The Effects Of Alcohol on the Brain and the Body

Alcohol Pre-Test

• Beer is weaker than rum or vodka.• Alcohol is digested the same way food is digested in the

body.• The body can eliminate up to 5 ounces of alcohol per

hour.• BAC refers to the amount of calories in a beverage.• Alcohol is high in calories and has no nutritional value.• Alcohol is a stimulant, it tends to pep you up.• Coffee and a cold shower can help to sober you up.

Alcohol Pre-Test Answers

• A can of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a glass of wine and a shot of hard alcohol

• Alcohol is digested in the liver• The body eliminates .5 ounces of alcohol

an hour• BAC refers to the amount of alcohol in the

blood• Only time can help sober you up

Alcohol % vs Proof

The term proof refers to the amount of alcohol in a drink. If a drink label says 40 proof that means it has 20% alcohol in it.

100% alcohol = ___ proof

___% alcohol = 24 proof

6% alcohol = ___ proof

Male

Female

Path of alcohol through the body

1. Mouth- alcohol enters here and goes down the esophagus.

2. Stomach- no alcohol is digested here, passes right through.

3. Small Intestines- enters here and is absorbed into the bloodstream.

4. Brain- blood carries alcohol to the brain. The brain is bathed in alcohol.

5. Liver- burns up the alcohol at a rate of ½ ounce per hour. The alcohol changes into water and carbon dioxide and is released through sweat and urine, and breathing.

Alcohol and the Brain

Brain terms

Medulla- the vital life center of the brain, controls breathing, swallowing, and heart beat.

Cerebellum- controls coordination, muscular control, and balance.

Cerebrum- controls voluntary actions, sight, fine motor skills, thinking, and behavior.

Alcohol’s Effect on the Brain

1 to 2 drinks: systems begin to slow down relaxed feeling

person is less inhibited

there is a slight decrease in fine motor skills.

3 to 4 drinks: fine motor skills are significantly decreased

responsiveness is reduced

judgment is reduced

person may feel more alert

and talkative, but in reality all systems have slowed

5 to 7 drinks- speech is slurred

hearing is dulled

vision is cloudy

balance and equilibrium is altered

sense of pain is decreased

8 to 12 drinks: reflex action is decreased

body temperature drops

blood circulation slows

unconsciousness may occur

further drinking may cause a coma and eventual death

Long term effects of alcohol

Digestive Disorders

Long Term Alcohol Abuse is linked to cancers of the throat, mouth, and esophagus; liver diseases such as cirrhosis, ulcers in the stomach, and an inflammation of the pancreas

Nervous System Disorders

Long term alcohol abuse can lead to brain damage, dementia, hallucinations, loss of memory, inability to gather new information, and nerve damage.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Long term alcohol abuse can lead to damaged muscle tissue in the heart, irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and a weaker heartbeat.

Reproductive Disorders

Using alcohol during pregnancy leads to fetal alcohol syndrome and low birth weight.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is characterized by facial malformations, growth deficiency, and possible retardation.

THE END