ALCOHOL

WHATS IN ALCOHOL

• The main ingredient in alcohol is ethanol.
• Consumable alcohol is made up of fermented grains, fruits, or vegetables.
• Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.

BENEFITS OF ALCOHOL

• In good quantities some alcohol can lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases(heart disease)
• Drinking occasionally can lengthen your life.
• It helps prevent the common cold.
• Drinking an occasional drink can decrease the chances of developing dementia.
• Drinking 2 units of alcohol per day can reduce the risk of gallstones by 33%.

NEGATIVES OF ALCOHOL

• Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems in liver Inflammation.
• Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis.
• Drinking to much can increase your risk of developing certain cancer, including cancer of the mouth, throat, liver, and breasts.
• Drinking to much can lower your immune system, chronic drinkers are more likely to catch viruses.

CONGENERS

• Congeners are natural bi products of the fermentation process unique to different kinds of alcohol
• The more congeners there are in an alcoholic beverage the more likely it has negative health effects
• Beverages such as beers and wines have few congeners (beer and wines have positive health effects)
• Drinks like Rum, vodka, and tequila contain more congeners and are more harmful to the body

ALCOHOLISM IN THE U.S.A

• 17.6 million American adults(8.6%) meet diagnostic criteria for an alcohol use disorder.
• Alcohol abuse can be characterized by recurrent drinking resulting in failure to fulfill major roles in school, work, and home.
• Alcohol is the number one substance abuse issue in America

TEENS ALCOHOL USE

• Today, the average teenage boy takes his first drink at the age of 11, while teenage females take their first drink at the age of 13.
• In past generations, males were more likely to experiment with alcohol than females.
• The typical venue for teens using alcohol is at parties, where teens play games such as beer pong.

ALCOHOL RELATED DEATHS

• There are 2.5 million alcohol related deaths annually world wide
• Alcohol abuse is the worlds third biggest health issue behind unsafe sex and malnourished children.
• 320,000 people between the age 15-29 die every year from alcohol related incidents
• Nearly 4% of all deaths in the world involve alcohol

ALCOHOL LINKED TO CRIME

• One in every three crimes involve alcohol
• 37% of sexual assaults, 15% of robberies, 27% of aggravated assaults, and 25% of domestic crimes are the results of intoxication
• During a violent crime the offender is far more likely to have been using alcohol instead of other popular drugs

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

• Every two minutes someone is injured in a drunk driving incident
• An average of 2 out of 3 people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime
• In 2012 29.1 million people admitted to driving under the influence, that's more than the entire state of Texas
• 28 people die daily of drunk driving In the United States

FAMILY EFFECTS

• Many people deal with their problems by drinking alcohol. But drinking too much can negatively effect a family
• In 17% of divorces one of the spouses has an alcohol abuse issue
• Alcohol is a depressant while intoxicated your actions and decisions are severely impaired

SOURCES

• Ncadd.org
• MADD.org
• Medicaldaily.com