Alcohol Use

1
Alcohol Use

• Is alcohol use abused in Aitkin?
• By whom?

2
Why do some adults use alcohol?

• Believe it relaxes them
• Friends or spouse uses
• Habit
• Dependent on it
• Used to cope with negative feelings

3
Why do some kids use alcohol?

• Peer pressure
• Poor resistance skills
• Think it will make them popular or cool
• Lack of knowledge
• Hang out with people who use it
• Parents use

4
Why do most teens choose not to use alcohol?

• Effects on the body
• Illegal
• Against morals and values
• Dont want to be ineligible for sports
• Responsible decision-making

5
Why is alcohol an inappropriate choice for teens?

• Its illegal
• Must be 21 to drink
• Minor consumption laws
• Will go on your record
• Affects career options
• Cant go into the military service
• Cant get a job with the FBI or government
  agencies

6
Alcohol is physically unhealthy if over used
7

• Liver disorders
• Cardiovascular disease
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• One of the leading causes of mental retardation
• Organ deficiencies

• Cancer
• Decreased immune system
• Decreased reaction time
• Decrease in athletic abilities
• Stomach ulcers

8
Affects relationships

• Acute and chronic alcohol consumption is
  associated with high rates of homicides,
  suicides, sexual assault and spouse and child
  abuse

• Impairs our ability to think clearly and make
  proper decisions

9
Affects academic performance

• Not motivated to do work
• Spend less time studying
• Forget about projects and assignments
• It has been found that students with high grades
  drink 3 times less than students with low grades

10
Drinking and Driving

• Blood Alcohol Level depends on many factors
• It is the percentage of alcohol circulating in
  the blood stream
• Effects begin around 0.04 while death may occur
  _at_ .4

11
The factors include

• How much alcohol a person drinks
• How fast they drink
• What they weigh
• How much the person has eaten
• Presence of other drugs in the blood stream

12
How drinking affects driving

• Dulls senses
• Slows reaction time and interferes with
  coordination
• Blood vessels widen giving a false sense of
  warmth.
• Slows activity of brain cells.
• Impairs vision, perception, judgment, reaction
  time

13
What should you do if someone who has been
drinking offers you a ride?

• Say NO
• Call someone to get you
• Have someone walk you home
• Stay the night
• Call a cab

14
The law about drinking and driving

• There is no safe level of alcohol that a person
  can consume that will not impair performance.
• Legal age for buying and drinking alcohol in MN
  is 21
• Not a drop law- any concentration for under 21
  consumption may result in withdrawal of driving
  privileges for 30 days on first violation and 180
  on second

15

• If you are under 21 it is against the law for you
  to operate a car when you have consumed any
  amount of alcohol
• First time convicted of DUI fine up to 700 and
  or up to 90 days in jail or both. Also loss of
  driving privileges for one year.

16
What is society and government doing to control
drug and alcohol abuse?

• Prevention approaches
• Making and passing laws about drugs and alcohol
• Local and state health agencies are increasingly
  active
• Providing after school programs for teens

17
What can I do to stay alcohol free?

• Choose friends who dont use
• Become involved in school activities
• Make good, responsible decisions
• Be a positive role model through your actions
• Refuse peer pressure

18
Alcoholism

• A disease where people cant control their desire
  for alcohol
• 5-10 million Americans are affected and 95
  million are problem drinkers
• Shortens a persons life by 12 years or more.

19
Why do people become Alcoholics?

• Family problems a way to cope
• Psychological they think their body needs the
  drug, low self-esteem
• Genetics
• It runs in families
• Physiological
• Excess consumption causes tolerance
• Addiction occurs

20
Physical dangers of Alcoholism

• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Direct damage to heart tissue
• Damage to inner lining of stomach
• Acute pancreatitis
• It gets inflamed and doesnt do its job anymore

21
Where to find help

• AA- made up of former alcoholics. They admit
  they have a sickness and try to help others
• Al-Anon- Support group for family member and
  friends of people with Alcoholism
• Alateen- Support group for young people who are
  affected by drinking or other addictions
• Other agencies to get help- school, doctor,
  pastor, priest, and rabbi

22
In Conclusion

• Alcohol is a very dangerous substance
• I didnt cover any positive sides of alcohol use
  because there arent any
• Alcohol abuse can damage your body and your life
• It affects your decision making, perceptions, and
  reactions, which all equal a bad combination.