ALCOHOL RELATED PROBLEMS

1. ALCOHOL RELATED PROBLEMS

2. DIFFERENT USE OF ALCOHOL TEETOTALLER:one who does not drinkandhas never drunk alcoholABSTAINER:onewho is not drinking alcohol anymore Total about15 – 20 %of population ALCOHOL FREE CONSUMER: one who drinks ALCOHOL, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE QUANTITY Total about80 - 85 %of population

3. MODERATE DRINKER One who drinks 1 glass of wine or beer during a meal, and occasionally some spirits (coffee with brandy, liquor) ALL ALCOHOLICSused to be MODERATE DRINKERS RISK

4. PROBLEMATIC DRINKER one who drinks SIGNIFICANTquantities of alcohol, so as to provoke BEHAVIOURAL ALTERATIONS andPHYSICAL DAMAGES HEAVY RISK

5. PROBLEMATIC DRINKER DAMAGES are INEVITABLE and start to show depending on: AGE of onset of alcohol consumption PHYSICAL CONDITIONS QUANTITY CONSUMED GENDER IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME !

6. The ALCOHOLIC One who DOES NOT CONTROLanymore his alcohol consumption He is DEPENDENT on drinking ALCOHOLISM is NOT a DESEASE, it is a LIFE STYLE VERY HIGH RISK in danger of DEATH Every year in ITALY there are about 35.000 alcohol-related deaths

7. ALCOHOLIC There are many ALCOHOLISMS People become ALCOHOLICS through many different pathways ONLY the START is the SAME for ALL BEGINNING to DRINK

8. ALCOHOL USE TEETOTALLERS MODERATEDRINKERS PROBLEMATIC DRINKERS ALCOHOLICS You can shift from theoutside to the centrealmost INADVERTENTLY

9. ALCOHOL USE ABSTINENCE MODERATEDRINKING PROBLEMATICDRINKING ALCOHOLISM IRREVERSIBLEALCOHOLISM DEATH ONE WAY SOBRIETY

10. IT’S NOT A PROBLEM of QUANTITY Over the last 50 years the “RECOMMENDED” or “SAFE” quantitieshave been constantly reduced.The B.A.C. allowed for driving has been reduced in many countries from 0,8 gr./L. to 0,5 - and in some cases to 0,0 IT’S VERY EASY TO INCREASE PROGRESSIVELY the daily quantity (ALMOST) without noticing it

11. Evolution over the last 50 years of the recommended daily quantities of wine (considered safe): Dr. Quartini (1960): 1 litre per day Dr. Berardi (1984): 0,66 litres (man) 0,50 litres (woman)  W.H.O. (2000): 0,14 litres per day (less than 1 glass) Guess what the next “recommended quantity” is going to be……

12. DRINKINGis a RISKYBEHAVIOUR ALCOHOL is a PLEASURE just for a moment then you start HAVING PROBLEMSthen it becomes theBOSS There is no alcoholic out there who was not, at one stage, a moderate drinker

13. ALCOHOL is a LEGAL DRUG Every substance that: • is PSYCHOACTIVE • provokes PHYSICAL ADDICTION • provokes PSYCHIC ADDICTION • provokes WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS • is a DRUG V. Van Gogh – Self portrait Maradona W.H.O. World Health Organization

14. ALCOHOL is a LEGAL DRUG • IT DOES ALTER the FUNCTIONING of the BRAIN: • Initially it produces EUPHORIA, then AGGRESSIVITY • Eventually it works as SEDATIVE on CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM • It provokes A BAD HABIT, upto DEPENDENCE

15. GETTING USED: In case of repeated consumption, the effectiveness of a substance decreases over time, because the bodydoes create a sort of resistance TOLERANCE: The need to take progressively larger quantities to get the same effect DEPENDENCE: The need to continue to take the same substance, to prevent the withdrawal symptomsYOU CANNOT DO WITHOUT

16. THE DEPENDENCE STAIRS OCCASIONAL CONSUMPTIONMODERATE DRINKING D E P E N D E N C E INCREASEofTOLERANCE NEED to DRINK MORE FREQUENT CONSUMPTIONNEED to DRINK MORE FREQUENTLY INCAPACITY to CONTROL DRINKINGEXCUSES, ALIBIS, TRICKS PROBLEMS in the FAMILY DECREASEofTOLERANCE COMPULSIVE CONSUMPTION CRAVING EVIDENT PHYISICAL and PSYCHIC PROBLEMS EVIDENT PROBLEMS in the FAMILY and WORKPLACE THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE HIDDEN

17. CAGE QUESTIONNAIRE on DEPENDENCE • Have you ever felt the need to Cut down on drinking? • Have you ever felt Annoyed by criticism of your drinking? • Have you ever had Guilty feelings about your drinking? • Have you ever drunk in the morning as an Eye opener? If you are a responder to at least TWO of such questions, you are likely to be already an alcoholic, just ONE if you are a youngster

18. For ALL DRUGS LEGAL or ILLEGAL the RIGHT QUANTITY is ZERO Dr. Garattini 2006

19. WHAT can ENCOURAGE ALCOHOL consumption • DRINKING CULTURE • MARKETING • COMMON PLACES and PREJUDGEMENTS Caravaggio - Bacchus

20. DRINKING CULTURE very old TRADITIONS in order not to feel DIFFERENT widely spread and well accepted BEHAVIOUR

21. MY GRANDFATHER DRINKS TO REMEMBER MY UNCLE DRINKS TO FORGET MY NEPHEW DRINKS TO BE SMART AND GET GIRLS BUT MY GRANDFATHER DOESN’T REMEMBER MY UNCLE DOESN’T FORGET MY NEPHEW DOESN’T GET ANY GIRLS SIMPLY, ALL THE THREE GET DRUNK

22. MARKETINGIS A CONDITIONING FACTOR AND DOESN’T INFORM He knows what to drink… Wine is sincere Soft taste… Italian taste …and you know what you drink … the full taste of life.. It creates an atmosphere…

23. COMMON PLACES and PREJUDGEMENTS ALCOHOL INCREASES STRENGTH ? NO WAY !ATHLETES CANNOT DRINK Hercules Jury Chechi ALCOHOL HEATS YOU UP ?NO WAY !alcohol dilates the veins:drinking in the cold can be dangerous

24. COMMON PLACES and PREJUDGEMENTS ALCOHOLINCREASES BLOODNOT TRUEANAEMIA is very frequent among the ALCOHOLICS ALCOHOLSTIMULATES andMAKES YOU FEEL STRONGNOT TRUEit is a depressant of theNERVOUS SYSTEM it is an ANAESTETIC

25. COMMON PLACES and PREJUDGEMENTS ALCOHOL increases your sexual potency?NOT TRUE ! it may increase the DESIRE but the PERFORMANCEis much worse Casanova ALCOHOL is a DIGESTIVE ? NO WAY ! it provokes AESOPHAGITISandGASTRITIS Gargantua

26. COMMON PLACES and PREJUDGEMENTS ALCOHOL can help in case of collapse ?NOT SO alcohol dilates the veins:it lowers the blood pressure and therefore makes a collapse even worse

27. CONCLUSION The very MODEST beneficial effects of ALCOHOL, strongly MARKETED, but scientifically UNPROVEN, are in any case NEGLIGIBLE, if comparedto the many DAMAGES (PHYSICALand BEHAVIOURAL) that it can cause,in the INDIVIDUAL and in the COMMUNITY