Unit: Alcohol and MarijuanaLesson #2 Progressive effects of Alcohol

The primary learning outcomes desirable from this 2nd lesson are as follows:

1) Understand the progressive debilitating effects of alcohol upon the body and brain.

2) Make relevant applications of this knowledge.

3) Understand that binge drinking can lead to overdose and death.

4) An understanding that only time eliminates alcohol from the body.

Unit: Alcohol and MarijuanaLesson #2 Effects of alcohol on body

This lesson is designed to take approximately 50 minutes… including a follow up corresponding video or movie of about 10 minutes at the end (of course discussion time will vary with instructor)

--Students should be encouraged to participate in discussions…again, look for current local newspaper articles to replace the sample one included in this lesson

Instructor note: sample newspaper clippings have been included to illustrate various points…but it is better if you can find your own local articles which will illustrate the same things…scan them and replace them in the slides…deleting the originals.

This 19 year old had a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of over .20

This 19 year old had a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of over .20

1) Alcohol is a drug which acts upon the body as a depressant in the central nervous system (brain).

TRUE

Alcohol survey questions 1-2

2) Alcohol is a stimulant to the central nervous system (brain).

FALSE – although at lower BAC levels it does act as a stimulant.

Alcohol slows brain functionsLet’s now notice some facts about

the process of intoxication...

What determines how fast a person becomes

intoxicated?

• SIZE OF PERSON (body weight)

• METABOLISM (how fast the body works)

• TYPE OF BEVERAGE CONSUMED

• RATE OF DRINKING• FOOD IN STOMACH

Let’s now explore the progression of intoxication

We’ll trace the flow of alcohol from the time one starts to drink until complete intoxication

The progressive effects of intoxication

Once in the stomach...

…it proceeds through the stomach wall lining… ...directly into the blood stream.

Within a few minutes, alcohol affects the brain reducing the normal flow of oxygen to the brain.

3) The reason drinking and driving can be dangerous is that alcohol prevents the brain from doing those normal functions required for driving?

TRUE

Alcohol survey questions 3-4

Again, the reduction of oxygen and the directeffect of the alcohol impairs the brain’s functions

4) The cerebrum is affected by alcohol first before other parts of the brain are affected?

TRUE

within10-20minutes

CEREBRUMCEREBRUM CEREBRUM- thinking and

reasoning processes slow down

(takes 2-3 times longer to decide what to do)

- memory affected

- judgment impaired

(driver takes risky chances)

5) Drinking tends to make a person feel more self-confident even though his or her skills may be decreasing.

TRUE

Alcohol survey question 5

A false sense of self-confidenceis experienced as the euphoriaintensifies in the Brain Stem.

BRAIN STEM - Euphoria sets in

(the high) results in a false sense of overconfidence

- Inhibitions are released

silly, loud, depressed, obnoxious

- Emotions intensified

- also controls heart beat and breathing

CEREBRUMCEREBRUM

BRAIN STEMBRAIN STEM

How can stronger emotions affect driving? (give some examples)

How can stronger emotions affect driving? (give some examples)

within10-20minutes

another10-20minutes

6) When people drink alcoholic beverages, they lose their muscular coordination before they lose their reasoning and judgmental abilities?

FALSE

Alcohol survey question 6

If drinking continues, the next part of the brain affected

is the cerebellum

10-20min.

10-20 min.

CEREBRUMCEREBRUM

CEREBELLUMCEREBELLUM

BRAIN STEMBRAIN STEM

30-60 minutes

total time

10-20 min.

CEREBELLUM controls muscle

coordination Large muscles:

arms & legs; then smaller muscles: eyes and tongue

slurred speech

blurry vision Driver has major

difficulty controlling vehicle

TOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATED

10-20min.

10-20 min.

CEREBRUMCEREBRUM

CEREBELLUMCEREBELLUM

BRAIN STEMBRAIN STEM

10-20 min.

HOW IS THIS INFORMATION IMPORTANT?

TOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATEDTOTALLY INTOXICATED

You or a friend who is driving you…may be in STAGE 2 (not showing any physical coordination problems as of yet… you may think it is safe to drive or ride with that person)

…but in a short time the alcohol will begin to affect the muscular

coordination and vision.

30-60 minutes

total time

After several drinks a driver may see multiple images

STOPSTOP

ONE WAYONE WAY

5050

50

A driver in an advance stage of intoxication would have difficulty seeing this pedestrian

Night vision is significantly reduced after drinking.

7) All the mental and physical abilities required to operate an automobile are affected if a person drinks enough?

TRUE 8) A person can become unconscious and

even die from drinking too much?

TRUE

Alcohol survey questions 7-8

It is possible to

overdose on alcohol and die!

If at a party a friend of yours has beentaking large repeated gulps

straight from a whiskey bottle…WHAT CAN YOU DO?

9) It takes at least 1 hour for the body to

get rid of the effects of one can of beer?

10) There is no way to sober up quickly. Coffee, food, fresh air, exercise, or a cold shower will not help.

Alcohol survey questions 9-10

TIME is the only way

TRUE

TRUE

11) If a person eats something before

drinking, he or she won’t get drunk.

Alcohol survey question 11

But it will take a little longer getting into the bloodstreambecause the food slows down the absorption.

FALSE

Review time…how much do you remember?

2) True or False: Lighter individuals will become intoxicated with less alcohol consumed than heavier people.______

5) When the alcohol reaches the Brain Stem the euphoria intensifies which often releases a person’s ___________ which can result in behaviors they usually refrain from.

1) Soon after alcohol is consumed, it begins to enter the ____________through the stomach wall lining & intestines.

3) As alcohol enters the cerebrum it begins to slow down the brain’s ability to think and reason. This means drivers take _____________ to decide what to do (IPDE process).

4) Also in the cerebrum, the alcohol impairs a person’s better ___________. They tend to take risky chances.

6) True or False: These stronger emotions released by the effect of alcohol can adversely affect ones driving.____

8) The large muscles like the __________ are first affected; then the smaller muscles like those that focus the ______are affected, causing the driver’s vision to be greatly impaired.

7) As alcohol moves into the lower part of the brain (Cerebellum) it begins to affect the ________coordination.

9) True or False: Knowing these progressive effects are important because we may think we are okay, but the alcohol may soon be affecting our coordination and vision

…making us even more dangerous _______

10) All the physical and mental abilities are affected if a person continues to _________

11) True or False: If you drink too much it is possible to overdose on alcohol and even die. _______

13) It takes the body (liver) at least _______ to eliminate the alcohol from the body for each drink consumed.

12) If at a party, a friend is taking large gulps from a whiskey bottle you should try to _________________

14) True or False: If after drinking, if you get some good exercise or strong coffee, it will reduce the time it takes to sober up. _________

15) True or False: Eating a heavy meal before consuming alcohol, will absorb most of it, minimizing its affects. ______

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