1. ALCOHOL
The Facts Served “Straight Up”

2. DEFINITIONS
• ALCOHOLISM – a physical dependency on and a
preoccupation with alcohol to the extent that this
behaviors interferes with normal personal family, social,
or work life.
• ALCOHOL ABUSE – drinking too much or too often
without physical cravings or withdrawal symptoms (this
behavior can lead to alcoholism)
• ALCOHOL POISONING – an over dosage on alcohol
(this is considered a medical emergency)
• BINGE drinking – drinking too much, too fast.
– Men : five or more drinks in a row
– Women : four or more drinks in a row

3. DEFINITIONS, continued
• BLACKOUTS – alcohol in the brain may cause a person
to have gaps in their memory of things that happened
while drinking
• BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC) – alcohol
concentration in a person’s blood
• INTOXICATION – the amount of alcohol consumed
exceeds the individual’s tolerance and produces
behavioral or physical abnormalities.
• TOLERANCE – over a period of time more alcohol is
require to achieve the same effect. This is a sign that a
person is becoming dependent on alcohol and may not
realize how impaired they actually are.

4. Alcohol Content in DrinksAlcohol Content in Drinks
Beer: 4% alcohol X 12 oz = .48 oz
alcohol
Wine: 12% alcohol X 4 oz = .48 oz
alcohol
All three have the
same alcohol content
despite different volumes

5. What is in Alcohol
• Ethanol
or Ethyl Alcohol
• Flavoring
• Minerals
• Water
Beer, wine, and hard liquor (distilled spirits) all contain alcohol. The
following common alcoholic drinks contain equal amounts of alcohol and
are often referred to as a drink or a standard drink:
Proof is the amount of alcohol in hard liquor or distilled spirits. The
percentage of pure alcohol in the hard liquor is usually one-half the
proof. For example, a 100-proof liquor is about 50% pure alcohol. Thus,
the higher the proof, the more pure alcohol the hard liquor contains.
*Different beers have different
alcohol content. Malt liquor has
higher alcohol content than most
other brewed beverages.
It is important to remember that
not all drinks are created equal.

6. Why Drink Alcohol
• To escape pressure or problems
• To feel better or get over being sad or lonely
• To deal with stress and relax
• To feel more self-confident in social situations
• For excitement
• Because their friends are doing it
• To deal with boredom
• To get away with something they are not supposed
to do
• To fit in

7. Factors that influence
alcohol’s effect!
Body Size: The bigger you are, the more
blood you have to dilute the alcohol in your
system. Smaller people are usually affected
more quickly by alcohol than larger people.
Gender: Women are generally smaller
than men, have a higher percentage of body
fat, and tend to reach higher BAC’s more
quickly.
How alcohol affects you is different based on different absorption rate factors, theseHow alcohol affects you is different based on different absorption rate factors, these
include:include:

8. Food: A full stomach slows the absorption of
alcohol into the bloodstream.
Strength of Drink: Drinks can have different
effects based on their composition, i.e.
carbonated beverages tend to increase the
absorption rate in alcohol.
Rate of Consumption: Gulping or chugging
drinks will increase the amount of alcohol
taken into your system. Also, the faster you
drink, the less time your body has to dilute the
alcohol.
Mood: A person who is obviously upset,
exhausted, or under a lot of stress feels the
effects of alcohol more quickly.
Woowho D’oh!

9. Age: The body processes alcohol better
once the body is fully matured.
Tolerance: The longer an
individual drinks, the more he or
she will need drink in order to get
the same desired effect.Day 1 Day 15 Day 365
Drug Use: Legal or illegal drugs can
speed up the effects of alcohol and
have an unpredictable outcome.
Body Composition: In general, the less
you weigh the more quickly alcohol will be
absorbed. However, for people of the same
weight, a person who has greater muscle
mass will absorb alcohol slower than
someone with a higher percentage of body
fat.

10. What is the only thing that
really determines how
DRUNK YOU ARE?
• Alcohol is a lethal substance. Being knowledgeable about Blood Alcohol Content
will help you understand the effects of varying amounts of alcohol in your system,
and allow you to make informed decisions about drinking.
• The standard way of measuring how much alcohol is in the blood stream is Blood
Alcohol Content (BAC) or Blood Alcohol Level (BAL). It can be measured using
blood, saliva, urine or breath and is measured in milligrams of alcohol per 100
milliliters of blood, or milligrams percent.
• For Example: A BAC of .10 means one-tenth of 1% or (1/1000) of your total blood
content is alcohol.
MALE
The following is a rough outline of
expected BAC's for a 150 lb. male on an
empty stomach after one hour:
2 drinks .05 BAC
4 drinks .10 BAC
FEMALE
The following is a rough outline of
expected BAC's for a 120 lb. female
on an empty stomach after one hour:
2 drinks .08 BAC
4 drinks .17 BAC

11. How does BAC affect you!
.02-.03 % BAC: You are slightly light headed; inhibitions are loosened ( Missouri defines .
02% as legally drunk for those under 21 years of age).
.05%-.06 BAC: You’re warm and relaxed; you’re behavior may become exaggerated.
.08-.09% BAC: You are legally drunk; you may start to slur your speech, your sense of balance
is probably off, and your motor skills are becoming impaired.
.10%-.12% BAC: At this level, you feel euphoric, but you lack coordination and balance; your
motor skills are markedly impaired, as are your judgment and memory.
.14%-.17% BAC: Euphoric feelings may give way to unpleasant feelings; you have difficulty
talking, walking, or even standing; your judgment and perception are severely impaired.
.20% BAC: You feel confused, dazed, or otherwise disoriented ; at this point you may
experience nausea and/or start vomiting; blackouts are likely.
.25% BAC: All mental, physical, and sensory functions are severely impaired; you're at
increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by
falling or other accidents.
.30% BAC: You have little comprehension of where you are; you may suddenly pass out --with
an alarming BAC like .30%, your body will decide to pass out for you.
.35% BAC: This blood alcohol level is the level of surgical anesthesia; you may stop breathing.
.40% BAC: You are probably in a coma. The nerve centers controlling your heartbeat and
respiration are slowing down.