AlcoholGRACE MENSAH

Brief Facts on Alcohol

What is Alcohol?• According to the National

Institute on Drug Abuse, Alcohol can be defined as an intoxicating ingredient that can be found in beer, wine and liquor. This intoxicating ingredient is known as Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol. Alcohol affects the central nervous system by depressing it. Alcohol is then absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the drinkers bloodstream.

How is it produced?• Alcohol is produced by

fermenting yeast, sugars and starches

What is a Standard Drink?• The National Institute

on Drug Abuse defines a standard drink as 0.6 ounces of pure ethanol, or 12 ounces of beer; 8 ounces of malt liquor; 5 ounces of wine; or 1.5 ounces (a "shot") of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey).

Alcohol Drinking Levels

Standard Drinking

One drink per dayBinge Drinking or Drinking that brings blood

alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL

Heavy Drinking

Effects of Alcohol

• Alcohol can have a damaging effect on a persons body and his or her organs. If a woman is pregnant and decided to drink, it can have damaging effects on the developing fetus. It can impair one’s judgment and affects one’s brain and motor skills. Heavy use of alcohol can cause certain cancers, liver damage and stroke.

• An individual’s reaction to alcohol is influenced by many factors which include:

Age. Gender. Race or ethnicity. Physical condition Amount of food consumed

before drinking. How quickly the alcohol was

consumed. Use of drugs or prescription

medicines. Family history of alcohol

problems.

National Institute on Drug Abuse and Center for Disease Control and Prevention

MADD( Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

On September 5, 1980, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) was incorporated and the mission as stated in its Articles of Incorporation were “To aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving."

Statistics on Alcohol

In 2013, 86.8 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime; 70.7 percent reported that they drank in the past year; 56.4 percent reported that they drank in the past month ( National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

In 2013, 24.6 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month; 6.8 percent reported that they engaged in heavy drinking in the past month (National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 35.1 percent of 15-year-olds report that they have had at least 1 drink in their lives (National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

In 2013, 59.4 percent of full-time college students ages 18–22 drank alcohol in the past month compared with 50.6 percent of other persons of the same age(National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

In 2013, 12.7 percent of college students ages 18–22 engaged in heavy drinking (5 or more drinks on an occasion on 5 or more occasions per month) in the past month compared with 9.3 percent of other persons of the same age (National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

In 2013, of the 71,713 total liver disease deaths among individuals aged 12 and older, 46.4 percent involved alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) in the United States

Adults (18+) 16.6 million adults

ages 18 and older had an AUD in 2013. This includes 10.8 million men and 5.8 million women.

Youth (12-17) In 2013 an

estimated 697,000 adolescents ages 12–17 had an AUD. This number includes 385,000 females and 311,000 males.

Economic Burden In 2006, alcohol misuse problems

cost the United States $223.5 billion

Global Burden In 2012, 3.3 million deaths, or 5.9 percent

of all global deaths . Alcohol contributes to over 200 diseases

and injury-related health conditions. In 2012, 5.1 percent of the burden of

disease and injury worldwide was related to alcohol consumption.

Globally, alcohol misuse is the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability; among people between the ages of 15 and 49.

Alcoholism Alcoholism is attributed to ones

need for alcohol. The alcoholic becomes so dependent on alcohol it becomes as strong as one needing food or water.

Once an alcoholics brain has being changed by addiction, will power gets thrown out the window.

Alcohol addiction or Alcoholism is a disease and needs to be treated as one. It is not a choice that these individuals make it’s a disease

Quote that jumped at me“People with addiction should not be blamed for suffering from the disease”.

CASAColumbia

References

1. http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/alcohol2. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm3. http://

www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

4. https://www.ncadd.org/about-addiction/alcohol/facts-about-alcohol5. http://www.madd.org/about-us/mission/6. http://www.casacolumbia.org/addiction/disease-model-addiction