Alcohol and Health Care

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Alcohol and Health Care
By Sarah James Winter 2003
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For many who drink alcohol, it is a pleasant
accompaniment to social activities. Moderate
drinking or up to 2 drinks a day for men and 1
drink a day for women, is not harmful to most
adults. The problem comes when alcohol is abused
which can lead to serious problems.
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The Stats

• Nearly 14 million Americans-1 in every 13
  adults-abuse alcohol or are alcoholics.
• Several million more adults engage in risky
  drinking (binge drinking, heavy drinking etc.)
  that could lead to alcohol problems.

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Young Drinkers

• Over three million teenagers are out-and-out
  alcoholics.  Several million more have a serious
  drinking problem that they cannot manage on their
  own. 

• The three leading causes for death in 15-24 year
  olds are automobile crashes, homicides and
  suicides and alcohol is a leading factor in all
  three

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of High School Seniors That Have Drunk Alcohol
at Least Once
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• 31 percent of college students met criteria for
  a diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent for a
  diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12
  months, according to questionnaire-based
  self-reports about their drinking

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What is Alcoholism? Alcoholism a disease
(alcohol dependence) that includes four
symptoms
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• Craving A strong need, or compulsion, to
  drink
• Loss of control The inability to limit ones
  drinking on any given occasion.

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• Physical dependence Withdrawal symptoms, such
  as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety,
  occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period
  of heavy drinking.
• Tolerance The need to drink greater amounts
  of alcohol in order to get high.

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• Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is also
  associated with psychiatric problems such as
  depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant
  disorder or antisocial personality disorder.

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What is Alcohol Abuse? Unlike alcoholism, alcohol
abuse does not include an extremely strong
craving for alcohol, loss of control over
drinking, or physical dependence. It is a
pattern of drinking that results in one or more
of the following situations within a 12-month
period
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• Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home
  responsibilities

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• Drinking in situations that are physically
  dangerous, such as while driving a car or
  operating machinery

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• Having recurring alcohol-related legal
  problems, such as being arrested for driving
  under the influence of alcohol or for physically
  hurting someone while drunk

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• Continued drinking despite having ongoing
  relationship problems that are caused or worsened
  by the drinking

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Consequences
Alcohol Related Accidents

• Slows down brain activity affecting alertness,
  judgment, coordination, and reaction time,
  increasing chance accidents such as falls,
  drowning, burns, and fires
• The higher the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) the
  greater the risk of single-vehicle fatal crash
• The BAC limit for most adults who drive after
  drinking at 0.08 percent but drinking skills are
  affected at much lower levels

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• Interaction With Medication
• Mixing medication and alcohol can cause
  problems such as drowsiness, increasing the
  chance for accident, serious liver damage, and
  death
• More than 150 medications should not be mixed
  with alcohol

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• Alcohol-Related Birth Defects
• Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause a
  variety of birth defects including fetal alcohol
  syndrome (FAS). Children with FAS have severe
  physical, mental, and behavioral problems
• Children exposed to alcohol before birth
  significantly increases the risk for lifelong
  learning and behavioral problems

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Social and Legal Problems

• Arguments with or separation from spouse and
  other family members

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• Strained relationships with coworkers

• Loss of employment due to decreased productivity

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Alcohol Plays a Role in _____ of
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Long-Term Health Problems

• Alcohol permanently damages the brain and
  central nervous system as well as the heart,
  liver, kidneys, stomach, and pancreas
• Significantly increases the risk of cancer of
  the esophagus, mouth, throat, larynx, colon,
  rectum, and breast cancer

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• Cause forgetfulness and confusion, which may
  seem like Alzheimers disease
• Women may develop alcohol-related health
  problems sooner than men, even when they drink
  less alcohol than men

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AA
What Can Be Done?

• Prevention such as education of the effects of
  alcohol, laws and policies against the use of
  alcohol, identifying alcohol abuse and alcoholism
  at earlier stages will be the best way to prevent
  alcohol problems
• NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
  Alcoholism), National Institutes of Health, and
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are
  sponsoring promising research in vital areas
• Counseling, therapy, and programs such as
  Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) provide help and
  recovery for alcohol abusers and alcoholics