Alcohol

1. Alcohol Chapter 5

2. Objectives Identify the following: • Types of alcoholic beverages and the alcohol content of each • The physiological and societal effects of alcohol • Penalties for alcohol related offenses • Factors relating to binge drinking and alcohol poisoning • Risk of drinking and driving

3. Alcohol is a depressant that has two major effects: It slows down the nervous system It irritates and sedates nerve endings

4. Physiological Effects of Alcohol • Alcohol impairs: • higher learning centers • muscle control center • other vital functions • Effects on Vision: eye focus, visual acuity, peripheral vision, color distinction, night vision, distance judgment, & double vision

5. Dangerous Effects of Alcohol Drinking too much may lead to the following: • Injury & death from falls, fire, drowning, and violent behavior • Choosing to drive • Engaging in sexual activity and unprotected sex • Involvement in arguments and fights • Sexual Assault/Date Rape • Alcohol poisoning • Mixing alcohol & other drugs – lethal dose

6. What is a Drink? • 12 oz Beer 4.5% .54 oz • 4 oz Wine 12% .48 oz • 12 oz Wine Cooler 5.0% .60 oz • 1 oz Whiskey 40% .40 oz • What is the proof of the Whiskey?

7. Blood Alcohol Concentration • Influencing factors: • alcohol content of drink • size of drink • time spent drinking • food • body weight and gender

8. Effects of BAC • .08% - .10% legally drunk • .16% 8 hours for the body to metabolize • .30% may lose consciousness • .40 - .50% lose consciousness & coma • .60 - .70% death

9. Eliminating Factors • Breath 8% • Sweat 2% • Liver 90% • (See elimination rate graph)

10. Laws Relating to Alcohol

11. Minor in Possession • Illegal to attempt to purchase, possess or consume if under 21, in Texas • Illegal to misrepresent age • Class C misdemeanor • Punishments: fines, community service, loss of driver’s license, alcohol awareness class, possibly jail

12. Driving Offenses • DUI by a Minor • Illegal to operate a motor vehicle with any detectible amount of alcohol in his/her system • DWI • Not having normal use of your mental or physical faculties because of alcohol or other drugs • Alcohol concentration of .08 or more

13. Driving Offenses cont… • Administrative License Revocation • Due to failing a blood/breath test or for having a detectible amount of alcohol in his/her system • Implied Consent • By operating an automobile in a public place, the driver has given consent to take a breath/blood test

14. Driving Offenses cont… • Intoxication Assault • Occurs when someone is injured in an alcohol related accident • Intoxication Manslaughter • Occurs when someone is killed as a result of drinking and driving

15. Public Intoxication • 3 provisions: 1. In a public place 2. Intoxicated 3. May be a danger to self or others • All 3 must apply

16. Accidents, Death, BAC and Crash Responsibility

17. BAC Chart: Death Risk from a Car Accident BAC Increase Risk of Death .03 1.2 times as likely to be killed .07 1.5 times as likely to be killed .12 2.4 times as likely to be killed .17 2.5 times as likely to be killed .22 3.7 times as likely to be killed

18. BAC Chart: Crash Responsibility BAC Crash Responsibility .02-.04 2 times as likely to be responsible .04-.06 3 times as likely to be responsible .06-.08 4 times as likely to be responsible .08-.10 9 times as likely to be responsible .10-.14 16 times as likely to be responsible .14-.16 22 times as likely to be responsible

19. Societal Problems • According to the NIAAA, alcohol is a factor in: • Over 40% of all highway deaths • 50% of all spousal abuse cases • 30% of all child abuse cases • 65% of drowning • 54% of those jailed for violent crimes were intoxicated • 49% convicted of murder or attempted murder

20. Alcohol Use in College • Students spend $5.5 billion dollars on alcohol per year (Avg. = $466/student/year) • Alcohol is a factor in 40% of all academic problems & 28% of all dropouts • 90% of sexual assault cases, victim or attacker was under the influence

21. Use in College cont… • 60% of college women diagnosed with STIs were drunk at the time of infection • Out of 12 million undergraduates, approximately 240,000 to 360,000 will die of an alcohol related cause

22. Binge Drinking • Consuming 5 or more drinks at one sitting for men and 4 or more for women • Problems include: • driving after drinking • damaged property • getting injured • missing classes • getting behind in school work

23. Alcohol Poisoning • Symptoms: • person does not respond to talking, shouting or being shaken • person cannot stand up • person has slow labored, or abnormal breathing • person’s skin feels clammy • person has rapid & irregular heart rhythm • person has lowered blood pressure

24. What You Should Do!?! • Call for medical attention immediately • Stay with the person until help arrives • Do not leave the victim alone • Turn person on one side in case of vomiting • Be honest in telling medical staff about victims alcohol and other drug consumption

25. Drinking Problems • Rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 • Young people who start drinking before 15 are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics than if they started after age 21

26. How Can You Tell if Someone Has a Drinking Problem??? • Signs & Symptoms • Grade decline • Frequently missing classes • Binge drinking • Legal problems • Significant increase in tolerance

27. Signs & Symptoms cont… • Other major signs of a drinking problem: • Frequently drinking alone • Drinking to forget about personal problems • Avoiding activities where alcohol is not available • Blackouts

28. Alcoholism • A chronic, progressive disease where a person loses control over his/her drinking • 4 symptoms: • A strong need to drink • The inability to limit one’s drinking • A physical dependence accompanied by withdrawal symptoms • Increased tolerance

29. Chronic Effects of Alcohol • Liver Disease • Fatty liver – causes enlargement of the liver • Alcoholic Hepatitis – enlarged, tender liver with an elevation of WBC • Alcoholic Cirrhosis – causes permanent scar tissue to form when liver cells are damaged

30. Chronic Effects cont… • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: • Caused by alcohol becoming part of fetal circulation • Infant will be at risk for birth defects

31. Summary • Alcohol is a depressant and impairs the higher learning centers, muscle control centers, and other vital functions • Blood alcohol concentration is influenced by the alcohol content of a drink, size of a drink, time spent drinking, food, body weight, and gender • Binge drinking is consuming 5 or more drinks at one sitting for men and 4 or more for women • If a person displays signs/symptoms of alcohol poisoning, call for medical attention immediately • Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease where a person loses control over his/her drinking

32. Summary cont… • Penalties for alcohol related offenses include minor in possession, DUI by a minor, DWI, ALR, implied consent, intoxication assault, intoxication manslaughter, & public intoxication • Societal effects of alcohol include drinking and driving, spousal/child abuse, academic problems, violent crimes, STI transmission, accidental deaths • Chronic effects of alcohol include liver disease, malnutrition, pellagra, polyneuritis, cancers, neurological disorders

33. Local Contacts • Texas A&M University • Dial-A-Nurse 845-2822 • Student Counseling Services 845-4427 • Student Counseling Service 24 Hour Helpline 845-2700 • Student Life Alcohol & Drug Education Programs 845-0280 http://stulife@tamu.edu/adep • Alcohol Abuse Help Line for Texas 800-553-7160 • Scott & White Alcohol/Drug Treatment Program 691-3338 • Alcoholics Anonymous/Al-Anon 361-797

34. Local Contacts • Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol & Substance Abuse (BVCASA) 776-7070 • BVCASA 24 Hour Hotline 775-8255 • Narcotics Anonymous of Brazos Valley 822-9094 • 800-DRUG HELP (800-378-4435) • www.drughelp.org