Transcript men_shealth-alcoholanddrugs_1

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illicit
Drugs
MEN’S HEALTH H306
FALL 2014
What Is Addiction and What Are Its Effects?
 Continued involvement with a substance or activity despite
ongoing negative consequences.
 The costs of alcohol, tobacco, and drug addiction exist on a
personal as well as societal level.
 Addictive behaviors initially provide a sense of pleasure
that the addict cannot achieve in other ways.
 Chemicals are responsible for the most profound
addictions, along with mood changes.
Four common symptoms of addictions
 Compulsion: excessive preoccupation with the
behavior and an overwhelming need to perform it
 Loss of control: the inability to reliably predict
whether any isolated occurrence of the behavior will
be healthy or damaging
 Negative consequences: physical damage, legal
trouble, financial problems, academic failure, or
family problems caused by the behavior
 Denial: the inability to perceive that the behavior is
self-destructive
Alcohol: An Overview
 Alcohol and American Adults:
 61 percent of Americans consume alcohol regularly
 25 percent abstain from drinking
 Alcohol and College Students:
 Approximately 63 percent of students have consumed
alcoholic beverages in the past 30 days.
 Almost half are classified as heavy drinkers.
 Many students have a misperception about “normal
drinking” behavior, and believe their peers drink more
than they actually do.
Dangers of Alcohol Use and Abuse
Alcohol abuse is common on college campuses.
 Most popular drug among college students.
 Almost half of college students engage in binge drinking.
Alcohol profoundly affects the body.
 Contains ethanol, an addictive drug that is absorbed throughout the
whole gastrointestinal system.
 The higher the alcohol concentration, the faster it is absorbed by the
body.
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Proof: Measure of the percent alcohol
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80 proof whiskey = 40 percent alcohol
Mood also affects alcohol use; absorption is much faster when people
are tense or stressed.
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Alcohol: An Overview
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Binge Drinking
A pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram-percent or above
 Binge drinking is defined as consuming within 2 hours:
 5 drinks in a row for a man
 4 drinks in a row for a woman
 Many colleges are trying to address the problem:
 Cognitive-behavioral skills training with motivational
interviewing
 Social norms approach
 Working to change misconceptions
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Alcohol: An Overview
 High-Risk Drinking and College
Students
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Why is binge drinking the number one cause of
preventable death among undergraduate students?
Alcohol exacerbates their already high risk for
suicide, automobile crashes, and falls.
 Customs, norms, and traditions encourage
dangerous drinking.
 Drinking is heavily advertised and promoted on
campuses.
 Students are more likely to engage in drinking
games.
 Students are more vulnerable to peer influences
and peer pressure.
 College administrators often do not admit to a
problem on campus.
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Short-Term and Long-Term Alcohol Effects
Dangers of Alcohol Use and Abuse
Drinking and driving is a major safety threat.
 About 39% of all traffic deaths are alcohol related.
Alcohol use can lead to alcoholism.
 Problems are often denied by alcohol abusers.
 Multiple symptoms are common, including the inability to stop
drinking, feelings of guilt or remorse, and memory loss.
Recovery from alcohol addiction is difficult.
 People often experience many serious problems before they’re ready
to deal with their addiction.
 First step to recovery is regaining a sense of personal control and
assuming responsibility for one’s actions.
Alcohol Use and Injuries
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13 percent of emergency room visits by undergrads are for alcoholrelated injuries
Patients with a BAC over 0.08% are 3.2 times more likely to have a
violent injury than an unintentional injury.
Most people admitted to the ER are men aged 21 and over, most as a
result of accidents or fights in which alcohol was a factor.
Alcohol and Sexual Decision Making
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Alcohol lowers inhibitions, impairing the ability to make wise
decisions regarding sexual activity
70 percent of college students admit to having engaged in sexual
activity primarily as a result of being under the influence of alcohol.
Less likely to use safer sex practices
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Risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy
increases among those who drink heavily
Alcohol Poisoning
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Consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time can
be lethal.
Alcohol alone or mixed with another drug is responsible for more
toxic overdose deaths than any other substance.
Deaths are caused by either central nervous system and
respiratory depression or by inhalation of vomit or fluid into the
lungs
Signs include inability to be roused; weak and rapid pulse;
unusual breathing pattern; cool, damp, pale, or bluish skin.
Call 9-1-1 immediately
Drinking and Driving
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2008, 32% of all traffic fatalities were alcohol related.
Many college students drink and drive.
In 2008, there were 11,773 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the
United States.
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This represents one alcohol-related fatality every 45 minutes
At BAC 0.10 a person is approximately 10 times more likely to be in
an accident.
Alcoholism
 Identifying a Problem Drinker
 Abuse interferes with work, school, and relationships.
 Alcoholism (alcohol dependence) results when personal and health
problems related to alcohol use are severe, and stopping alcohol
consumption results in withdrawal symptoms.
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Characterized by craving, loss of control, physical dependence, and
tolerance
Alcoholism
 The Causes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
 Biological and family factors
Alcoholism is 4 to 5 times more common among children of alcoholics
 Heredity accounts for two-thirds of the risk for becoming an alcoholic.
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Social and cultural factors
Family attitudes
 Weakening of family links
 Combination of heredity and environment
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Alcoholism
 Costs to Society
 It is estimated that alcohol is directly or indirectly responsible for
over 25 percent of U.S. medical expenses and lost earnings
 Cost of underage drinking is estimated at $61.9 billion annually.
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Includes crashes, violent crime, FAS, high-risk sex, poisoning, psychosis,
and treatment for alcohol dependence
Alcohol Content in Common Drinks
Blood Alcohol Levels in the Body
 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Ratio of alcohol to total blood volume
 The legal limit for BAC is 0.08 percent in all states.
 Both breath analysis (breathalyzer tests) and urinalysis are used
to determine whether an individual is legally intoxicated, but
blood tests are more accurate.
 Learned behavioral tolerance—though BAC may be quite
high, the individual has learned to modify his behavior to
appear sober
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Approximate Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) and the
Physiological and Behavioral Effects
Discussion
Evaluate Your Drinking Habits:
 How many alcoholic drinks do you have on a typical day
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when you are drinking?
How often do you have six drinks or more on one occasion?
How often during the last year have you been unable to
stop drinking once you had started?
How often during the last year have you failed to do what
was normally expected from you because of drinking?
How often during the last year have you needed a drink in
the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking
session?
How often during the last year have you had a feeling of
guilt or remorse after drinking?
How often during the last year have you been unable to
remember what happened the night before because you
had been drinking?
Tobacco Use in the US
 Tobacco and Social Issues
 Single most preventable cause of death
 438,000 Americans die a year
 50 times that of illegal drug deaths
 Teen smokers = 27.5 percent of all smokers
 Advertising
 $36 million per day spent on tobacco-related advertising.
 Children and teens constitute 90 percent of new smokers.
Tobacco Use in the US
 Financial Costs to Society
$193 billion in annual health-related economic losses
 $95 billion in medical expenditures
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 College Students and Tobacco Use
In 2007, 19% reported having smoked in the past 30 days
 “Social smokers” are those who smoke when they are with
people, rather than alone.
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Dangers of Tobacco Use
 Nicotine, a powerful stimulant, is the major
psychoactive substance in tobacco products.
 When smoked, nicotine is released and inhaled into
the lungs, along with tar and 4,700 other chemicals
including arsenic, formaldehyde, and ammonia.
 Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide, a
dangerous gas. When smoked, its concentration is
800 times higher than the level considered safe.
Dangers of Tobacco Use
Short-Term Effects and Risks of Nicotine Use
 Aroused mental state.
 Increased heart and respiratory rates.
 Constricted blood vessels.
 Reduced appetite.
Long-Term Effects and Risks of Nicotine Use
 Cancer.
 Cardiovascular disease.
 Respiratory diseases, especially emphysema.
 Sexual dysfunction.
 Gum disease.
Nicotine poisoning is the symptoms experienced by new smokers;
includes dizziness, rapid pulse, damp skin, nausea, and vomiting.
Dangers of Tobacco Use
Secondhand smoke is air pollution from tobacco
smoke.
 Mainstream smoke is emitted from a smoker’s mouth.
Sidestream smoke is emitted from the burning end of a
product.
 About 50,000 deaths occur each year from secondhand
smoke.
Quitting smoking is not easy.
 90% of people who try to quit smoking fail.
 Smokers often falsely believe they can “quit anytime.”
 Nicotine is deeply addictive in the brain and body.
 Consistent treatment and efforts can result in quitting.
 Within 1 year of quitting, risks of major disease start to
substantially reduce.
Short-Term and Long-Term Smoking
Effects
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Dangers of Drug Use and Abuse
 Drug misuse and abuse are huge societal problems.
Drug misuse = using drugs for an unintended
purpose.
Drug abuse = excessive use of any drug.
 Drug use contributes to the death of 120,000
Americans yearly.
 Costs taxpayers more than $294 billion a year in
preventable health care expenses, law enforcement,
auto accidents, crime, and lost productivity.
Commonly Used Drugs
Marijuana
 Long-term studies show it causes lung damage.
 Other risks include immune function suppression, blood
pressure changes, and impaired memory.
 Risks for women also include lower infant birth weight,
higher miscarriage probability, and nervous system
abnormalities in infants.
Designer Drugs (“Club Drugs”)
 Produced in chemical laboratories, made in private homes,
sold illegally.
 Commonly include Ecstasy (mood enhancer), GHB
(tranquilizer), and Special K (anesthetic).
 Dangers include brain damage, loss of consciousness,
seizures, respiratory distress, and death.
Commonly Used Drugs
Stimulants
 Powerful drugs that stimulate the central nervous system.
 Among the most addictive substances available.
 Include cocaine (a naturally occurring stimulant) and
amphetamines (synthetic agents).
Depressants
 Agents that depress central nervous system functions.
 Include opiates such as morphine, codeine, and heroine.
 Highly addictive, sometimes deadly, substances.
Hallucinogens
 Primary effects alter feelings, thoughts, and perceptions.
 Mainly consumed for hallucinogenic side effects; all are
illegal.
Commonly Used Drugs
Inhalants
 Chemicals that produce vapors that, when inhaled, create euphoric
effects.
 Include rubber cement, model glue, paint thinner, lighter fluid,
varnish, wax, spot removers, and gasoline.
Steroids
 Artificial forms of the male hormone testosterone, used illegally to
promote muscle growth and strength.
 Many claims for their effectiveness are unfounded, and side effects
can be serious and lifelong.
Prescription Drugs
 Abuse of prescription drugs has risen steeply in recent years.
 When not taken as directed they can be extremely dangerous,
especially when taken in high doses or combined wrongly.
Prevalence of
Drugs among
College
Students
Prevalence of
Drugs among
College
Students,
continued
Overcoming Drug Abuse
 Vast body of evidence suggests that it’s almost
inevitable that prolonged drug use will lead to
addiction.
 Most addicts need specialized medical and
psychological treatment to help them quit.
 Main treatments are drug programs combined with
medications and behavioral therapy.
 Resources include hospitals, outpatient clinics,
residential programs, and community-based 12-step
programs.