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Health Topics
Alcohol

Overview

  • Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant.
  • It is fermented from the sugar or other carbohydrates found in grapes, other fruits, vegetables, and grains. 
  • Ethyl alcohol is the main ingredient found in alcoholic beverages. 
  • One 12 ounce bottle of beer = one 4-5 ounce glass of wine= one ounce of 80 proof hard alcohol.

Effects of Alcohol

  • A person under the influence of alcohol may have slurred speech, poor motor coordination, and an unsteady appearance.
  • Alcohol at high doses may lead to loss of consciousness, coma (chances of possible brain damage), and death from respiratory shut down.
  • Alcohol consumed with other central nervous system (CNS) depressants (narcotics, sedatives, and tranquilizers) may have a synergistic effect. In other words, drugs react with alcohol creating a stronger effect than when each is consumed separately (A+B>C)
  • Dehydration - cause of the hangover
  • Increased blood flow through capillaries
  • Decrease in body temperature
  • Depression of many organs and functions of the body including the central nervous system
  • Anesthesia
  • Stomach irritation
  • Individuals may have gray outs (not being able to remember parts of the evening until someone reminds them) or blackouts (not being able to remember events of the night due to one's brain cells going to sleep)

 Long Term Effects

  • Addiction
  • Liver disease
  • Problems in digestive systems
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Reproductive problems
  • Risk of mouth, throat, and esophageal cancer is 6 times greater for smokers and 38 times greater for smokers and drinkers
  • Brain cells die after continuous use of alcohol

Blood-Alcohol Content (BAC)

General definition of blood-alcohol content: the percent of alcohol in one's blood. In California it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.001 or greater for people under 21 and 0.08 or greater for people 21 and over.

Factors Affecting Blood-Alcohol Level:

  • Weight - Since alcohol travels through the blood stream, the more someone weighs, the more alcohol it is going to take to get that person drunk. Tolerance (absence of resistance to effects) also contributes. When someone has a high tolerance it will take more of the drug to reach the desired effect.
  • Amount of food and water in the stomach - This can slow the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream The human body, on average, can metabolize approximately 1/2 ounce of alcohol per hour, so if a person drinks rapidly, there is an accumulation of alcohol in the body creating a blood alcohol level (BAL). This excess of alcohol in the body continues to circulate until the body can metabolize it.
  • Carbonated alcoholic beverages - Sparkling wine or champagne speeds up the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
  • Medication - Medication of any kind can have a synergistic effect. We recommend avoiding any alcoholic beverages while taking medication.

Women and Alcohol

  • Women have more body fat and less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, so they get drunker faster.
  • If a woman is on hormonal birth control the birth control slows down the rate in which alcohol is eliminated from the body so they will feel the effects longer.
  • When a woman has her menstrual cycle she releases more hormones and tend to stay intoxicated longer.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

  • Repeated vomiting
  • Fewer than 12 breaths per minute
  • Cold, clammy skin
  • Unresponsiveness

If you see any one of these signs call 9-1-1 immediately.

More information is provided on our topic about Alcohol Poisoning: How to Help a Drunk Friend.

Prevention

  • Drink one drink or fewer per hour.
  • Eat a meal with protein before going out.
  • Drink water in between drinks and before bed.
  • DO NOT play drinking games.
  • Do not mix alcohol with other drugs.

Treatment

 

 

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last reviewed: Spring 2005