Alcohol: facts and myths

1

• Alcohol facts and myths

2
Alcohol as a drug

• Alcohol is an dependence drug.
• Social psychologists refer to the perception of
  alcohol as a social lubricant.
• Many people view alcohol as a non-drug because
• alcohol is legal
• advertising and media promote drinking as normal
• significant quantities of alcohol are sold
• alcohol has a long history of use.

3
Negative impact of alcohol

• At least one in every 4 deaths on Victorian roads
  is as a result of drivers with a blood alcohol
  concentration (BAC) greater than 0.05.
• Source TAC

4
Physical effects of alcohol

• The body is affected by alcohol in two ways
• direct contact in mouth, esophagus, stomach, and
  intestine
• Influence on almost every organ system in the
  body after entering the bloodstream.
• Absorption is the process by which the drug
  molecules reach the bloodstream.
• The effects of alcohol on the human body depend
  on the amount of alcohol in the blood, or the BAC.

5
Blood alcohol concentration

• BAC produced depends on
• presence of food in the stomach
• rate of alcohol consumption
• concentration of alcohol
• drinkers body composition.

6
Short-term effects of alcohol

• Low to moderate quantities
• reduces inhibitions
• affects social setting and mental state, ranging
  from euphoria to hostility
• interferes with motor activity, reflexes and
  coordination.

• Moderate quantities
• slightly increases in heart rate
• slightly dilates blood vessels in arms, legs,
  skin
• moderately lowers blood pressure
• stimulates appetite
• increases production of gastric secretions
• increases urine output.

7
Short-term effects of alcohol

• At higher quantities
• difficulty in walking, talking and thinking
• induces drowsiness and causes sleep
• in large amounts severe depression of the brain
  systems and motor control area of the brain
• uncoordination, confusion, disorientation
• stupor, anesthesia, coma and even death.

8
Long-term effects of alcohol

• Light or moderate drinking does little permanent
  harm (exception during pregnancy foetal alcohol
  syndrome)
• Heavy drinking
• seriously damages the heart
• damages the kidneys and liver
• can lead to mental disorders and irreversible
  damage to the brain and peripheral nervous system
• lowers resistance to pneumonia and other
  infectious diseases
• irritates the gastrointestinal tract.

9
What parts of the body can alcohol affect?

• Brain and nervous system
• Liver
• Digestive system
• Blood
• Cardiovascular system

• Sexual organs
• Endocrine system
• Kidneys
• the foetus (foetal alcohol syndrome)

10
Alcohol and pregnancy

• Infants born to mothers who drink during
  pregnancy have a high probability of being
  afflicted with foetal alcohol syndrome.
• Women who are alcoholics or who drink heavily
  during pregnancy have a higher rate of
  spontaneous abortion.

11
Test your knowledge true or false?

• Drinking black coffee, taking a cold shower, or
  breathing pure oxygen will hasten the sobering-up
  process.
• The type of alcohol beverage you drink can
  influence the hangover that results.
• Taking an aspirin-caffeine combination before
  drinking helps the sobering-up process and the
  chances of having a hangover.

12
Other alcohol-related issues

• Create a list of some other issues that relate to
  drinking too much alcohol.

Binge Drinking
Drink Driving
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
Drink Spiking
Crime
AND MANY, MANY MORE
13
Statistical sources

• http//www.aihw.gov.au/drugs/index.cfm 2/3/05