Alcohol and Health

What is Alcohol?

Alcohol is created when fruits, vegetables, or grains are fermented, that is, when a process using yeast or bacteria causes the sugars in the original food product to change chemically into alcohol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items, such as cheeses, penicillin and other medications, B-complex vitamins, and citric acid. Alcohol has different forms and can be a useful product; it can be used as a cleaner, an antiseptic, or a sedative.

So if alcohol is a natural product, why do teens need to be concerned about drinking it? When people drink, alcohol is absorbed into their bloodstream. From there, it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. That's why drinking small amounts of alcohol reduces anxiety. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters your perceptions, your emotions, and even your movements, vision, and hearing.

More alcohol causes greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Intoxication can make people very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. Reaction times are slowed dramatically. People who are intoxicated may think they're moving properly, when they're not. They may act totally out of character.

When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Alcohol poisoning is very dangerous. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom, as the body tries to rid itself of the alcohol. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result.

Why Do Teens Drink?

For starters, people drink and use other drugs to feel good. Experimentation with alcohol during the teen years is common. Some reasons that teens use alcohol and other drugs are:

• curiosity
• it feels good
• to reduce stress and relax
• to fit in
• to feel older

From a very young age, kids are bombarded with advertising messages depicting beautiful, hip young adults enjoying life - and alcohol. This glamorous portrayal of alcohol may not be geared toward teens and kids, but it can still affect them. Plus, many parents and other adults use alcohol socially, having beer or wine with dinner, for example. In this setting, alcohol seems harmless enough, so many teens may think, "Why not?"

Why Shouldn't I Drink?

Even though it is illegal to drink alcohol in the United States until you are 21, most teens can get access to alcohol, or will at least be exposed to it or have friends who drink. It is therefore up to you to make a decision whether to drink.

Deciding to drink can have many harmful consequences. Some consequences show up right away, and others build up over long periods of time. Consider that the average teen first tries alcohol around age 13. This is long before the body or mind is ready to handle a powerful drug like alcohol. And the earlier kids start drinking, the more likely they will be to develop a problem with alcohol or drugs later in life.

Many teens think that drinking alcohol will help them to relax and feel cool. Actually, drinking often makes people do stupid things. You may end up feeling embarrassed.
 

Drinking can really damage your ability to perform well at school and sports. Many parents disapprove of their teen's drinking and punishment often results. Teens who drink are more likely to be sexually active and to have unsafe, unprotected sex. Resulting pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases can change - or even end - lives.

Some teens drink because they think it will help them escape from other problems. Although this may seem like a good idea, drinking always leads to even bigger problems. Teens who drink are more likely to get into fights and commit other crimes. This increases your chance of having legal problems or going to prison. In fact, research shows that 32% of teens under 18 who are in long-term juvenile detention centers were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their crime and/or arrest.

Teens who drink may get seriously hurt or even die. Over 38% of all drowning deaths are alcohol-related. Use of alcohol greatly increases the chance that a teen will be involved in a car accident, homicide, or suicide. If you do choose to drink, don't drink and drive or let your friends drink and drive. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), on one of the most popular prom nights in 1999, as many as 62% of the traffic fatalities were alcohol-related.

How Can I Avoid Drinking?

Let's face it: if all your friends drink, it may be hard for you to say "no thanks." Not doing what many others do can be hard, especially for teens whose friends are really important to them. No one wants to risk feeling rejected or different.

If saying no to alcohol makes you feel uncomfortable, one effective strategy is to blame your parents or another adult for your refusal. Saying, "My parents are coming to pick me up soon," or "I already got in major trouble for drinking once, I can't do it again," can make saying no a little bit easier.

You can also make sure that you and your friends have plans to do something besides just hanging out in someone's basement drinking beer. Plan a trip to the movies, the mall, a concert, or a sports event - anything that gets you out of the house and keeps you active and entertained. You might also organize your friends into a volleyball, bowling, or softball team - any activity that gets you moving.

Blood Alcohol Level

Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) is the amount of alcohol present in your blood as you drink. It's calculated by determining how many milligrams of alcohol are present in 100 milliliters of blood. But you Don't need a Breathalyzer, a calculator, or a measurement conversion chart to figure out what BAL you had last night. Use the Table of Blood Alcohol Levels below. This is a generalized chart based on a person who is metabolizing (or breaking down) one drink an hour. For example if you are a 120 lb. female drinking seven drinks in one hour, your BAL is a .30%.

REMEMBER: While this chart is a good general guideline, every individual reacts differently to alcohol. The chart doesn't take into account your individual body composition, your use of medication, your mood changes, or your personal metabolism rate. Therefore, your blood alcohol level may in fact be slightly higher or slightly lower than the chart indicates for the number of drinks you consume. Just keep in mind that your body processes alcohol at a constant rate of .5 oz. per hour, regardless of how many ounces you consume. Therefore, the faster you drink, the higher your blood alcohol level will be.
Did you know....08  blood alcohol level is considered legally drunk.  Most states practice zero-tolerance laws, meaning if you are under 21 any alcohol in your system is against the law.

How your body reacts to the blood alcohol level:.

• 02 % BAL little lightheaded
• .05 % BAL warm and relaxed
• .10 % BAL lack of coordination and balance (legally drunk)
• .15 % BAL possible blackout (memory loss)
• .20 % BAL vomiting
• .25 % BAL emotionally and physically numb
• .30 % BAL in a drunken stupor
• .40% BAL coma

Blood Alcohol Level and Your Brain

• Alcohol is a depressant. The more you drink, the more "depressed" your brain activity becomes. As you continue to drink and alcohol levels increase, specific parts of the brain are affected more significantly.
• The cerebrum is the part of your brain that controls advanced functions like recognition, vision, reasoning, and emotion. At the lowest levels, alcohol lowers inhibitions, and affects judgment. As alcohol levels increase, vision, movement, and speech are impaired. This occurs at a blood alcohol level of .01% -.30%.
• The cerebellum is the part of your brain that is involved with coordinating movement. Alcohol consumption causes problems with coordination, reflexes, and balance This occurs at a blood alcohol level of .15-.35%.
• The medulla is the part of your brain that controls basic survival functions such as breathing and heartbeat. When you've consumed so much alcohol that the medulla is affected, your brain's ability to control respiration and heart rate is severely diminished. Your heart rate can drop and breathing cease, causing death, at blood alcohol levels as low as .30%.

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