Grade 9 HealthGrade 9 HealthSubstance AbuseSubstance Abuse

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How Alcohol Affects a How Alcohol Affects a Person Depends On:Person Depends On:

How How FASTFAST you drink you drink How How MUCHMUCH you drink you drink Your body Your body WEIGHTWEIGHT How much drinking you’ve done in the How much drinking you’ve done in the

PASTPAST How much How much FOODFOOD is in the stomach is in the stomach What your What your ATTITUDESATTITUDES are about are about

drinkingdrinking WHEREWHERE you are when you drink you are when you drink

Short vs. Long Term Short vs. Long Term Effects of AlcoholEffects of AlcoholShort TermShort Term

Slurred speechSlurred speech Impaired reflexes and Impaired reflexes and

reaction timereaction time Impaired judgmentImpaired judgment Relaxed eye muscles, Relaxed eye muscles,

difficulty focusingdifficulty focusing Increased urinationIncreased urination Nausea and vomitingNausea and vomiting Anger, violence, mood Anger, violence, mood

swingsswings

Long TermLong Term Causes liver damageCauses liver damage Causes irreversible brain Causes irreversible brain

or nerve damageor nerve damage Reduced production of Reduced production of

sex hormonessex hormones Causes cancer of the Causes cancer of the

stomachstomach Causes malnutritionCauses malnutrition Causes diseases of the Causes diseases of the

heart, stomach, digestive heart, stomach, digestive system, pancreassystem, pancreas

Results in vitamin Results in vitamin deficiencydeficiency

What does alcohol do to What does alcohol do to your body?your body?

To your kidneys: To your kidneys: increases frequency of increases frequency of urinationurination

To your liver: extensive To your liver: extensive drinking can damage drinking can damage your liveryour liver

To your stomach – To your stomach – inflammation of the inflammation of the stomach lining may stomach lining may cause vomitingcause vomiting

Cont’d…Cont’d… To your brain – relaxation beyond normal To your brain – relaxation beyond normal

state; brain cells killedstate; brain cells killed To your muscles – slower muscle To your muscles – slower muscle

reactions with small amount of alcoholreactions with small amount of alcohol To your eyes – sight is often blurredTo your eyes – sight is often blurred

What’s wrong with binge What’s wrong with binge drinking?drinking?

Binge drinking is when someone has 5 or Binge drinking is when someone has 5 or more drinks on a single occasionmore drinks on a single occasion

You get too drunk and put yourself into You get too drunk and put yourself into dangerous situationsdangerous situations

Become more likely to engage in risky Become more likely to engage in risky behaviourbehaviour

Feel shame and embarrassment Feel shame and embarrassment afterwardsafterwards

How to drink “How to drink “safelysafely”:”:

Set limits for yourself and stick to themSet limits for yourself and stick to them Drink slowly – take sips and not gulpsDrink slowly – take sips and not gulps Eat before or while drinkingEat before or while drinking Have one drink at a time so that you can Have one drink at a time so that you can

keep track of your drinks – AVOID keep track of your drinks – AVOID “topping up”“topping up”

Pace yourselfPace yourself Be assertive – do not succumb to peer Be assertive – do not succumb to peer

pressurepressure

Video: The Truth About Video: The Truth About DrinkingDrinking

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