Section 3: Alcohol EDU

Alcohol laws 1. 21- 2. Drunk driving- 3. Zero tolerance- 4. Social host liability- 5. Fake ID- 6. School policies-

1. 21- Legal drinking age- It's illegal to drink under age 21 in the US. Penalties include fines, jail time, community service, or driver's license suspension. 2. Drunk driving- In all states, if an adult over 21 is driving+has a BAC above 0.08%, they're legally driving under influence. "Driving under influence, DUI" or "driving while intoxicated, DWI"= driving license suspension, jail time, community service. In Colorado+New York, people 21&older can be arrested/charged with "driving while ability impaired, DWAI" if BAC is between .05% and .079% 3. Zero tolerance- Law in all some states, drivers under 21 with any amount of alcohol in blood will be arrested. In other states, drivers under 21 will be arrested if they have a BAC of .02% or more. Penalties include big fines, losing license, community service 4. Social host liability- Holds adults responsible for underage drinking in their home. Penalties include 1 year jail time or big fines. They can get sued if an underage person is hurt while drinking at their home. 5. Fake ID- Lying about age/identity leads to fines or jail time. 6. School policies- School rules about alcohol, suspension/expulsion penalty. College/university can suspend scholarships

why do some teens choose not to drink

1. Alcohol isn't needed to have fun 2. If a relative struggled with alcohol, it causes a person not to drink 3. Drinking has bad effects, one might be removed from an important position if they drink underage 4. Support legal drinking law, brain develops until mid 20s, this is why there are drinking laws

1 standard drink =

12 oz beer, 1.5 oz hard liquor, or 5 oz wine (Each has 0.6 oz pure alcohol)

Legal drinking age in Canada

18-19

Legal drinking age in US

21

1 beer =

4% alcohol or up to 20% alcohol

1 wine bottle =

5 standard drinks

How many high school students have never had a drink of alcohol?

61%

how many incoming college students didn't drink in the past 2 weeks

67%

How many high school students think drinking is acceptable?

7% (93% think drinking is unacceptable)

In Canada: Minimum legal drinking age? 0 tolerance- Drunk driving-

Minimum legal drinking age is 19 in most provinces except Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec where legal age is 18 0 tolerance- It's illegal for anyone 21 or younger driving with any alcohol in blood Drunk driving- BAC limit .08% for anyone above 21. Penalty like license suspension for drivers with BAC .05% or greater.

Above 0.35-

Slowed heart rate, slowed breathing, coma, death

Under .04-

People feel good, but judgment affected

Factors influencing BAC levels:

Weight- people who weigh less have less body water and alcohol can't dissolve in water as easily so BAC is higher Food- rate of absorption how fast gets in blood. Alcohol absorbed in GA tract+stomach eating slows absorption rate/ helps avoid increase in BAC Biological sex- Women tend to have higher BAC levels (have less body water, less stomach enzyme breaking down alcohol) Time- faster someone drinks, faster BAC rises, which is why chugging is so risky, it can take up to 2 hours for liver to get rid of alcohol in 1 standard drink CARBONATED DRINKS: Drinks like soda speed up absorption, increases BAC High caffeine beverages- stimulants- keep people awake longer- keeps people from realizing how intoxicated they are- sweet mixers mask alcohol and makes it difficult to know how much alcohol one is drinking

how to refuse a drink

be concise, or say you're not feeling great or you have to drive later, decline gracefully,don't offend anyone else, and be polite. Don't say "maybe later" because people will bug you again. Hold a bottle of water or soda because then people won't offer you a drink

how does alcohol affect teens differently than adults

blocks memory development/ learning more

.11-.20-

confusion, dizziness, slurred speech, slower reaction time, lack of balance, vomiting, sleepiness, blackouts (loss of memory)

.21-.35-

mental confusion, need assistance walking, loss of consciousness

Most glasses =

more than 1 standard drink

How to control how much alcohol you drink?

standard drink measurement- measure alcohol in 1 drink Why? drinking too much has bad after effects Watch bartender pour drink + ask how it's made at a party always make your drinks, you'll know how much is in it Avoid community drinks, one doesn't know what's in it

how is peer pressure good

you can make a pact with friends not to drink alcohol

why is drinking from a community punch bowl risky

you don't know what's in it Rohypnol/ketamine= blackouts/memory loss, tasteless/no smell/color, used during sexual assault

Alcohol and the brain Frontal lobes- Hippocampus- Cerebellum- Pituitary gland- Hypothalamus-

Frontal lobes- judgment/decision making, people have hard time making decisions when drunk, like driving under influence or doing something they'll regret Hippocampus- responsible for memory/learning, large drinks consumed quickly leads to impairment of hippocampus/blackouts (conscious, but one doesn't remember what they did under influence, alcohol impaired brain's ability to record memories) Cerebellum- responsible for muscle movement, alcohol impacts cerebellum/people's ability to play video games, drive a car, or walk Pituitary gland- alcohol is diuretic, causes pituitary gland to stop making vasopressin, kidneys send water to bladder, people have to go frequently Hypothalamus- blood pressure/heart rate, alcohol affects hypothalamus, leads to increased hunger, higher blood pressure, urge to use bathroom

BAC higher than 0.04%?

Hangovers, poor judgement, blackout, nausea

.05-.10-

Loss of muscle coordination, reaction time slows, as a result car driving is dangerous, memory/judgement impaired

Myth: Students should start drinking young to learn how to drink responsibly and safely.

Fact: Underage drinking leads to academic/legal problems, injuries, sexual behavior, sexual assault Brain develops until mid 20s- people drinking before 21 are more likely to develop alcohol addiction

Myth: Coffee doesn't help people become sober Myth: Cold shower doesn't help Myth: Vomiting won't help

Fact: it helps people stay awake but doesn't lower BAC Fact: it'll make you wet but doesn't lower BAC

Alcohol effects on the body Mouth- Bones- Stomach- Muscles- Heart- Kidneys- Intestines- Reproductive system- Alcohol poisoning- Symptoms-

Alcohol effects on the body Mouth- alcohol slurs speech, hard to taste, smell Bones- interferes with calcium absorption, weakens bones osteoporosis Stomach- Increases stomach acid, stomach ache/pain, damage stomach lining over time, ulcers, cancer Muscles- muscle pain, deterioration, weakness Heart- slow heart rate, heart disease, high blood pressure, Kidneys- interfere with ability to regulate fluid, dehydration, kidney failure Intestines- slow digestive process, block absorption/breakdown of nutrients Reproductive system- Women, alter hormone levels, disrupts menstrual cycle, prevents ovulation, infertility. Men, impacts testosterone levels, impotence, sexual dysfunction with heavy alcohol use Alcohol poisoning- Result of consuming too much alcohol in one time period, leads to shut down of body, coma, death Symptoms- passed out, not fully conscious, can't fully wake up/speak, remain unresponsive, vomiting, pale, blueish, cool, clammy skin, irregular/slow breathing

What is a person's BAC when low risk drinking-

BAC no higher than 0.04%

Background risks of drinking:

Biological sex (male) Ethnicity (caucasian) Family (drinking problem history) Age of first drink (first drink before age 15) Athlete (Current/future athletic team member?)

what to do if someone is poisoned by alcohol

DO NOT LEAVE A PERSON ALONE TO SLEEP IF THEY ARE GOING THROUGH ALCOHOL POISONING!! IT CAN BE DEADLY Lay person on their side, gag reflex might not work, if person is lying on back, they could inhale their vomit, choke, and die Monitor breathing, see if it becomes unusually slow/irregular Splashing cold water on face won't help lower BAC and help person "snap out of it" If you think someone around you has been poisoned by alcohol CALL AMBULANCE AND STAY WITH THE PERSON

Risky behavior Doing shots- Pregaming- Drinking games- Chugging-

Doing shots- when drinking shots a lot of alcohol is absorbed at one time and people won't feel the effects right away and drink until it's too late Pregaming- drinking before going out, dangerous because alcohol drinking can reach dangerous levels Drinking games- may encourage people to drink quickly, hard to keep track of how much someone has drunk Chugging- When someone binge drinks (drink to get drunk) may be using alcohol for wrong reasons, putting others at risk (Ex: chugging, drinking at fast pace)

Myth: Alcohol isn't as dangerous as other drugs.

Fact: Alcohol is just as dangerous. The danger depends on how it's consumed and who drinks it. Alcohol is dangerous for teens- it kills more teens than cocaine, heroine, and every other legal drug combined.

Peer influence:

Even good friends can pressure one to drink. If you feel pressured: avoid situations with alcohol, simply say "no thanks" be clear, firm, simple, friendly, and respectful, and ask friends in advance not to pressure you. If you invite others to your house and they bring alcohol even when you told them not to, you might have to tell them to leave or tell your parents If friends ask you to use a fake ID to see a band at a venue when you don't meet the minimum age, don't. You could get in trouble for using a fake ID If you're invited to a party with alcohol, know what to say if someone offers you alcohol. Maybe skip the party and do something else

Myth- It's always safe to mix alcohol/prescription drugs,

Fact- Mixing the 2 is like combining illegal drugs with alcohol When stimulants (ADHD) are taken with alcohol people may feel less drunk- overindulging- overdose- driving under influence

Myth- Drinking alcohol is a good way to relieve stress

Fact- NOT TRUE!! interferes w/ sleep, common sense. Leads to bad decisions/inability to cope. Instead to cope with stress try exercise, eating well, sharing feelings, getting good sleep

signs of addiction

Late to class/work because of drinking Friends/family has told them they're worried about them Trying unsuccessfully to stop drinking Lying/hiding drinking Talking/thinking about drinking all day Drinking by themselves If this person has a problem, talk to counselor, teacher, coach, adult

How does media portray alcohol?

Media portrays teens as constantly partying/drinking Pics of people drinking show they're having fun, sets expectation that people who drink have fun+good friends, makes people believe you need to drink in order to have fun, be confident/successful Images w/ alcohol+fun social activities= people think it's more common than it is+associated with positive things don't show negatives - school/relationship problems, making regrettable choices w/unhealthy consequences