Alcohol is found in beer, which usually contains 3% to 8%. Alcohol is found in wine, which usually contains 8% to 21%. Alcohol is found in hard

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1 Alcohol The only type of alcohol which is safe for human consumption is beverage alcohol. Beverage alcohol also goes by the names of Ethanol, Ethyl, and Grain.

2 Alcohol is found in beer, which usually contains 3% to 8%. Alcohol is found in wine, which usually contains 8% to 21%. Alcohol is found in hard liquor, which usually contains 40% to 50%.

3 A serving of Alcohol 12 ounces of beer, 4 to 5 ounces of wine, and 1 ½ ounces of hard liquor all contain about ½ ounce of alcohol.

4 Incidence (Usage) Beverage alcohol is the most widely used drug in the United States. In billion gallons of alcohol was consumed. In 2012 $197 billion dollars in retail sales. Beer dominates in consumption 87% or 8.2 billion gallons consumed and 49% of retail dollars spent or 96.8 billion dollars spent.

5 Almost 24% of people over the age of 12 use alcohol at least once a week. Almost 9% of students start drinking before the 6 th grade and more than 3% have been drunk at least once by that grade.

6 Binge Drinking Young people tend to be binge drinkers. Binge drinking is defined as having had 5 or more drinks in a two hour period at least once in a two week span. College binge drinkers who have had 3 episodes of binge drinking during a two week period are 19 times more likely to develop alcoholism then a non binge drinker.

7 Immediate Effects Physiological The effects of alcohol on a person depends on the amount of alcohol in the drinkers blood and this is called Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). The degree and speed with which people respond to alcohol can depend on different factors. Food is one factor, if there is food in a person s stomach it will slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

8 Another factor is gender in most cases alcohol will affect women more then men due to body weight and size. A young person or elderly person is also more at risk then a middle aged person because their bodies are more sensitive to alcohol.

9 BAC Levels BAC of.05% - A sense of well being occurs, heart rate increases, reasoning, memory, and judgment are affected. BAC of.1% - Reaction times are slower and motor function is impaired. In most states the drinker is considered legally intoxicated at this level. BAC of.2% - Motor muscle control are impaired. Slurred speech and mood changes occur. This is the stage most people think of as drunkenness.

10 BAC of.3 to.5% - Involuntary body functions are disturbed and may shut down. Unconsciousness and even death are possible.

11 Reduce the Effects of Alcohol The only way to reduce the effects of alcohol is to lower your BAC and the only way to do that is to give the body time to metabolize (break down) the alcohol in your body. A person s liver is responsible for metabolizing the alcohol and this occurs at a rate of.25 to.30 ounces per hour. Coffee, cold showers, and fresh air won t sober a person up any faster. They are just myths.

12 Mixing Alcohol and Marijuana The combination of mixing both alcohol and marijuana together is dangerous because marijuana will suppress the feeling of nausea, making it possible for a person to drink larger or lethal amounts of alcohol.

13 Immediate Effects Psychological Alcohol can induce feelings of well being and relaxation. It may help people feel more at ease with others, people may let their guard down or speak the truth. May cause irrational or impulsive behaviors which can lead to bad consequences. Some of these consequences are auto accidents, violence, accidents with weapons, and careless sexual activity.

14 Effects of Long Term Use Physiological Drinking alcohol long term can lead to high blood pressure, cancer (liver), stroke and ulcers. It can also cause Cirrohis It can also lead to irreversible damage to your liver, brain, and your nervous system. In males in can lower the amount of testosterone produced and in females it may affect hormonal cycles.

15 Women who are pregnant should not drink while pregnant as it may cause birth defects which otherwise may have been preventable. Blackouts may occur to long term drinkers, these are episodes where a person may have short term memory loss.

16 Long Term Effects Psychological Long term use of alcohol can lead to depression, low self-esteem, mood swings, personality change when drinking, and a change in friends or lifestyle.