Alcohol information

Drug: Alcohol (ethyl Alcohol), ethanol.

Alcohol Street name: Booze, bevvy, vino, happy juice.

Alcohol effects: relaxant, loss of inhibitions, mood alteration — promotes sociability, increases self confidence, dehydrating effect

If alcohol is taken in excess the effects are: slurred speech, staggering, loss of balance and vomiting. Effects are dependent on the amount and frequency taken, the setting in which taken, along with psychological mood. In some users, alcohol can promote verbal or physical aggressiveness and violence.

Alcohol Description: alcohol comes in liquid form in varying colors and consistencies depending on the drink. Some are naturally carbonated while others are still.

Alcohol Street Use: Swallowed.

Alcohol Dependency: Yes.

Alcohol Withdrawal symptoms: Hangover, depression, dehydration, hand tremors, sickness, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, anxiety, hallucinations.

Alcohol Long-Term Use: increased blood pressure, mental health problems, liver cirrhosis, brain damage, hepatitis, fatty liver, diabetes, cancer, dependence, impaired kidney function, heart disease, tremor, sexual impotence (men), pancreatitis, stroke

Alcohol Overdose Risk: Blood alcohol levels can be raised to a lethal point if a large quantity of alcoholic drink is consumed within a short period. If large amounts of Alcohol are consumed too quickly, vomiting can occur while semiconscious. This increases risk of death through asphyxiation as vomit can be aspirated or swallowed blocking air passages to the lungs. Overdose risks increase if alcohol is mixed with other drugs such as opiates or barbiturates. Alcohol abuse plays a major part in accidents, violence, crime and other social disorders where an alcohol-related consequence can result in death.

Alcohol Legal status: It is legal to drink Alcohol over the age of 18 years. It is illegal to drink to excess and drive.

Alcohol treatment

Americans spend more than $90 billion dollars total on alcohol each year.

An average citizen may consume more than 25 gallons of beer, 2 gallons of wine, and 1.5 gallons of distilled spirits each year.

Pregnant women who drink alcohol are feeding it to their babies. Sadly, the underdeveloped liver of the baby can only burn alcohol at 50% the rate of its mother, so the alcohol stays in the baby's system twice as long.

Each year students spend $5.5 billion on alcoholic beverages - more then they spend on soft drinks, tea, milk, juice, coffee, or books combined.

56% of students in grade 5 to 12 admit that alcohol advertising stimulates them to drink.
6.6% of employees in full time jobs declare heavy drinking, defined as drinking five or more drinks per occasion or five or more days in the past month.

The more elevated percentage of heavy drinkers (12.2%) is among unemployed adults between the age of 26 to 34.

Up to 40% of all industrial deaths and 47% of industrial injuries can be related to alcohol consumption and alcoholism.

In 2000, close to 7 million individuals age 12 to 20 was a binge drinker; that is about one in five persons under the legal drinking age was a binge drinker.

A 2001 survey indicates that 25 million (one in ten) Americans surveyed admitted driving under the influence of alcohol. This data is almost three million more than the previous year. Among young adults age between 18 to 25 years, about 23% drove under the influence of alcohol.

Drunk driving is proven to be much deadlier then what we previously knew. The latest fatalities statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), using a new method of calculation indicate that 17,488 people where killed in alcohol related traffic accidents last year. This report represents that almost 800 more American where killed than the previous year.

Alcohol is the number 1 substance problem in the United States.

43% of Americans have been exposed to alcoholism among their families.

Almost one out of 4 Americans admitted to general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed alcoholics being diagnosed for alcohol related injuries.

Alcohol and its related problems are costing the American economy at least $100 million in health care and lost of productivity yearly.
40% of criminal offenders admit alcohol as a factor in violence.

Among spouse violence victims, 75% incidents were reported to have involved alcohol consumption by the offender.

In 1996, local law enforcement authorities made an approximated 1,467,300 arrests nationwide for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Damage to health

The UK Government recommended alcohol limits are currently 21 units per week for men (10.5 pints of beer) and 14 units per week for women (7 pints of beer). Sustained drinking in excess of this level raises the risks of damaging our health (liver disease, stomach ulcers, heart and circulation disorders - and in extreme cases, brain damage.)

25,000 individuals die in the UK annually from alcohol-related illnesses - this is 50 times the annual rate of death from all illicit drugs put together!

Family Abuse

Excessive use of alcohol is frequently sited as a cause for difficulties within a family or within a marriage such as drunken violence directed toward a spouse or children, financial issues caused by compulsive purchase of alcohol or otherwise related to that.

It is hard to over-emphasize just how much stress an individual who abuses alcohol may cause within his or her immediate family. If someone still abuses alcohol over a period of time, his or her behavior is likely to cause bitterness and resentment among relatives. While family members may love the alcohol user, they are most likely to despite his or her behavior.
Eventually - the love dies.

Accidents

While an individual is under the influence of alcohol he or she is way more susceptible to have an accident than while sober, because alcohol adversely affects judgment and perception. Thirty percent of vehicle drivers killed in road accidents within the country were found to have been drinking alcohol just prior to the accidents. Several of those who died this way may well have caused the death or injury of other road users. What a waste of human life.

Long-term Effects

Heavy use of alcohol over a long period of time can cause damage to several parts of the body. Impairment of brain and liver functions can be permanent. If the individual’s diet is also inadequate, this can further affect their health. Emotional difficulties, like depression and relationship issues, are also likely.

Other possible long-term effects are cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, lips, liver, brain injury, loss of memory, confusion, hallucinations, elevated blood pressure, irregular pulse, enlarged heart and changes in red blood cells, weakness and loss of muscle tissue, sweating, flushing and bruising of the skin, inflamed stomach lining, bleeding and stomach ulcers, increased risk of lung infections, major swelling of the liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis, inflamed pancreas, tingling and loss of sensation in hands and feet.

For males, impotence, shrinking of testicles and damaged and decreased sperm are also some long-term effects of alcohol abuse.
For females are at greater risk of gynecological issues.

Fast Facts on alcohol
Total costs associated to alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes were approximated to be $24.7 billion. This included $11.1 billion from premature fatality (counted/included above) and $13.6 billion from car and other property destruction. The costs for health care treatment for injuries are included under health care expenditures.

Even though research suggests that narcotic abuse is involved with a small fraction of motor vehicle crashes, this literature is principally anecdotal and very limited. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has started to systematically acquire data about drug involvement in fatal crashes. Nonetheless, this effort is still in its early stages, and narcotic-use information is not yet being routinely acquired in the same way as it is for alcohol.

Relationship between alcohol and crime

What is the law about drinking and driving?

In Canada, it is a major criminal violation to drive with blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 per cent or over. It’s also illegal to drive while you are impaired, even if your BAC is under .08 per cent. The same penalties will apply to you if you fail to provide a breath sample when required by the authorities. In Ontario for example, authorities will also suspend your driver’s license on the spot for 3 months, separate from any criminal charges you face in court. Ontario has other drinking and driving laws. If you are caught with a BAC between .05 per cent and .08 per cent, authorities can suspend your license on the spot for 12 hours. Also, if you are learning to drive and have a New Driver’s License under the Graduated Licensing program, you are not permitted to drive after consuming ANY alcohol.