Alcohol
Fact Sheet
This is a fact sheet on alcohol, alcohol dependence and the effects
it has on an individual.
Renee Krause
3/29/2011
Alcohol Fact Sheet
What is Alcohol?
Alcohol is a depressant. According to The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (A Sutter
Health Affiliate) Alcohol is created by the fermentation, or a process in which the yeast
fungus feeds on the sugars and/or starches in certain plants, such a barley or grapes, and
excretes alcohol along with carbon dioxide. It does not matter if you buy the most
expensive beer and/or wine or the cheapest; it is all made with the same fermentation
process. The difference comes from the different fruits, additive, by-products and
diluting substances.1
What is the “Standard Measure of Alcohol?”
According to alcohol.org, the Standard Measure of Alcohol is a simple way to work out
how much alcohol you are drinking. It measures the amount of pure alcohol in a drink.
One standard drink equals 10 grams of pure alcohol. If you drink a 330ml can of beer or a
100ml glass of table wine or a 30ml of straight spirits you are drinking approximately 10
grams of alcohol, depending on the alcohol percentage. All alcohol containers now have
a Standard Drinks content on the label.2
What are the signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alcohol Dependence, or Alcoholism, is a chronic disease
in which your body becomes dependent on alcohol. You lose control over your drinking;
you are not able to control how much, how often or for how long you drink.
The symptoms are:
Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
Feeling a strong need or compulsion to drink
Developing tolerance to alcohol so that you need an increasing amounts to feel its
effects
Having legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or finances
due to drinking
Drinking alone or in secret
1
http://www.pamf.org/teen/risk/alcohol/whatis.html
2
http://www.alcohol.org.nz/AlcoholIntroduction.aspx
Experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea, sweating and
shaking — when you don't drink
Not remembering conversations or commitments, sometimes referred to as
"blacking out"
Making a ritual of having drinks at certain times and becoming annoyed when this
ritual is disturbed or questioned
Losing interest in activities and hobbies that used to bring you pleasure
Irritability when your usual drinking time nears, especially if alcohol isn't
available
Keeping alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in your car
Gulping drinks, ordering doubles, becoming intoxicated intentionally to feel good
or drinking to feel "normal3
What are the physiological effects from the abuse of alcohol?
According to Health Guidance, the immediate physical effects of alcohol abuse can be
experienced as soon as ten minutes after drinking begins and can worsen and become
more serious.
Here are five immediate physical effects:
Inhibitions Become Reduced - at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05, changes
in a person's behavior begins to be noticable. Alcohol abuse effects and reduced
inhibitions can put a person at higher risk for actions they would otherwise not
participate in, such as sexual activity, continued drinking or illegal drug use.
Loss of Muscle Control - at the level of 0.10, slurred speech will likely be evident.
Impaired judgement and poor coordination are physical effects of alcohol abuse
that can lead to falls and accidents.
Memory Loss and/or Blackouts - since alcohol depresses the brain's control
mechanisms, as blood alcohol levels increase, periods of time and certain
situations and events may not be remembered afterward.
Stupor - at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.40, a person can hardly function,
acting seriously dazed and confused.
Coma - at a blood alcohol level of 0.50, a person is at risk for coma, which can be
life-threatening. And at this level or higher, respiratory paralysis and death
become very much a possibility. 4
3
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340/DSECTION=symptoms
4
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/2845/1/Alcohol-Abuse-Effects---5-Physical-Effects-Of-Alcohol-Abuse.html
What are the short-term health risks?
The effects of alcohol depend on a variety of factors, including a person’s size, weight,
age, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed.
The short-term effects include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Headaches
Fatigue
Dizziness
Talkativeness,
Slurred speech,
Disturbed Sleep
Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required
to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of
a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are
another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists
of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.5
What are the long-term health risks?
Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, can lead to permanent
damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver. The liver does most of the work
of breaking down alcohol; alcohol destroys liver cells, and it destroys the ability of liver
cells to regenerate. This condition leads to progressive inflammatory injury to the liver
and eventually can result in cirrhosis of the liver.
Other possible long term effects include:
High blood pressure
Heart muscle damage
Nerve damage
Pancreatitis
Bleeding in the esophagus
Erectile dysfunction in men,
Insomnia
Depression
Increased cancer risks.6
5
http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/alcohol
6
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/2845/1/Alcohol-Abuse-Effects---5-Physical-Effects-Of-Alcohol-Abuse.html
What are the withdrawal effects from alcohol?
Alcohol withdrawal effects are a group of symptoms that may occur from suddenly
stopping using alcohol after prolonged use. It is important to know that not everyone who
stops drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms, but most people who have been
heavily drinking for a long period of time will experience some form of withdrawal
symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.
Some of the effects include(from mild to severe):
Feelings of jumpiness, nervousness or shakiness
Anxiety
Irritability or easily excited
Rapid emotional changes
Depression
Fatigue
Difficulty with thinking clearly
Bad dreams
Headache - general, pulsating
Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face
Nausea and Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Insomnia, sleeping difficulty
Paleness
Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
Eyes, pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
Skin, clammy
Abnormal movements
Tremor of the hands
Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids
A state of confusion and hallucinations (visual) -- known as delirium
tremens
Agitation
Fever
Convulsions
Black outs7
7
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/withdraw/a/aa030307a.htm
What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its effects?
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Mothers
who drink during pregnancy put their child at risk of FAS. The effects of FAS are
irreversible. The effects are not a single effect, but rather a cluster of related problems.
Some of those effects are serious physical, mental and behavioral problems, all of which
vary from one child to another. Although FAS is a common cause of mental retardation,
it is preventable.
Some common signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include:
Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin
upper lip, a short, upturned nose and a smooth skin surface between
the nose and upper lip
Heart defects
Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers
Slow physical growth before and after birth
Vision difficulties or hearing problems
Small head circumference and brain size (microcephaly)
Poor coordination
Sleep problems
Mental retardation and delayed development
Learning disorders
Abnormal behavior, such as a short attention span, hyperactivity, poor
impulse control, extreme nervousness and anxiety8
The social impact of alcohol consumption in Wisconsin
In 1988, according to the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System,
“Wisconsin is among the leading states nationally in estimates of alcohol-related risk
factors: in 1988, 25.3% of the adult population reported binge drinking (consuming five
or more drinks on one occasion during the last month), 8.6% reported heavier drinking
(consuming greater than or equal to 60 drinks per month), and 6.2% reported drinking
and driving (driving after having "too much to drink" at least once in the last month).”9
8
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fetal-alcohol-syndrome/DS00184/DSECTION=symptoms
9
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001577.htm
In 1984, Alcohol sales data indicated that Wisconsin ranked sixth among all states in per
capita sales of ethanol (3.2 gallons of ethanol sold per Wisconsin resident aged greater
than or equal to 14 years).
In 2008, at least 1,624 people died, 4,319 were injured, and 94,000 were arrested as a
direct result of alcohol use and misuse in Wisconsin. Rates of alcohol dependence and
alcohol abuse continue to be higher in Wisconsin than in the United States. Rates of
alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities have also been higher in Wisconsin than the
nation for many years.
Wisconsin has one-and-a-half times the national rate of arrests for operating a motor
vehicle while intoxicated and more than three times the national rate of arrests for other
liquor law violations. Wisconsin has generally experienced a lower rate of alcohol-related
liver cirrhosis than the national average, although in recent years rates have been
similar.10
In 2009, Wisconsin high school students reported the 11th highest rate of current alcohol
use (41%) among all reporting states. This was an improvement over 2007, when
Wisconsin ranked the highest in the U.S. for this measure (49%). Wisconsin high school
students had the eighth highest rate of binge drinking in 2008 (25%), also an
improvement from 2007, when they ranked third (32%).11
10
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/stats/pdf/consalcohol.pdf
11
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/stats/pdf/alcoholconsumption.pdf