Chapter 5 notes
Facts About Alcohol
• You may not think of alcohol as a drug, but it is.
• A drug is a chemical substance that is taken to cause changes in a person’s body or behavior.
Alcohol Is a Depressant
• A depressant is a drug that slows brain and body reactions.
• In slowing the body’s normal reactions, alcohol may cause
• confusion
• decreased alertness
• poor coordination
• blurred vision
• drowsiness
Alcohol Production
• The process of fermentation produces the alcohol in beverages.
• During fermentation, microorganisms called yeast feed on sugars in foods.
• In the process, carbon dioxide and alcohol are produced.
Alcohol Content
• The alcohol content of alcoholic beverages ranges between 4 percent and 50 percent.
• Beverages with a greater percentage of alcohol list their proof on the label.
Teens and Alcohol
• Many schools have adopted a zero-tolerance
policy.
• Under such a policy, students face stiff consequences starting with the first time they are
caught with alcohol or other drugs.
• The attitudes of peers, family, and the media strongly influence underage drinking.
Influence of Peers
• Some teens say they drink to fit in, or just to do what their classmates seem to be doing.
• Teens often mistakenly believe that everyone is drinking.
• In fact, millions of teens never use alcohol.
Influence of Family
• Teens report that parents and other family members are important influences on their
decisions about alcohol.
• Although your parents may seem tough on you, their rules and advice can help you steer clear
of alcohol and other drugs.
Influence of the Media
• Television commercials and magazine ads often show drinkers in beautiful outdoor settings, at
fun-filled parties, or enjoying sports.
• Unlike ads for other drugs, alcohol ads are not required to list negative side effects.
• The ads falsely suggest drinking makes you more popular and attractive.
Risks of Underage Drinking
• Being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash
• Committing or being the victim of sexual assault or other violence
• Long-term brain damage
• Problems with alcohol later in life
• Suspension from school, sports teams, or other school activities
Legal Risks
• Laws prohibiting minors from buying or possessing alcohol are enforced with heavy fines and
lawful seizure of property.
• Selling alcohol to someone under the age of 21 is a criminal offense for the seller.
• People found to be driving under the influence of alcohol may have their driver’s licenses taken
away or face other stiff penalties.
Legal Risks
• Laws prohibiting minors from buying or possessing alcohol are enforced with heavy fines and
lawful seizure of property.
• Selling alcohol to someone under the age of 21 is a criminal offense for the seller.
• People found to be driving under the influence of alcohol may have their driver’s licenses taken
away or face other stiff penalties.
Vocabulary
drug -A chemical substance that is taken to cause
changes in a person’s body or behavior.
Depressant -A drug that slows brain and body reactions.
Fermentation -The process that creates alcohol, in which
microorganisms called yeast feed on sugars.
zero-tolerance
policy
A policy that enforces strict consequences for
underage drinking.
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Effects on Body Systems
• Intoxication is the state in which a person’s mental and physical abilities are impaired by
alcohol or another substance.
• Many negative effects on a drinker’s body and behavior accompany intoxication by alcohol.
Effects on Behavior
• As intoxication takes effect, drinkers begin to lose judgment and self-control.
• At the same time, alcohol decreases drinkers’ natural fears.
• A blackout is a period that the drinker cannot recall.
Blood Alcohol Concentration
• Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood, expressed as
a percentage.
• The higher a person’s blood alcohol concentration, the more severe the physical and
behavioral effects.
• Blood alcohol concentration is a more reliable measure of intoxication than the number of
drinks consumed.
Factors Affecting BAC
• Rate of Consumption People who have a few drinks in one hour have a higher BAC than
people who drink the same amount over several hours.
• Gender Males generally will have a lower BAC than females.
• Body Size In general, smaller people—by weight and height—feel the effects of alcohol more
than larger people.
• Amount of Food in the Stomach Drinking on an empty stomach increases the rate of alcohol
absorption into the bloodstream.
After Drinking Ends
• Once a person stops drinking, BAC begins to decrease.
• The intoxicating effects of alcohol slowly diminish, and the person’s reflexes and coordination
return to normal.
• Nothing can speed the liver’s ability to break down alcohol.
Hangovers
• Hangover is a term used to describe the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol.
• Symptoms of a hangover include
• nausea
• upset stomach
• headache
• sensitivity to noise
Life-Threatening Effects
• The short-term effects of intoxication can put a drinker at serious risk.
• Intoxication increases the risk of death from
• motor vehicle crashes
• alcohol overdose
• interactions of alcohol with other drugs
Motor Vehicle Crashes
• Alcohol is involved in about 40 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes.
• Driving While Intoxicated A driver over age 21 caught driving with a BAC that exceeds the
legal limit of 0.08 is charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI).
• Zero-tolerance laws: There is no acceptable BAC for underage drivers, and the penalties for
them may be more strict than those for other drivers.
Overdose
• Taking an excessive amount of a drug that leads to coma or death is called an overdose.
• Alcohol overdose, also called alcohol poisoning, can cause the heart and breathing to stop.
• Binge drinking is the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol in one sitting.
Interactions With Other Drugs
• Alcohol is a depressant drug.
• When a person drinks alcohol and takes another depressant, the combination can cause
drastic changes in the body.
• In extreme cases, combining alcohol and other depressants leads to coma or death.
Vocabulary
Intoxication- The state in which a person’s mental and physical abilities are impaired by alcohol
or another substance.
Blackout- A period when an intoxicated person cannot recall.
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)- The amount of alcohol in a person’s blood, expressed as a
percentage.
Hangover- A term used to describe the aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol.
Driving while intoxicated (DWI)- The charge given to a driver over the age of 21 caught driving
with a BAC that exceeds 0.08 percent, or to a driver under the age of 21 with any detectable
BAC.
Overdose-The consequence of taking an excessive amount of a drug that leads to coma or
death.
Binge drinking-The consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol in one sitting.
