Transcript Unit 8: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs

Unit 5: Tobacco, Alcohol, and
Drugs
Ch. 21,22,23
Tobacco Use
• Tobacco use is the number one leading cause of preventable
disease and death in the U.S.
• Despite the numerous health risks related to smoking,
chewing, or dipping tobacco, many teenagers begin to use this
highly addictive drug
Nicotine
• It is because of this addictive drug that many tobacco users find it very
difficult to drop the habit.
• Being a stimulant, nicotine increases the action of your central
nervous system, heart, and other organs.
• It raises blood pressure, heart rate, and contributes to heart disease and
stroke.
• Once you’re hooked you need more and more to satisfy your need for
the drug.
Cigarette smoke: more than just stink
• Tobacco smoke is TOXIC
• It has been classified as a Group A carcinogen: the most
dangerous type of carcinogen
Cigarette Cocktail: Tar with a splash of carbon
monoxide
• Tar: thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns.
– Penetrates into the respiratory system & destroys cilia & lung
tissue, & damages air sacs.
• Smoking makes you more susceptible to bronchitis,
pneumonia, emphysema, & cancer
Cigarette Cocktail: Tar with a splash of carbon
monoxide
• Carbon Monoxide: colorless, odorless, & poisonous gas.
– Taken up more easily than oxygen
– Replaces oxygen in the blood thus depriving tissues and cells.
• Increases the chance for: high blood pressure, heart disease, &
hardening of the arteries.
Pipes and Cigars
• Cigars contain MORE nicotine & produce more tar & carbon
monoxide than cigarettes
– ONE cigar = one PACK of cigarettes
• Pipe & cigar smokers have an INCREASED risk of developing
cancer of the mouth, lip, & throat
Smokeless Tobacco
• Smokeless tobacco:
– Sniffed
– Chewed
– Dipped
• Not a safe alternative
• Nicotine & carcinogen are absorbed
through the mucous membranes or
digestive tract
• Can deliver 2 to 3 times the amount
of nicotine as a single cigarette
• If you chew 8-10 plugs a day it equals
2 packs of cigarettes a day
– Can develop leukoplakia
– Cancers of the pancreas, throat, larynx,
esophagus, & stomach are common.
Short-term effects
• Changes in brain chemistry
– Cravings
– Withdrawal symptoms
• Increased respiration & heart rate
– Physical activity may become more difficult
– May cause an irregular heart beat
• Dulled taste buds & reduced appetite
• Bad breath & an unshakable stench
Long-term effects
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Takes a toll on respiratory, cardiovascular, & digestive systems
Immune system is weakened
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
Lung cancer
Coronary heart disease & stroke
So…
Knowing all this, why do you think people choose to smoke
anyway? Everyone is aware of the harmful effects of tobacco
so why use it?
Short-term Effects
• Nervous System
– Brain is less able to
control the body
– Memory &
concentration are dulled
– Judgment &coordination
are impaired
• Cardiovascular Sys.
– Low intake: increased
heart rate & blood
pressure
– High intake: decreased
heart rate & blood
pressure
• Risk of cardiac arrest
increases
Short-term Effects
• Digestive System
– Stomach acid increases
resulting in nausea &
vomiting
– As the liver
metabolizes alcohol
toxic chemicals are
released which cause
inflammation &
scarring
– Kidneys increase urine
output which can
cause dehydration
• Respiratory System
– Carbon dioxide
formed by the liver is
released from the body
through the lungs
– Alcohol depresses
nerves that control
functions such as
breathes which means
that breathing can
slow, become
irregular, or stop
Short-term Effects
• Effects vary from person to person and
depend on various factors:
– Body size & gender
• Female have a higher percentage of body fat & less
water which means alcohol is less diluted & will have a
stronger & longer effect
– Food
– Amount & rate of intake
Alcohol & other drugs
• Interaction between alcohol & other drugs
can be extremely dangerous
• This can result in a multiplier effect in which
the drug has a greater or different effect than
if it were taken alone
Typical alcohol-drug interactions
• Alcohol slows down the body’s absorption of
a drug which lengthens the time of alcohol in
the body & increases the risk of side effects.
• May increase the number of metabolizing
enzymes which can cause a faster breakdown
which decreases their effectiveness.
Typical alcohol-drug interactions
• Metabolizing enzymes can change
medications into chemicals that can damage
the liver or other organs
– Acetaminophen, a common painkiller & fever
reducer, can cause serious liver damage
• Alcohol can increase the effects of some meds.
– Antihistamines, can cause excessive dizziness &
sleepiness
Driving under the influence
• Alcohol impairs vision, reaction time, &
coordination.
• When mixed with driving, alcohol can have
deadly results.
• Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the
amount od alcohol in a person’s blood,
expressed as a percentage.
– Signs of intoxication can show as early as 0.02
Alcohol Poisoning
• A severe & potentially fatal physical reaction
to an alcohol overdose.
• As a depressant, alcohol shuts down
involuntary actions such as breathing & gag
reflex, which prevents choking
– Too much alcohol could lead to a complete shut
down of these functions & result in choking on
one’s own vomit
Effects of Alcohol Poisoning
• Passing out is a common effect of too much
alcohol in the system, BUT the alcohol does
not stop entering the bloodstream at this
point.
• Do not assume that “sleeping it off” will
ensure the safety of the inebriated person.
Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
• Mental confusion,
stupor, coma, inability
to wake, vomiting,
seizures
• Slow respiration
– 10 seconds between
breaths or fewer than 8
breaths per minute
• Irregular heartbeat
• Hypothermia or low
body temperature
– Pale or bluish skin color
• Sever dehydration from
vomiting
Long-term effects
• Changes to the brain
– Addiction
– Loss of brain functions
– Brain damage
• Cardiovascular changes
– Damage to heart muscle
– Enlarged heart
– High blood pressure
Long-term effects
• Liver problems
– Fatty liver (fat blocks the flow of blood to the liver cells
resulting in cell death)
– Alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation/infection of liver)
– Cirrhosis (scar tissue replaces liver tissue which can lead
to liver failure & death)
• Digestive system problems
– Digestive lining is damaged which can result in ulcers &
cancer of the stomach & esophagus
Long-term effects
• Pancreas problems
– Lining to the pancreas swells which block
chemicals the small intestine needs for digestion.
– These chemicals begin to destroy the pancreas
which causes pain & vomiting & death in sever
cases.
Drinking during pregnancy
• Women who drink while pregnant are also in
turn giving alcohol to their unborn child
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): a group of
alcohol-related birth defects that include
physical pain & metal problems
– Small head & deformities of limbs
– Slow growth & coordination
– Difficulties with learning, attention, memory, &
problem solving
Alcoholism
• A disease in which a person has a physical or
psychological dependence on drinks that contain
alcohol.
• Symptoms:
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Craving
Loss of control
Physical dependence
Tolerance
Health, family, legal problems
Stages of alcoholism
• Stage 1: Abuse
– Drinks on a regular basis & needs more alcohol to have
the desired effects. Blackouts & memory loss are
common. The person also begins to lie about their
problem.
• Stage 2: Dependence
– The person cannot stop drinking & they begin making
excuses for the problem. Home & work begin to suffer.
• Stage 3: Addiction
– Alcohol becomes the most important thing in the
person’s life. Liver damage means less alcohol is
needed to produce intoxication. Stopping would result
in sever withdrawal symptoms.