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Alcohol Information
Alcohol Introduction Alcohol (back to top) Alcohol has several side effects. Not only does it lower your brain's ability to control behavior and impair your ability to perform motor skills such as driving, but it also lessens your ability to move or speak effectively. Several other side effects include:
The Myths and Facts of Alcohol (back to top) There are many little known facts and many known myths about alcohol and its consumption. Some of the myths include: Myth: "The worst thing that can happen is that I’ll pass out and have a hangover tomorrow." The fact is that death can and does occur from drinking too much alcohol. This is known as alcohol poisoning or acute alcohol intoxication and occurs when the level of alcohol in the body acts as a poison, causing death from the drug overdose. Another way that alcohol can cause death is due to alcohol related accidents, such as drunk driving, falls. and suicide. Myth: "People pass out from drinking all the time. It’s nothing to worry about." The fact is that you pass out due to the body’s inability to tolerate the amount of alcohol that you have put into it. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that works to slow down the heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and slow your breathing rate. Once your brain has been depressed enough by the alcohol, you pass out. The amount of alcohol it takes to make you pass out is dangerously close to the amount of alcohol it takes to make you dead! Myth: "The best thing to do for someone who is drunk is to put them to bed and let them sleep it off." Although this is partly true, the fact is that a drunk person is helpless and must be cared for. DO NOT LEAVE A DRUNK (INTOXICATED) PERSON ALONE!!!!! Stay with the person, check their breathing, check their skin temperature, and frequently try to wake them. Myth: "If my friend passed out, I wouldn’t call for help. I couldn’t live with myself if I got them in trouble". The fact is that if you don’t call for help, your friend may not live to be mad at you. When someone passes out from drinking too much, they are unconscious and have consumed too much alcohol. This person is suffering from alcohol poisoning and needs medical attention. Binge Drinking (back to top) Defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., within a few hours). Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2002, September 3). Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume II. Technical Appendices and Selected Data Tables Series H-18 (Office of Applied Studies, NHSDA Series H-18 ed.) (BKD462, SMA 02-3759)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved October 07, 2002 from the World Wide Web: www.samhsa.gov/oas/NHSDA/2k1NHSDA/vol2/appendixd.htm Studies show that more than 35 percent of adults with an alcohol problem developed symptoms—such as binge drinking—by age 19. Long-term use risks liver damage, pancreatitis, certain cancers, and literal shrinkage of the brain. Alcohol use is the second-leading cause of dementia; one simply ages quicker on alcohol. In 1998, there were 15,935 alcohol-related deaths in vehicular crashes. Though most college drinkers would deny it, young people do die solely from drinking. In 1995, 318 people ages 15 to 24 died from alcohol poisoning alone, many of them after a night binge at college. At the University of Virginia, a tradition that has seniors drinking a fifth of hard liquor at the final game of the football season (the so-called "Fourth-year Fifth") has killed 18 students since 1990. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Prevention Alert: The Binge Drinking Epidemic (Volume 5, Number 6 ed.) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved October 07, 2002 from the World Wide Web: www.samhsa.gov/oas/NHSDA/2k1NHSDA/vol2/appendixd.htm Statistics (back to top) Did you know that. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Between 2% and 3% of the current American college population will die from alcohol related causes. Thirty percent of college failure is alcohol related. Drinking and driving is the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 17-24. In the U.S., 70 people are killed daily in drunk driving accidents, that is roughly one person killed every 22 minutes. 69% of all drownings are alcohol related. One in every three suicides involves alcohol. The average female college student spends $150.00 per year on alcohol. The average male college student spends $300.00 per year on alcohol. The average DUI arrest costs the charged person $3000.00. Alcohol plays a role in 50% of all arrests. 90% of the vandalism that occurs on college campuses is a result of alcohol use. 75% to 90% of campus rapes involve alcohol use. 75% of men and 50% of women involved in sexual assaults had been drinking prior to the assault. The abuse of alcohol is present in 70% of all murders and other violent crimes. 54% of alcoholics have an alcoholic parent. One out of 3 Americans don't drink - and that's okay too. Almost half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2001 survey (48.3 percent). This translates to an estimated 109 million people. Both the rate of alcohol use and the number of drinkers increased from 2000, when 104 million, or 46.6 percent, of people aged 12 or older reported drinking in the past 30 days. Approximately one fifth (20.5 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. Although the number of current drinkers increased between 2000 and 2001, the number of those reporting binge drinking did not change significantly. The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking in 2001 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21. The rate of binge drinking was 38.7 percent for young adults and 48.2 percent at age 21. Heavy alcohol use was reported by 13.6 percent of persons aged 18 to 25, and by 17.8 percent of persons aged 21. Binge and heavy alcohol use rates decreased faster with increasing age than did rates of past month alcohol use. While 55.2 percent of the population aged 45 to 49 in 2001 were current drinkers, 19.1 percent of persons within this age range binge drank and 5.4 percent drank heavily (Figure 3.1). Binge and heavy drinking were relatively rare among people aged 65 or older, with reported rates of 5.8 and 1.4 percent, respectively. Among youths aged 12 to 17, an estimated 17.3 percent used alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview. This rate was higher than the rate of youth alcohol use reported in 2000 (16.4 percent). Of all youths, 10.6 percent were binge drinkers, and 2.5 percent were heavy drinkers. These are roughly the same percentages as those reported in 2000 (10.4 and 2.6 percent, respectively). Heavy use - Five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 5 different days in the past 30 days Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2002, September 4). Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NHSDA Series H-17 ed.) (BKD461, SMA 02-3758)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved September 23, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/nhsda/2k1nhsda/vol1/Chapter3.htm Alcohol Quiz: (back to top) TRUE OR FALSE
The Three Phases Of Drinking (back to top) ABSORBING Once alcohol is swallowed, it is not digested like food. Instead, a small amount is absorbed directly by the mucosal lining of the mouth. Once in the stomach, alcohol is absorbed directly into your blood stream through the tissue lining the stomach and small intestine. Food, water and fruit juice help to slow this absorption, while carbonation works to speed absorption. TRANSPORTING Once alcohol is in your blood stream, it is carried to all the organs of your body. In the majority of healthy people, blood circulates through the body in 90 seconds, thereby allowing alcohol to affect your brain and all other organs in 90 seconds. The affects of alcohol on the body will vary according to the individual; their sex, their body make-up, the amount and type of alcohol consumed, the situation, and the presence of food in the stomach. CHANGING Alcohol is a drug that must be changed into a non-harmful substance. Ten percent of the alcohol is eliminated through sweat, breath, and urine. Your liver must detoxify the remaining alcohol. The liver detoxifies, or breaks down, alcohol at a rate of one half an ounce per hour. However, some people cannot detoxify that much alcohol in an hour. Nothing will speed this rate. When the rate of alcohol consumed exceeds the liver’s detoxification rate, the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream continues to increase, further impairing the brain, causing intoxication, coma, or possibly death. Signs of intoxication: (back to top)
How to Care for an intoxicated person (back to top) First and foremost, STAY WITH THE INTOXICATED PERSON. Remain calm so that the intoxicated person will remain calm. Always be prepared for the unexpected and assess the seriousness of the situation. Be aware of the physical dangers and be prepared to get immediate medical help if needed. If you have been drinking, get a sober person to help. Women and Alcohol (back to top) Men and women do not respond to alcohol in the same way. Current research indicates that women are not as efficient “drinking machines" as men. There are many factors that influence this difference.
Remember, this is not an issue of equality, but one of health! (Taken from www.brad21.com) Alcohol Poisoning (back to top)
Signs and Symptoms:
In the event of alcohol poisoning, these signs and symptoms will most likely be accompanied by a strong odor of alcohol. While these are obvious signs of alcohol poisoning, the list is certainly not all inclusive. Appropriate Action: If you encounter a person who exhibits one or more of the signs and symptoms CALL 911 and contact the residence life staff (RA, RD or Student Services Staff). Do what you would do in any medical emergency--call immediately. While waiting for 911 emergency transport, gently turn the intoxicated person on his/her side and maintain that position by placing a pillow in the small of the person's back. This is important to prevent aspiration (choking) should the person vomit. Stay with the person until medical help arrives. If a person appears to be "sleeping it off" it is important to realize that even though a person may be semi-conscious, alcohol already in the stomach may continue to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. The person's life may still be in danger. If you are having difficulty in determining whether an individual is acutely intoxicated, contact an Resident Advisor, Resident Director, or Student Services Staff immediately—you cannot afford to guess. Online Alcohol Screening (back to top)
In order to take an Anxiety Disorder test go to:
Resources: (back to top)
BVU:
National
US Dept. of Health and Human Services Clearinghouse Alcohol & Drug Information
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
The Bacchus & Gamma Peer Education Network
Council on Alcoholism
Al-Anon/Alateen
Partnership for a Drug-Free America
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Correctional Counseling, Inc.
Narcotics Anonymous
National Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependency
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
Project C.H.A.N.G.E.
Alcoholics Anonymous
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