Know and understand the effects of alcohol. Reveal facts and myths of alcohol

consumption. How to recognize the warning signs of

abuse in others.

Reasons to stay sober.

Places to get help.

Curiosity To Feel Good Relax Reduce Stress To Fit In To Feel Older

Alcohol is the most widely used drug in America.

Currently, nearly 18 million adult Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.

Alcohol depresses the central nervous system and slows the activity of the brain and spinal cord.

Drug and alcohol abuse is by no means a new problem. They are causes of important factors such as:

1. Accidents,

2. Absenteeism.

3. Illness

For employers from small to large mine sites; substance abuse leads to safety problems affecting the enterprise, the workforce and the public at large, and it gives rise to increased costs, lower productivity and loss of competitive edge.

It is therefore an important health and safety issue in its own right. Do you have any drug or alcohol abuse users at your facility?

20% of the alcohol is absorbed through the stomach walls

80% is through the small intestine, no digestion takes place

Too much drinking can result in a …

80%

Pylorus

StomachWalls

StomachWalls

20%

Stomach WallsStomach Walls

Ethanol alcohol will go wherever it finds water.

The Brain

The Liver

Muscle Tissue

Alcohol suppresses the part of the brain that controls judgment, resulting in a loss of inhibitions.

It also affects physical coordination, causing blurred vision, slurred speech and loss of balance.

loss of brain cells liver failure irritated stomach lining and bleeding from stomach ulcers

high blood pressure (which can lead to stroke)

certain types of cancer

heart failure epilepsy obesity sexual problems

No. In fact for most adults who drink, up to two drinks per day, is not harmful.

Doctors sometimes recommend that you drink a beer or a glass a wine per day.

It depends on the person’s gender, body weight, the amount of alcohol consumed, how fast the person drinks, their mood, and the amount of food in the person’s stomach.

A 150 lb. male/120 lb. female in one hour◦2 drinks their approximate bac would

be .03/.04% male and .05/.06% female◦3 drinks - .05/.06% male and .08/.09%

female◦5 drinks - .09/.10% male

It depends on their person’s BAC level. BAC drops about .015% per hour if a person has no more drinks.

If a 150 lb. person has a BAC of .08%:◦More than three hours before his or her BAC dropped below .04%.

◦More than five hours before all the alcohol was eliminated.

A cold shower?

Fresh air?

Exercise?

Coffee?

Nope…nothing but time will sober a person up!

Drinking becomes too much when it:◦Causes or elevates the risk for alcohol-

related problems◦Complicates other health problems

There are increased risks for alcohol-related problems for men and women.

◦Men who drink 5 or more drinks in a day 15 or more per week

◦Women who drink 4 or more drinks in a day 8 or more per week

Procuring Alcohol◦Class III Misdemeanor, no minimum penalty, maximum of three months in jail, or $500 fine, or both.

Open container of alcohol - $50 fine

Drinking in public - $100 fine

Driving under the Influence of Alcohol .02

◦Under the age of 21

◦Traffic Infraction – No Jail Time

◦Fines and License Impounded from 30-

90 Days

Driving under the Influence of Alcohol .08◦Any age◦Class W Misdemeanor 1st Offense Maximum – 60 Days in Jail & $500 Fine Mandatory Minimum – 7 Days in Jail & $400 Fine

License Impounded up to 30 – 90 Days

2nd Offense Maximum – 6 Months in Jail & $500 Fine Mandatory Minimum – 30 Days in Jail &

$500 Fine License Impounded for 1 Year

3rd Offense Maximum – One Year in Jail $600 Fine Mandatory Minimum – 90 Days in Jail &

$600 Fine License Impounded for 1 – 15 Years

4th or Subsequent Offense – Class IV Felony

Maximum – 5 Years in Jail, $10,000 Fine, or both.

No Minimum

License Impounded for 15 Years

Home

Family

School

Work

Legal

Death

Alcohol related crashes, injuries, and fatalities cost society at least $46 billion in lost productivity, medical costs, property damage and other direct expenditures.

Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

One "yes" answer suggests a possible alcohol problem.

More than one "yes" answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists.

If you are concerned about your drinking or have a friend that you are concerned about you can contact:

◦Adult◦Parent◦Teacher◦Law Enforcement◦Clergy - Confidential◦Counselor - Confidential

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) National Institutes of Health (NIH)

◦ http://www.nida.nih.gov ◦The NIDA Web site provides information for students and young adults, parents and teachers, and health professionals about drugs and other substances that are commonly abused. NIDA also supports and conducts research about drug use and abuse.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD)

◦ E-mail: national@ncadd.org◦ Web Address: http://www.ncadd.org ◦NCADD provides facts and scientific

information about alcohol and drugs and related health issues, with specific resources for parents and youth. The organization also has a national intervention network and provides information about treatment programs and prevention.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism (NIAAA)

◦ Phone: 1-800-729-6686

◦ Web Address: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov  

◦ NIAAA provides pamphlets, brochures, and referral

information about alcohol use problems. Information can

be obtained by writing or calling or by printing it from the

Web site.

Al-Anon ◦ Family Group Headquarters 1600 Corporate

Landing Parkway Virginia Beach, VA  23454-5617◦ Phone: 1-888-4AL-ANON (1-888-425-2666)◦ E-mail: WSO@al-anon.org◦ Web Address: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org  

◦ Al-Anon is a support group and self-help program for family members and friends of people with alcohol and drug use problems. The program is based on the same principles as AA. Phone numbers for local offices are listed in area phone books.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) World Services, Inc.

◦ Web Address: http://www.aa.org 

◦ AA is a support group and self-help program for recovery from alcohol use problems as well as other substance abuse problems. Meetings are available in most communities at various times. Meetings can be "open" (for the person and his or her family) or "closed" (for the person only). Special groups for women, teens, and gays may be available in some areas. AA provides written information on the program of recovery. Phone numbers for local offices are listed in local area phone books.