The Facts Served

“Straight Up”

DEFINITIONSAlcoholism – a physical dependency on and a

preoccupation with alcohol to the extent that this behavior interferes with normal personal family, social, or work life.

Alcohol abuse – drinking too much or too often without physical cravings or withdrawal symptoms. (this behavior can lead to alcoholism)

Alcohol poisoning – an over dosage on alcohol.

(this is considered a medical emergency)

Binge drinking – drinking too much, too fast. for men is considered five or more drinks in a row. for women is considered four or more drinks in a row.

DEFINITIONSBlackouts – Alcohol in the brain may cause a

person to have gaps in their memory of things that happened while drinking.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) – Alcohol concentration in a person’s blood.

Intoxication - The amount of alcohol consumed exceeds the individual's tolerance and produces behavioral or physical abnormalities.

Tolerance – Over a period of time more alcohol is required to achieve the same effect. This is a sign that a person is becoming dependent on alcohol and may not realize how impaired they actually are.

Drinking in Young Adults

Research consistently shows that people tend to drink the heaviest in their

late teens and early to mid-twenties.

College students ages 18 to 25 are at a higher risk for problems involving alcohol.

This is an age when young adults are moving out of their parent’s homes and into dorms or their own apartments.

They are on their own for the first time and are free to make their own decisions.

The roles of their parents weaken.

GUIDELINES TO HELP YOU MAKE DECISIONSTo drink or not to drink should be a

conscious choice made before the occasion arises.

Abstinence from alcohol is a safe and acceptable decision. It is ok not to drink.

The use of alcohol can be risky and is not essential for enjoying social events.

No one should feel pressured to drink or feel embarrassed because of a personal choice not to drink. Don’t allow yourself to fall prey to peer pressure.

Guidelines to help you make a decision for yourself: continued

If you choose to use alcohol, do so safely, legally, and responsibly.Set a limit for yourself before you start drinking. Space your drinks, alternate alcohol and

nonalcoholic drinksKeep track of how much you’ve had.Never drink and drive or ride with someone

who has been drinkingHave a designated driver

The decision to use or not use alcohol is a personal one.

However, there can be consequences of making poor decisions about drinking.

Possible Consequences of Drinking Irresponsibly:flunking coursesunintended or unwanted sexual activityunwanted pregnancygetting an STDbeing involved in fights and accidentsengaging in other risky behavior you

might not have normally engaged indeveloping a long-term drinking problem

Some Sobering Statistics:The average student spends about $900 on

alcohol each year.159,000 of today’s first-year college students will

drop out of school for alcohol or other drug related reasons.

One night of heavy drinking can impair your ability to think abstractly for up to 30 days, limitingyour reading comprehension, your ability to understand what your professor saysyour problem solving abilities

70,000 students are victims of alcohol-related date rape or sexual assaults.

40% of all traffic fatalities are alcohol related.Could this be you someday?

What Happens When You Drink?Alcohol enters the stomach and small intestine,

where it is absorbed into the bloodstream.Once in the bloodstream, alcohol quickly travels

to every organ in the body, including the brain.As you continue to drink, the amount of alcohol

in your bloodstream continues to increase.The more alcohol the body absorbs, the higher

the Blood Alcohol Concentration – and the drunker the person gets.

Blood Alcohol Concentration – How does this affect you?.02% - Alcohol immediately slows the nervous

system and reaction time is impaired to some extent. You become more relaxed

.04% - Reaction time continues to slow. A “buzz” develops. Relaxation deepens.

.055% - .06% - Effects of alcohol change. Good feelings get less positive and negative feelings more negative. The negative effects will continue as long as you continue to drink. Brain’s ability to process information and make judgments is greatly impaired.

BAC - How it affect you ? Continued

.08% - Legally Drunk. Decrease in Motor coordination. May feel nauseous and throw up. This can occur in some people with just one or two drinks.

.10% - A clear breakdown in judgment and motor coordination, visibly sloppy.

.15% -.25% - High risk of blackouts and injuries.

.25% -.35% - Can pass out. Risk of death..40% -.45% - Lethal dose for most.

What Is A Standard Drink?

Factors that may influence alcohol concentration levels:

Gender – body compositions differBody weight Alcohol content in drinksHow much you drinkFood intakeAge Mood

Myths Associated With Alcohol:Alcohol is a sexual stimulant

Alcohol actually decreases your ability to function sexually You may be less inhibited, but are less likely to be able tp follow through

One or two drinks has no noticeable effect on a person’s behavior and/or judgment Behavior and judgment changes with the first drink Some people are legally drunk with just one or two drinks

You can sober someone up faster with food or coffee It takes the liver one hour to burn off about .016 of your

blood alcohol level. As a rule it will take a 150lb male one hour to metabolize

one glass of wine, one shot of liquor, or one bottle of beerBeer doesn’t contain as much alcohol

as hard liquor A 12 ounce bottle of beer has the same alcohol content as a

standard shot of 80-proof liquor or a 5 ounce glass of wine.

Health problems associated with long term use of alcohol:

Alcoholism (addiction to alcohol)Cancers

Esophagus, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box). Increase risk of colon and rectal cancer

Heart damageCardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle)High blood pressureHigh triglycerides leading to heart attack or stroke.

Liver damageCirrhosisHepatitis

StomachChronic irritation of the stomach lining and bleeding ulcers pancreatitis

How to control the situation: Protect yourself if you choose to drink:Limit the amount you drink, sip drinks slowly

and space them out over timeA heavy meal or dairy products before and

while drinking may help slow the alcohol absorption

Avoid salty foods that make you more thirsty such as salted peanuts or popcorn

Drink diluted drinks rather than “straight shots”

Avoid carbonated mixers or sparkling wines as they speed the alcohol into your bloodstream

Avoid “spiked” punch and other drinks with unknown amounts of alcohol

Binge Drinking Drinking

too much alcohol too fast

Can result in the brain’s control center closing down, at which point you can

black out, slip into a coma, Stop breathing, and die.

Binge Drinking

Is all too often a common pattern of excessive alcohol use at parties fueled by peer pressure.

Many times occurs in the form of drinking contests, dares, bets, or guzzling beer.

In a recent U. S. college survey, nearly 50% of binge drinkers reported doing something they regretted while drunk.

Binge drinkers are more likely to drive drunk or ride with a driver who has been drinking.

Every year about 600,000 students between 18 and 24 are assaulted by someone who has been drinking.

The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18 to 20 year old groups (52.1%).

Binge drinking is associated with many health problems including:

Unintentional injuries (e.g. car crash, falls, burns, drowning) Intentional injuries (e.g. firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic

violence) Alcohol poisoning and deathSexually transmitted diseases Unintended pregnancy Children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

one of the leading known preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects, such as mental and physical disabilities, abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, vision, hearing and learning disabilities.

High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases

Liver disease, Neurological damage, Poor control of diabetes

Sexual dysfunction

Alcohol Poisoning

This is a Medical Emergency – Call 911 If alcohol poisoning is not treated, a person may become comatose, suffer brain damage and die!

Alcohol poisoning is when someone overdoses on alcohol.

Alcohol depresses nerves that control breathing and the gag reflex. This may cause one or both of the following:pass out, stop breathing and die.pass out, choke on their own vomit and die

Even after a person passes out their alcohol level keeps rising.The alcohol in the stomach and intestines continues to

enter the bloodstream and circulate through the body. It is dangerous to assume the person will just sleep it off.

Signs of Alcohol PoisoningMental confusion, unable to wake themVomiting while asleep Seizures Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute) Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between

breaths)

Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color and cold to the touch

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoningCall 911 Keep the person warm and turn them on

their side to prevent them from choking on vomit.

Don’t worry about the drinker being mad or embarrassed because you sought medical help. Be safe – not sorry.

Four of my friends were going to a party, They pulled off the road because they saw someone swerving. The drunk driver crossed two lanes of traffic and slammed into their neon going 75mph.

One of my friends died, the other one cannot walk, another has a broken arm and blood clots in her chest and the other has serious head injuries. The drunk driver fled on foot and had no serious injuries, he is now being charged with murder.

Acknowledgements: Information for this presentation was obtained fromAmerican College Health AssociationCollege Drinking PreventionETR AssociatesHealth Promotion ResourcesJourneyworks PublishingTexas Department of TransportationU.S. Department of Health and Human

Services

If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol, help is availableAA WWW.alcoholics-anonymous.orgAl-Anon WWW.al-anon.alateen.orgNational Drug Abuse Hotline 1-800-662-4357

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) WWW.niaa.nih.govStudent Health Center 1-409-880-8466