than most other brewed beverages.

It is important to remember that not all drinks are created equal.

The alcohol used in beverages is ethyl alcohol or ethanol,

and is a by-product that is produced when yeast uses some

form of sugar to grow. The process when by which yeasts

Produces ethanol from sugar is called fermentation.

Effects of alcohol Can cause confusion Blurred visionDrowsinessDeathAffects sleepAnxiousTired Irritable

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Another effect of alcohol in the body is it can

increase urine output. The urine output is due

to the water in alcoholic beverages. When

alcohol is present in the body, the kidneys

cannot concentrate urine as much as it

normally would. This effect is called the

diuretic effect of alcohol, which causes the

person who drinks to lose more water than

usual. This can lead to dehydration.

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Alcohol and Teens

80% of teens have had at least one alcoholic beverage.

Alcohol can have a negative impact on school-work, athletics, friendships, family, relationships, and career goals.

Several Reason Why people choose to drink Alcohol

1. Some people taste alcohol beverages out of curiosity and others develop a liking to the taste.

2. Many people choose to drink only when there are special occasions.

3. Others believe that drinking alcoholic beverages may enhance the taste of food.

4. Peer pressure as another reason why people drink alcohol.

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Why Teens DrinkTo escape pressure or problemsTo feel better or get over being sad or lonelyTo deal with stress and relaxTo feel more self-confident in social situationsFor excitementBecause their friends are doing itTo deal with boredomTo get away with something they are not

supposed to doTo fit in

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Factors that Affect Teen Alcohol UsePressureParents use it to solve problems/stressAdvertisements

– Young, handsome, attractive, fit and healthy looking.

– A party like atmosphere with upbeat music.– Healthful environment, beauty of the

outdoors.– Problem free drinking

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Advertisements – Who are they trying to attract?

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Factors that influence alcohol’s effect!

Body Size: The bigger you are, the more blood you have to dilute the alcohol in your system. Smaller people are usually affected more quickly by alcohol than larger people.

Gender: Women are generally smaller than men, have a higher percentage of body fat, and tend to reach higher BAC’s more quickly.

How alcohol affects you is How alcohol affects you is different based on different different based on different

absorption rate factors, these absorption rate factors, these include:include:

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Food: A full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

Strength of Drink: Drinks can have different effects based on their composition, i.e. carbonated beverages tend to increase the

absorption rate in alcohol.

Rate of Consumption: Gulping or chugging drinks will increase the amount of alcohol taken into your system. Also, the faster you drink, the less time your body has to dilute the alcohol.

Mood: A person who is obviously upset, exhausted, or under a lot of stress feels the effects of alcohol more quickly.

Woowho D’oh!

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Age: The body processes alcohol better once the body is fully matured.

Tolerance: The longer an individual drinks, the more he or she will need drink in order to get the same desired effect.

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Drug Use: Legal or illegal drugs can speed up the effects of alcohol and have an unpredictable outcome.

Body Composition: In general, the less you weigh the more quickly alcohol will be absorbed. However, for people of the same weight, a person who has greater muscle mass will absorb alcohol slower than someone with a higher percentage of body fat.

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What is the only thing that really determines how DRUNK YOU ARE? Alcohol is a lethal substance. Being knowledgeable about Blood Alcohol Content

will help you understand the effects of varying amounts of alcohol in your system, and allow you to make informed decisions about drinking.

The standard way of measuring how much alcohol is in the blood stream is Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) or Blood Alcohol Level (BAL). It can be measured using blood, saliva, urine or breath and is measured in milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, or milligrams percent.

For Example: A BAC of .10 means one-tenth of 1% or (1/1000) of your total blood content is alcohol.

MALE

The following is a rough outline of expected BAC's for a 150 lb. male on an empty stomach after one hour:

2 drinks .05 BAC

4 drinks .10 BAC

FEMALE

The following is a rough outline of expected BAC's for a 120 lb. female on an empty stomach after one hour:

2 drinks .08 BAC

4 drinks .17 BAC

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How does BAC affect you!.02-.03 % BAC: You are slightly light headed; inhibitions are

loosened ( Missouri defines .02% as legally drunk for those under 21 years of age).

.05%-.06 BAC: You’re warm and relaxed; you’re behavior may become exaggerated.

.08-.09% BAC: You are legally drunk; you may start to slur your speech, your sense of balance is probably off, and your motor skills are becoming impaired.

.10%-.12% BAC: At this level, you feel euphoric, but you lack coordination and balance; your motor skills are markedly impaired, as are your judgment and memory.

.14%-.17% BAC: Euphoric feelings may give way to unpleasant feelings; you have difficulty talking, walking, or even standing; your judgment and perception are severely impaired.

.20% BAC: You feel confused, dazed, or otherwise disoriented ; at this point you may experience nausea and/or start vomiting; blackouts are likely.

.25% BAC: All mental, physical, and sensory functions are severely impaired; you're at increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falling or other accidents.

.30% BAC: You have little comprehension of where you are; you may suddenly pass out --with an alarming BAC like .30%, your body will decide to pass out for you.

.35% BAC: This blood alcohol level is the level of surgical anesthesia; you may stop breathing.

.40% BAC: You are probably in a coma. The nerve centers controlling your heartbeat and respiration are slowing down.

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Facts About Drinking! According to the Core Institute, an organization that surveys college drinking

practices, 300,000 of today's college students will eventually die of alcohol-related causes such as drunk driving accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, various cancers and heart disease.

159,000 of today's first-year college students will drop out of school next year for alcohol- or other drug-related reasons.

On a typical campus, the average amount a student spends annually on alcohol is $466. College students as a whole spend $5.5 billion on alcohol (mostly beer). This is more than they spend on books, soda, coffee, juice and milk combined.

Almost one-third of college students admit to having missed at least one class because of their alcohol or drug use, and nearly one-quarter of students report “bombing” a test or project because of the aftereffects of drinking or doing drugs.

One night of heavy drinking can impair your ability to think abstractly for up to 30 days, limiting your ability to relate textbook reading to what your professor says, or to think through a football play.

Students who binge drink are more likely to damage property, have trouble with authorities, miss classes, have hangovers, and experience injuries than those who do not.