Psychoactive drug- A chemical substance that acts on the brain and affects the mind and behavior of the user

Depressant- A drug that slows down nerve activity

Gateway Drug- A psychoactive substance that leads to the use of other drugs

Proof- A measurement of alcohol content of beverages: twice the percent of alcohol

Addiction- A strong physical and psychological craving for a substance

Light Drinker- Someone consuming, on the average, less than a half ounce of alcohol per day

Moderate Drinker- Someone consuming, on the average, no more than one ounce of alcohol per day.

Heavy Drinker- Someone consuming, on the average, more than two drinks per day

Blackout- A failure to remember occurrences or behavior during a period of intoxication

Withdrawal Symptom- The reactions experienced by an addict who stops using a drug.

Alcoholism- A disease characterized by psychological and physical dependence on alcohol and the inability to control drinking

Alcohol is the oldest and most widely used drug in the world.

There are an estimated 10 to 15 million alcoholics or problem drinkers in the U.S.

100,000 deaths each year in the United States are alcohol related.

There are three basic types of alcoholic drinks.

BEER-made from fermented grains and has an alcohol content of 6%

Wine- made from fermented fruits and has an alcohol content of 11 to 14 percent.

Some wine drinks, such as wine coolers, have fruit juice and sugar added, lowering alcohol content to around six percent.

Liquor- made by distilling a fermented product to yield a drink that usually contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol.

Alcohol is sometimes indicated by the degree of proof, which is a figure twice as high as the percentage.

12 ounces of beer 5 ounces of wine 2 ounces of 80 Proof whiskey

All contain about 1 ounce of alcohol

It takes the body about one hour to process one ounce of alcohol

Binge Drinking- Drinking to get drunk. Five or more drinks- men

Four or more drinks- women

Read “Buzz Off” answer questions Read 480-485 in book Answer Questions 1-6 on page 485

Alcohol Poisoning- a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose.

Alcoholic- An addict who is dependent on alcohol

Craving-need for alcohol to manage life

Loss of control- cannot limit amount

Physical Dependence-Withdraw symptoms -nausea, sweating, shakiness, anxiety

Tolerance- A need to drink more alcohol to feel its effects

Current Health ProjectUp to 15 bonus points

Turn in by Thursday, December 20th

-250 Word report-Health Article

Factors that influence Alcohol’s Effects

Body Size Gender Food Rate intake Amount Medicine

Effects of Alcohol

Brain Development Memory Judgment Risk of Stroke (loss of brain function/ brain

damage)

Heart Small amounts of alcohol

increase heart rate and blood pressure

Large amounts of alcohol decrease heart rate and blood pressure

(can lead to heart failure)

Liver and Kidney Toxic chemicals in alcohol scar the

liver tissue. Build up of fat cells in liver

Kidneys increase output that can lead to dehydration

(ulcers, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis)

Stomach Alcohol can lead to nausea or

vomiting Can destroy lining of stomach Can destroy lining of pancreas

Stages of Alcoholism1- Abuse2-Dependence3-Addiction

Recovery1-Admission2-Detoxification3-Counseling4-Recovery

"If I have too much to drink, I can drink a lot of coffee to sober up quickly. Right?"

Ha. Tell us another one! Drinking a lot of coffee after drinking too much alcohol may, however, increase your discomfort through the need to use the bathroom while being transported to the jail on DUI charges. Only time reverses impairment.

"Will eating breath mints after drinking fool a police 'breath test'?"

Eating mints will not affect your BAC level since it isn't the smell of your breath, but the alcohol content, that's measured. Using breath mints, however, may earn you points with the arresting officer if you normally have bad breath.

"Well, at least eating breath mints might fool the officer, right?"

Ha. Sure, police are really fooled when they see a combination of erratic driving behavior and powerfully minty breath. Yep, that one fools us every time. Get real.

"I've heard preparing yourself by eating certain foods before an evening of heavy drinking will help keep your sober. Is that true?"That story has been around since before your grandparents were born. The only relation we've seen between what you eat before drinking and your drunkenness is that the more you drink, the more likely we are to find what you ate on your shirt, or on the floorboard of the patrol car.

"Ok, but if I eat a BIG meal before drinking, won't that help keep me from getting drunk?"

How much you have eaten, and how recently, may have a small effect on how quickly or slowly the alcohol you consume will enter your bloodstream — but it won't stop the alcohol from entering. If you drink too much, you will become intoxicated. There may be, however, a direct correlation between the size of your meal and how much of your meal may be found later in patrol cars and jail cells.

"Will splashing cold water on my face or taking a cold shower help sober me up?"

Splash away! And by all means, take a cold shower. It may make you cleaner, but it won't sober you up or make you a safe driver. The deputies at the jail, however, prefer clean drunks and recommend showering prior to doing anything that will lead to your arrest, such as driving after you've been drinking.

Will running around the block a few times sober me up enough to drive home?"

Exercise won't sober you up any faster, but feel free to run around the block as many times as you like. The deputies at the jail ask us to remind you to shower after your long run and before you drive a car.

"They were serving a spiked punch, but I couldn't even taste the alcohol in it. I can't be drunk!"

Party-goer, beware. Fruit juices have the ability to mask the taste of alcohol. A fruit "punch" can contain a substantial amount of alcohol without the taste of the alcohol being noticed — but it will make you just as drunk as alcohol which you can taste in another kind of drink. A mild-tasting cup of punch at a party may contain more alcohol than any normal drink you would buy at a bar.

Nothing sobers up a drinker except time

0.02 — 0.03 BAC: No loss of coordination, slight euphoria and loss of shyness. Depressant effects are not apparent. Mildly relaxed and maybe a little lightheaded.

0.04 — 0.06 BAC: Feeling of well-being, relaxation, lower inhibitions, sensation of warmth. Euphoria. Some minor impairment of reasoning and memory, lowering of caution. Your behavior may become exaggerated and emotions intensified (Good emotions are better, bad emotions are worse)

0.07 — 0.09 BAC: Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgment and self-control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired. You will probably believe that you are functioning better than you really are.

.10 — 0.125 BAC: Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgment. Speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Euphoria. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle at this level of intoxication in all states (.08).

0.13 — 0.15 BAC: Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Euphoria is reduced and dysphoria* is beginning to appear. Judgment and perception are severely impaired.

0.16 — 0.19 BAC: Dysphoria predominates, nausea may appear. The drinker has the appearance of a "sloppy drunk."

0.20 BAC: Feeling dazed/confused or otherwise disoriented. May need help to stand/walk. If you injure yourself you may not feel the pain. Some people have nausea and vomiting at this level. The gag reflex is impaired and you can choke if you do vomit. Blackouts are likely at this level so you may not remember what has happened.

0.30 BAC: STUPOR. You have little comprehension of where you are. You may pass out suddenly and be difficult to awaken.

0.35 BAC: Coma is possible.

0.40 BAC and up: Onset of coma, and possible death due to respiratory arrest.