This document provides information about alcohol, its effects, and drinking statistics. It defines alcohol as a central nervous system depressant produced by fermenting sugars and starches. The effects of alcohol include impaired brain function, reduced inhibitions, and potential health risks that depend on how much and how often one drinks. Drinking statistics show that most adults have drank alcohol at some point in their lives, with over half drinking in the past month and about a quarter engaging in binge drinking. The document also addresses risks of alcohol addiction and the dangers of drinking during pregnancy.

1. Alcohol
Amy Randall

2. “People drink to socialize, celebrate, and
relax. Alcohol often has a strong effect on
people – and throughout history, we’ve
struggled to understand and manage alcohol’s
power.”
– National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

3. What is Alcohol?
• It is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer,
wine, and liquor
• It is produced by the fermentation of yeast,
sugars, and starches
• It is a central nervous system depressant
• It is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small
intestine into the bloodstream

4. What Happens When You Drink?
• Alcohol enters your bloodstream as soon as you take your
first sip
• Its immediate effects can appear within about 10 minutes
• As you drink, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels
increase
– BAC- (the amount of alcohol present in your bloodstream)
• The higher your BAC, the more impaired you become by
alcohol’s effects

5. Effects of Alcohol
• Impairs brain function and motor skills
• Reduced inhibitions
• Slurred speech
• Motor impairment
• Confusion
• Memory problems
• Concentration problems
• Coma
• Breathing problems
• Death
• Can have serious negative effects on a fetus

6. Effects Depend on:
• How much you drink
• How often you drink
• Your age
• Your health status
• Your family history

7. Risks Associated With Drinking Alcohol
• Car crashes and other accidents
• Risky behavior
• Violent behavior
• Suicide and homicide

8. Standard Drinks
• 0.6 ounces of pure ethanol
• 12 ounces of beer
• 8 ounces of malt liquor
• 5 ounces of wine
• 1.5 ounces (a "shot”) of 80-proof distilled
spirits or liquor

9. Alcohol Addiction
• A diagnosable disease characterized by a
strong craving for alcohol, and/or continued
use despite harm or personal injury
• A pattern of drinking that results in harm to
one's health, interpersonal relationships, or
ability to work

10. Prevalence of Drinking
• 87.6% of people ages 18 or older reported that they
drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime
• 71% reported that they drank in the past year
• 56.3% reported that they drank in the past month

11. Prevalence of Binge/Heavy Drinking
• 24.6% of people ages 18 or older reported that they
engaged in binge drinking in the past month
• 7.1% reported that they engaged in heavy drinking in
the past month

12. People with an Alcohol Use Disorder
• 17 million adults ages 18 and older
– 11.2 million men
– 5.7 million women
• 855,000 adolescents ages 12–17
– 411,000 men
– 444,000 women

13. Alcohol Related Deaths
• 88,000 people die annually
• 10,322 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities
occurred in 2012

14. Fetal Alcohol Exposure
• Occurs when a woman drinks while pregnant
• Can cause brain damage leading to a range of
developmental, cognitive, and behavioral problems
• No amount of alcohol is safe for pregnant women to drink
• Alcohol can disrupt fetal development at any stage during
a pregnancy – including at the earliest stages and before a
woman knows she is pregnant

15. Personal Opinion
• I would agree on all the information I found. I don’t think drinking
is bad, as long as it is in a safe amount and not all the time
• I think we should educate people more on safe limits
• I have strong feelings towards drinking while pregnant. Women
should not do this as they will harm the baby and that’s not fair to
the unborn child.

16. Relevance to Practice
If you drink over the “safe limits” often, it will
increase your risk of developing an addiction. In
the class we are talking about addictions and
how they can be harmful to you and those
around you.

17. Discussion Question
1. Do you think most people drink with the
intentions to get drunk?
1. Many college age students drink. If they
don’t, would you consider them “uncool?”

18. References
Alcohol. (n.d.). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved
September 12, 2014, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/
alcohol
Overview of Alcohol Consumption. (n.d.). National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Retrieved September 12,
2014, from http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-
consumption