The Dangers of Alcohol Abuse: the facts You Need To know About alcohol

1. The Dangers of Alcohol Abuse:the facts You Need To know About alcohol

2. Alcohol in the news Everyday, thousands of people hear about terrifying stories and countless deaths that are the results of alcohol abuse in the news and on the radio. -Among teenagers, drunk driving is the leading cause of death. Alcohol is one of the easiest drugs to access, and the dangers and effects of consuming large amounts of alcohol need to be shared. -The reason for this presentation is to teach students about the dangers of alcohol. It is an easy drug to get a hold of and is often one of the drugs that teens are most pressured into using. -Visit this website to learn more about alcoholism and the dangers alcohol poses on your health: http://familydoctor.org/006.xml

3. Shattered Lives BEFORE “Early on Sunday morning, September 19, 1999, Jacqueline Saburido 20, and four friends were on their way home from a birthday party. Reggie Stephey, an 18-year-old star football player, was on his way home from drinking beer with some buddies. On a dark road on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, Reggie’s SUV veered into the Oldsmobile carrying Jacqui and the others. “Two passengers in the car were killed at the scene and two were rescued. Within minutes, the car caught fire. Jacqui was pinned in the front seat on the passenger side. She was burned over 60% of her body; no one thought she could survive. But Jacqui lived. Her hands were so badly burned that she no longer can use them. AFTER “She lost her hair, her ears, her nose, her left eyelid and much of Her vision.  She has had more than 40 operations since the crash and has many more to go.  In June 2001 Reggie Stephey was convicted of two counts of intoxication manslaughter for the deaths of Jacqui’s two friends. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $20,000.”

4. Background Alcohol has always been apart of any culture, from the Romans to the current time. The origins are not truly know, but it has been around for thousands of years. It was usually drunk at meals or at parties and always in a social setting. Alcohol problems have also always accompanied the use of alcohol. Drunkenness is a huge problem in any culture, and because of this, many cultures and religious have outlawed it. Only recently has there been a movement along with research to present the dangers and effects of alcohol to the general public. Still, alcohol will remain apart of the culture today and in the future.

5. Physical Dangers The physical effects of alcohol include: 1. Permanent Heart damage 2.High blood pressure 3. Liver disease 4. Brain damage 5. Weakened muscles 6. Ulcers 7. Headaches 8. *For pregnant women: The unborn child could have mental and/or physical damage that is irreversible

6. Psychological Affects & Harms of Alcohol Alcohol has many psychological affects that do just as much harm, if not more, as the physical effects to the body. Here are a few examples: • Affects moods • “Depresses” your physical capabilities and moods • Could “depress” your nervous system into a collapse, resulting in death • The loss of the ability to react quickly • Deterioration of brain structure and size Alcohol addiction also poses many psychological problems. Withdraw can result in chronic headaches, mood swings and shaking. An alcohol addiction can lead to death and the injury of loved ones and friends.

7. Top 3 reasons to avoid alcohol “Johnny died one night, died in his bed, bottle of whiskey, sleeping pills by his head “Johnny’s life passed him by like a warm summer’s day” • Deteriorates your body and damages your health • Could result in death • Not only a liability against yourself, but also those around you (ie: drunk driving, mood swings, etc.)

8. help sources http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/ The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is an organization that works to research many different aspects of the affects of alcohol, such as health problems, genetic, and many other areas. This group is a great source of more information about alcohol. http://www.ncadd.org/ The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) is a group that is dedicated to the educating the national population about the dangers of alcohol and they are devoted to making alcoholism a topic that is easy to talk about anywhere. They provide an abundant amount of information about recovering from alcoholism. http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/default/en_about.cfm Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the greatest programs to help those struggling with alcoholism. They have centers all over the country devoted to the continual recovery of alcoholics

9. bibliography http://www.wallacejordan.com/drugfree/drugrisk.htm http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/accident_story/3-11-04.html http://www.photovault.com/Link/People/SubstanceAbuse/Alcohol/PSAVolume01.html http://www.selfhelp magazine.com/qa/qaatd/qaatd4.html http://www.duihope.org/drunk_driving_newspaper_articles_1.html http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/default/en_about.cfm http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/