ALCOHOLISM

A major health

and social problem

DOES THIS HARM YOU?

The alcohol affects the nervous system. Judgment

is impaired, efficiency is lowered, and vital organs

are damage.

Many victims lose their mental faculties four hours

or days at a time.

Many become critically ill and must be admitted to

hospitals.

A large percentage never return to useful life.

Careers are ruined, marriages are destroyed,

families are left destitute, innocent victims are

slaughtered on highways, and crimes are committed.

We call it ALCOHOLISM.

ALCOHOL

Is an important fuel and is used in making

solutions.

Various forms are used in automobile radiators as

antifreeze mixtures.

Doctors and druggist make use of its germ-killing

properties in anti-septic.

TYPES OF ALCOHOLThe alcohol in beverage is ethyl alcohol or ethanol. Produced

by the action of yeast (a tiny plant) on carbohydrates (sugar).

We call it grain alcohol because a mash produced ground corn,

rye, barley, wheat or other cereals is used in making it.

Alcohol made from wood is called methyl alcohol or methanol.

This alcohol is poisonous that even its fumes are harmful.

Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with substances added to

make it poisonous if taken internally. It is used largely for

industrial purposes.

ALCOHOL BEVERAGESWines are produced by the action of yeast on fruit juices. They

contains form 10-20% alcohol.

Beer and ale have a lower alcohol content. They are made by

the action of yeast on a mash containing ground grain and malt.

Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum, Vodka, and Liqueurs are distilled

beverages which have a much higher alcoholic content, usually

40-50%.

Naturally , the effect of an alcoholic beverage on the body

depends largely on the amount of alcohol the drink contains.

ALCOHOL IN THE BODY

Within two minutes after drinking it, alcohol begins to

leave the stomach and enter the blood. It is not digested.

The rate of absorption speeds up greatly as alcohol enters

in the intestine at the lower end of the stomach.

When alcohol is mixed with food, the rate of absorption is

reduced. This explains why a person feels the effect of

alcohol more quickly if he drinks on an empty stomach than

if he drinks during or after a meal.

Body tissues normally “burn” part of the digested

foods by chemical process called oxidation.

The speed of food oxidation depends on the energy

one needs. If a person runs around the block,

oxidation speeds up. If he takes a nap, it slows down.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OXIDATION OF ALCOHOL?

The body burns up about 98% of it without control.

The result is heat and more heat. The body doesn’t

need this heat. But the oxidation process goes on

anyway. This energy, in the form of extra heat, does

not contribute to life. The problem is how to get rid

of it.

ALCOHOL AND THE DIET

Alcoholics starve themselves during long periods of

excessive drinking. During this fasts, the liver is

drained of its stored food. This may lead to a

dangerous condition, cirrhosis (si-roh-sis), or

hardening, of the liver.

Even more common liver change in alcoholics is

fatty liver. This liver swells as fat replaces the foods

normally stored there.

VITAMINS DEFICIENCY AMONG ALCOHOL

Lack of vitamin b1, or thiamine, causes beriberi.

This condition is often accomplished by

neuritis, in which the nerves become inflamed

and degenerate.

Thiamine deficiency is especially common

among alcoholics for several reasons.

Thiamine is used in burning of carbohydrates

and alcohol in the tissues.

When vitamin P-P, another of the B-complex, is

deficient in the body, a condition known as

pellagra develops.

Symptoms of this deficiency are spotty

reddening of the skin, paralysis, emotional upset,

and, in extreme cases, severe mental illness.

IS A ALCOHOL A STIMULANT?

Alcohol is a depressant. It diminished the activity of the body

functions. Among other thing, it deadens nerves as an

anesthetic does. It certainly doesn’t sharpen them.

EFFECTS ON BEHAVIOR

Alcohol works on behavior from the top down.

It knocks out intelligent control first.

This takes the brakes off the emotions and lets them run

wild.

The progressive effects of alcohol continue.

Reaction time of muscles ( the time it takes for a muscles

to respond) increases because the brain can’t control the

muscles properly.

THE PROGRESSIVE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

1. Loss of intelligent behavior Decrease in judgmentDecrease in self-controlIncrease in emotional response

2. Decrease in muscular controlIncrease in reaction time“think tongue” and slurred speechMuscle tremors (shakes)

3. Influence on sense organsDouble visionBlurred visionLoss of ability to judge distanceImpaired hearing, resulting in loud talking Loss of equilibrium, causing dizziness and staggering

4. UnconsciousnessDecreased rate of breathingReduced heart action and blood pressureLowered body temperature

The effect of alcohol on the body in following stages

ALCOHOL IN BLOOD

Alcohol affects different ways. Some habitual

drinkers seem to develop a certain amount of

tolerance of alcohol.

The average person with one-half of one percent of

alcohol in his blood is critical danger.

The data be

5%- life in danger

4%- helplessness

3%- staggering gait

2%- clumsy movements

1%- noticeable breath

odor

THE DATA BELOW SHOW THE EFFECT OF VARYING AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL IN THE BLOOD:

Most state have set a blood alcohol content of .15% as legal limit for

drunkenness.

ALCOHOLISM

Is a major health problem.

It is an acute social problem reflected in broken

homes, family misery, neglected children,

unemployment, and poverty.

Is a highly complex illness.

It is different from other diseases in many ways.

1. Not all people who drink develop it.

2. The cause is unknown, but the alcoholic’s body seems to be

unable to process alcohol properly.

3. It affects different people in different ways.

4. The is no “cure” but recovery will occur with total

abstinence from alcohol.

5. Even after a years of abstinence, one drink may cause a

relapse. Alcoholic’s don’t drink because of habit. They are addicts, or persons given over to the practice of taking alcohol or drugs.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE ON ALCOHOL

People who are unhappy, insecure, maladjusted, and frustrated

seek various escapes from their problems.

Alcohol is a common means of escapes.

ALCOHOL PSYCHOSIS

An acute form of mental illness whose victims must be

admitted to already overcrowded mental hospitals.

The cause of alcohol psychosis is not fully understand.

Part of the condition may be due to the toxic effect of

alcohol on nerve tissue.

Another cause is deficiency in the B-complex vitamins

essential for normal nervous activity.

ALCOHOL MAY ALTER PERSONALITY

Excessive use of alcohol usually results in guilt

feelings.

This may cause the victim to lose self-pride and

concern appearance.

He/she becomes unkempt and dirty.