Aim: What is Alcohol?

• Do Now: How might alcohol use by teens and young adults negatively affect their lives?

• Test on Friday: Nervous system, Tobacco and alcohol use

• HW due tomorrow: Read 486-487 Answer questions 1-3 on looseleaf

Review of Do Now• Poor performance at work and in school

• Illness

• Automobile accidents

• Teen pregnancy

• Violence

• Crime

• STD’s

What is Alcohol?

• Classified as a depressant: slows down nervous system activity

• Gateway Drug: leads the user to try other drugs

Different Types of Alcohol• Ethanol: Found in alcoholic beverages

• Beer : % of alcohol labeled (3-5%)

• Wine: % of alcohol labeled (9-14%)

• Distilled Spirits (rum, vodka): “Proof” is a measure of alcohol content that is two times the % of alcohol (30-50 %)

• No nutritional value

• High in calories

ActivityWhy People DO NOT Drink

• Do not like the taste

• Religion

• Weight – conscious

• Do not like the loss of control

• Health Risks

Why People DO Drink

• Social Pressures

• Peer Pressure

• Stress

• Depression

• Boredom

• Advertising

• Rebellion

Aim: How does Alcohol affect Nervous System Activity?

• Do Now: What do you think would be signs that a person has a drinking problem?

• Hand in HW

• Test on Friday: Nervous System, Tobacco and Alcohol

Types of Drinking Behaviors• Social Drinking: “light drinkers”

• Moderate Drinking: Person who takes in no more than one ounce of alcohol per day. They rarely drink in excess.

• Heavy Drinking: More than two drinks per day.

• Excessive Drinking: More than four drinks per day. Addiction.

Identifying Problem Drinking• Drinking Alone• Hiding alcohol use• Relying on alcohol to get through stressful sitation• Drinking in the morning• Drinking at work, school or before driving• Blackouts• Frequent Hangovers• Feeling guilty• Getting annoyed when others criticize the drinking

Alcoholism• A chronic disease characterized by physical and

psychological dependence on alcohol

• Not all people who are addicted to alcohol have alcoholism

• Alcoholics have an inborn tendency to abuse alcohol and become addicted

• Nature Vs. Nurture. What do you think?

Alcohol

• No need to be digested

• Absorbed right into the bloodstream

• Why?

• Intoxication with the first sip

Affect on Neurons• Alters their membranes

• Alters their ion channels

• Alters enzymes

• Alters receptors

Alcohol interferes with many neurotransmitters

• Acetylcholine

• Serotonin

• GABA

• ALCOHOL SHUTS DOWN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM!

• http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_03/i_03_m/i_03_m_par/i_03_m_par_alcool.html#drogues

Inhibition of Brain Activity• Loss of attention• Loss of Memory• Inhibition : psychological checks on emotions

and actions• Impaired speech, vision, and coordination• Nausea and vomiting • Heartbeat and breathing become irregular or

stop completely

Other Effects• Decreases reaction time

• Increases blood flow to the skin and loss of heat from the body

• Increases urination by blocking ADH

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)• The number of grams of alcohol per 100ml of

blood expressed as a percentage

• The higher BAC, more intense affects of alcohol

• Varies in females and males