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Alcohol is a Drug
Chapter 19
Alcohol is a Drug

a DRUG is any chemical that causes
changes in a person’s body or behavior
 This is the exact reason why alcohol is a
drug
 It most definitely causes changes
 in a person’s body and behavior!
 Alcohol is the most widely abused drug by
high school students
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
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
Ethanol

The PROOF is twice the percentage of
alcohol by volume
 For example: 100 proof vodka is 50%
alcohol
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 body’s central nervous
system
 Alcohol slows the body’s natural reactions
down
Alcohol Can Cause…….

Confusion
 Decreased alertness
 Poor coordination
 Blurred vision
 Drowsiness
 As well as many others
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
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
Legal Risks

The National Highway and Traffic Safety
Administration estimates that about half of
all fatal automobile crashes are alcohol
related
Alcohol’s 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”
Alcohol’s Effect on the Body

Intoxication: refers to the negative effects
alcohol has on a drinker's body and
behavior
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!
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
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
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)
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
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
Liver Damage
Alcohol interferes with the liver’s 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

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
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
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
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
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 drinker’s body develops a chemical
need for alcohol
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 aren’t there