Key Concepts:
Vocabulary: ethanol, fermentation, depressant, intoxication, binge drinking, alcohol poisoning
The Health Risks of Alcohol Use
Alcohol
Main Idea: Alcohol is an addictive drug.
Alcohol advertisements show images of happy, healthy-looking young adults to promote and sell a drug that is addictive, physically damaging, and often an entry into other drug use. Alcohol, or more accurately, ethanol- the type of alcohol in alcoholic beverages-is a powerful and addictive drug. It’s a drug that can have serious consequence for teens who use alcohol. Using alcohol during the teen years can affect brain development. Ethanol can be produced synthetically, or naturally by fermenting fruits, vegetables, and grains. Fermentation is the chemical action of yeast on sugars. Water, flavoring, and minerals are mixed with Ethanol to produce beverages such as beer, wine, and malt liquor drinks. Alcohol can also be produced to create spirits, or liquors, such as whiskey, and vodka.
Short-Term Effects of Alcohol
Main Idea: Alcohol impairs the central nervous system.
Alcohol is a depressant, a drug that slows the central nervous system. Using alcohol slows reaction time, impairs vision, and diminishes judgment. If a person consumes too much alcohol, he or she will become intoxicated. Intoxication is the state in which the body is poisoned by alcohol or another substance, and the person’s physical and mental control is significantly reduced. Alcohol stays in a person’s system until the liver can metabolize it, or break it down. The amount of alcohol that can cause intoxication varies from person to person. Figure 21.2 describes many of alcohol’s effects.
Factors that Influence Alcohol’s Effects
Some factors that influence the onset and intensity of alcohol’s effects include:
Alcohol and Drug Interactions
Alcohol can change the effect of medicines. These interactions can lead to illness or death. Medicines that may cause reactions have warning labels that advise people not to use alcohol. Note these typical alcohol-drug interactions:
The body may absorb the drug or alcohol more slowly, increasing the length of time that alcohol or the drug is in the body.
Alcohol use can decrease the effectiveness of some medications, and increase the effectiveness of others.
Enzymes in the body can change some medications into chemicals that can damage the liver or other organs.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol use can have negative effects on a person’s health.
Alcohol use can have long-term effects on a user’s physical, mental/emotional, and social health. The effects of alcohol use may also be felt by the people who are close to someone who uses alcohol. Excessive alcohol use over a long period of time can damage many of the body systems, such as:
damage to brain cells and a reduction in brain size’
increase in blood pressure, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke,
buildup of fat cells in the liver, which can lead to cell death,
damage to the digestive lining of the stomach causing ulcers and cancer of the stomach, and
destruction of the pancreas.
If a person stops using alcohol, some of the physical effects of long-term alcohol use can be reversed over time. The negative effects of alcohol use can also include damage to relationships with family, friends, and others. Excessive alcohol use over a prolonged period of time can damage most body systems. Figure 21.4 shows more of the long-term effects of alcohol abuse.
Binge Drinking and Alcohol Poisoning
Main Idea: Consuming a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time can be fatal.
Some people choose to drink large amounts of alcohol during one session. Binge drinking, drinking
five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting, is a serious problem. Rapid binge drinking is sometimes done on a bet or a dare. Whatever the reason for binge drinking, it can have dangerous consequences. Drinking any alcohol can impair a drinker’s physical and mental abilities.
Binge drinking can severely impair the drinker’s body systems. It can lead to alcohol poisoning- a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose. Alcohol acts as a depressant on body organs. Involuntary actions, such as breathing and the gag reflex that prevents choking may be impaired. Alcohol is also a stomach irritant.
Effects of Alcohol Poisoning
A person who drinks too much alcohol may eventually pass out. Even though the person is unconscious, alcohol that is in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream. So, even if someone is unconscious, that person’s blood alcohol level will continue to rise. This increases the risk of alcohol poisoning. It is dangerous to assume that a person who has passed out after consuming a lot of alcohol will be fine if left to “sleep it off.” Some of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
mental confusion and stupor.
coma and an inability to be roused.
vomiting and seizures.
slow respiration-ten seconds between breaths or fewer than eight breaths per minute.
irregular heartbeat.
hypothermia or low body temperature-pale or bluish skin color.
If you suspect that a person has alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately.
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