Facts
Facts about Alcohol
- Alcohol is a depressant drug that slows the central nervous system which can cause drowsiness, sleep or pain relief.
- A 355ml beer contains the same amount of alcohol as 150ml glass of wine and 45ml of spirits.
- Men and women metabolize alcohol at different rates. Men average 1-1.25 hours/drink while women metabolize 1.5-2 hours/drink.
- Coffee will not sober you up; only time can make you sober.
- It is illegal for someone under 19 years of age to drink, possess, purchase or otherwise obtain alcohol.
Effects of Alcohol
Brain/Central Nervous System (CNS):
Impaired behaviour, judgment, memory, concentration, coordination and senses; brain damage, brain disorders and addiction.
Lungs:
Respiratory depression leading to coma, cardiac arrest or death.
Heart:
Enlargement of the heart, heart murmurs, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of heart attacks.
Liver:
Alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure.
Stomach:
Ulcers, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bleeding lesions and increased chance of cancer.
Reproductive System:
Impaired sexual functioning, infertility, impotence, and increased chance of delivery of baby with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Blood Alcohol Content
Blood Alcohol Content: 0 to 0.10 (legal limit is 0.08)
Stage: Normal Behaviour to Mild Intoxication
Effects:
- Little or no significant influence
- Anxiety or inhibitions may be reduced
- Euphoria (feeling of well-being)
- Loss of inhibitions
- Increased talkativeness, sociability and liveliness
- Progressive decrease in attention, coordination and judgment
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.10 to 0.20
Stage: Moderate Intoxication
Effects:
- Progressive decrease in memory and comprehension
- Difficulty paying attention and exercising judgment
- Progressive visual impairment
- Face pale or flushed
- Slurred speech
- Emotional instability
- Increased reaction time and slower reflexes
- Poor coordination
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.20 to 0.30
Stage: Severe Intoxication
Effects:
- Spluttering and incoherence
- Confusion and disorientation
- Marked sensory impairment
- Alteration in perception
- Insensitivity to pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Apathy, drowsiness
- Emotional outbursts
- Temporary blindness or blackouts
- Marked decrease in motor coordination
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.30 to 0.50
Stage:Extreme Intoxication (risk of coma or death, medical assistance required)
Effects:
- Significant decrease in response to stimuli
- Daze accompanied by numbness
- Loss of sensitivity and slowed thinking
- Very marked decrease in motor coordination
- Deep sleep
- Excessive perspiration
- Hypothermia (reduced body temperature)
- Loss of bladder control
- Loss of reflexes and bowel control
- Risk of inhaling vomit
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of consciousness
- Respiratory depression (slowed breathing)
- Coma or death due to respiratory arrest
Dangers of Intoxication
- Excessive doses of alcohol can result in respiratory depression and death. It is even more dangerous to combine alcohol with other drugs. A small amount of alcohol can unsafely interact with drugs such as cold medications, antidepressants, or antihistamines and when moderate amounts of alcohol are combined with other depressant drugs such as sleeping pills or tranquilizers, death can occur.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious issue for those who drink and drive and other motorists on the road. In Canada, a blood alcohol content of 0.08% is the measure of legal impairment.
- Drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
- Research shows that there is a strong correlation between violence and alcohol abuse.