An Invitation to Health
Chapter 10

Alcohol and Tobacco Use, Misuse, and Abuse

Prepared by:
Karlyn Grimes, M.S. R.D.
©2005 Wadsworth
Publishing Co.

What Is “One Drink”?

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights

reserved.

Alcohol Impairment Chart

Blood-Alcohol
Concentration
The amount of alcohol in your blood at any given time.

Factors Affecting Your BAC
How much and how quickly you drink
What you drink
Body size
Gender
Age
Race
Other drugs
Family history of alcoholism
Eating
Expectations
Physical tolerance

How Much Alcohol Is Too
Much?


National Institute of Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)





Men: 2 drinks max.
Women: 1 drink max.

American Heart Association (AHA)



<15% of total daily calories.
1.75 ounces of alcohol maximum.


3 beers, 2 mixed drinks, or 3-1/2 glasses of wine.

Weighing The Effects of
Light To Moderate Drinking
Positive Effects
Lower risk of heart attack than abstinence.
Lower mortality than abstinence. Lower risk of dementia.

Negative Effects

 Higher risk of breast cancer in women.

 Possible interaction with prescription and

nonprescription drugs.  Impaired perceptions.
 Diminished smell, taste, and sensation.
Light to Moderate Drinking Impaired motor skills. Men: 2 drink/day
 Impaired sexual
Women: 1 drinks/day performance.  Possible weight gain.

The Impact Of Alcohol
Some Interesting Facts










A alcohol in a typical drink reaches the bloodstream in 15 minutes and rises to peak concentration in about 1 hour.
A small amount of alcohol is broken down by the stomach however 90% is metabolized by the liver.
Light alcohol intake is associated with lower mortality than abstinence, but mortality rates increase with the amount of alcohol consumed.
Alcohol is a diuretic and lowers body temperature. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram and stimulates the appetite.

The Effects of Alcohol
Abuse
On The Body

Why People Drink
Inherited
Susceptibility

Psychological
Factors

Childhood
Traumas

SelfMedication

Depression

Relationship
Issues

Social
Ease

Role
Models

Why Do Students Binge
Drink?
Low Price Of
Alcohol

Recreational
Drinking
At A Young Age Binge Drinking

Easy Access To
Alcohol

Men: 5+ alcoholic drinks
Women: 4+ alcoholic drinks.

Parental
Acceptance
Of Drinking

Residing With
Binge Drinkers
Peer Pressure

The Consequence of College
Drinking

Changing Drinking Patterns on
Campus
College Alcohol Policies







Social and environmental approaches.
Student involvement.
Development of alternatives to drinking. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Campus-based AA, Al-Anon, Adult
Children of Alcoholics, peer education program called Boost Alcohol
Consciousness Concerning the Health of
University Students (BACCHUS)

How To Prevent Drunk
Driving






Always designate one person to be the designated driver. Never drive if you have had 2 drinks within 2 hours.
Never let intoxicated friends drive home.

Defining Alcohol
Problems
Alcohol
Abuse

Continued use of alcohol despite awareness of social, occupational, psychological, or physical problems related to drinking, or drinking in dangerous ways or situations.

Alcohol
Dependenc
e

A disorder in which individuals develop strong cravings for alcohol because it produces pleasurable feelings or relieves stress and anxiety.

Alcoholis A primary, chronic disease in which genetic, psychosocial, and m Effects of Alcohol on the Body


Alcohol is quickly distributed to all the cells of the body.



Once it reaches the brain, alcohol alters brain chemistry and neurotransmitter functions. 

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that impairs thinking, balance, and motor coordination.



As alcohol concentrations increase, more functions are depressed, and greater impairment occurs.
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights

reserved.

What Causes Alcohol
Dependence and Abuse?
Genetics
 Stress and
Traumatic
Experiences
 Parental
Alcoholism
 Drug Abuse


Recognizing The