Alcohol

What Alcohol Does to the Body

Alcohol is a depressant. This means that it depresses, or slows down your nervous system. It triggers a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes in users, determined by doses and reflected in the blood alcohol levels of the drinker. Alcohol is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and goes to every organ, including the brain.

In the brain, alcohol affects our ability to process information:

• It takes you longer to react to situations.
• You have trouble exercising judgment.
• You are not as well coordinated.

All body systems are affected by alcohol. Side effects include dilation of blood vessels (which causes flushed skin) and increased gastric secretion. At high doses, side effects include mood swings, unrestrained behavior, and inability to control motor functions.

Alcohol goes directly from the stomach into the bloodstream. It is quickly carried to the brain, liver, and throughout the body. The liver helps the body get rid of the alcohol, but if a person drinks more than the liver can handle, alcohol builds up in the body. The more alcohol there is in the body, the more impaired a person becomes.

Other effects include blackouts, sleep problems (including impaired REM sleep) and hangovers. Side effects increase in severity with chronic abuse. Heavy drinkers suffer a variety of alcohol related problems, including damage to the brain, stomach, pancreas, heart and liver.

Alcohol is an unusual depressant. At first, drinking makes you feel good. People who say that they like the buzz from alcohol are probably enjoying these sensations. But, alcohol does not follow the rule the more you drink the better you feel. Instead, after a certain point, more alcohol will not make you feel any better.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

The ratio of alcohol to blood volume (or the amount of alcohol in a person's blood) can be estimated based on a person's gender, weight and the number of drinks consumed over a certain amount of time. Use the charts below to check what your BAC would be after consuming alcohol over any given period of time. Use the information below the charts to check the effects of alcohol on the body at each BAC.

Men's BAC Chart

Women's BAC Chart

Remember: While this chart is a good general guideline, every individual reacts differently to alcohol. The chart doesn't take into account your individual body composition, your use of medicine, your mood changes, or your personal metabolism rate. Just keep in mind that your body processes alcohol at a constant rate of 0.5 oz. Per hour, regardless of how many ounces you consume. Therefore, the faster you drink, the higher your blood alcohol level will be.

Here is a breakdown of how your body reacts to alcohol

BAL .02%-.03%: You feel mildly relaxed and maybe a little lightheaded. Your inhibitions are slightly loosened, and whatever mood you were in before you started drinking may be mildly intensified.

BAL .05%-.06%: You feel warm and relaxed. If you're the shy type when you're sober, you lose your feelings of shyness. Your behavior may become exaggerated, making you talk louder or faster or act bolder than usual. Emotions are intensified, so your good moods are better and your bad moods are worse. You may also feel a mild sense of euphoria.

BAL .08%-.09%: You believe you're functioning better than you actually are. At this level, you may start to slur your speech. Your sense of balance is probably off, and your motor skills are starting to become impaired. Your ability to see and hear clearly is diminished. Your judgment is being affected, so it's difficult for you to decide whether or not to continue drinking. Your ability to evaluate sexual situations is impaired. Students may jokingly refer to this state of mind as beer goggles, but this BAL can have serious repercussions.

BAL .10%-.12%: At this level, you feel euphoric, but you lack coordination and balance. Your motor skills are markedly impaired, as are your judgmentandmemory. You probably don't remember how many drinks you've had. Your emotions are exaggerated, and some people become loud, aggressive, or belligerent. If you're a guy, you may have trouble getting an erection when your BAL is this high.

BAL .14%-.17%: Your euphoric feelings may give way to unpleasant feelings. You have difficulty talking, walking, or even standing.Your judgment and perception are severely impaired. You may become more aggressive, and there is an increased risk of accidentally injuring yourself or others. This is the point when you may experience a blackout.

BAL .20%: You feel confused, dazed, or otherwise disoriented. You need help to stand up or walk. If you hurt yourself at this point, you probably won't realize it because you won't feel pain. If you are aware you've injured yourself, chances are you won't do anything about it. At this point you may experience nausea and/or start vomiting (keep in mind that for some people, a lower blood alcohol level than .20% may cause vomiting). Your gag reflex is impaired, so you could choke if you do throw up. Since blackouts are likely at this level, you may not remember any of this.

BAL .25%: All mental, physical, and sensory functions are severely impaired. You're emotionally numb. There's an increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falling or other accidents.

BAL .30%: You're in a stupor. You have little comprehension of where you are. You may suddenly pass out at this point and be difficult to awaken. (But don't kid yourself: Passing out can also occur at lower BALs. But, at lower blood alcohol levels, you may decide You've had enough to drink and go "pass out." With an alarming BAL like .30%, your body will be deciding to pass out for you.)

BAL .35%: This blood alcohol level also happens to be the level of surgical anesthesia. You may stop breathing at this point.

BAL .40%: You are probably in a coma. The nerve centers controlling your heartbeat and respiration are slowing down, s-l-o-w-i-n-g d-o-w-n, s-l-o-w-i-n-g d-o-w-n. it's a miracle if you're not dead.

Ways to Prevent Negative Consequences

Many people choose to drink in a moderate and responsible way. They know how much they can drink and they never drink more than their limit. They also know not to drink alcohol if planning to drive a motor vehicle.

For many people, making responsible drinking choices is not always easy. Here are some strategies for making decisions about alcohol.

Things to remember before deciding to drink

• Eat before drinking – Do not drink on an empty stomach
• Sip drinks for enjoyment. Avoid gulping them for the effect.
• Pace drinks at the rate of one and not more than two, per hour.
• Take it easy when tired, stressed, or ill.
• Avoid drinking when taking medication(s).
• Feel comfortable saying, No thanks or I'd rather have a soft drink.
• Keep track of the amount being consumed. Since alcohol impedes memory, simply relying on the memory may not work. For example, save the tabs from the beer cans to keep track.
• Be cautious about mixed drinks. It is easy to drink a large quantity in a brief time.
• Space your drinks. If you feel like you need to have a drink in your hand alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic ones.
• There is no such thing as a safe drinking game. The goal of every drinking game is to get drunk quickly. During a drinking game, your blood alcohol rises so rapidly that your body does not have time to react. The body can't eliminate excess alcohol from your system efficiently and high levels of alcohol build up in your blood, sometimes resulting in acute alcohol poisoning.
• It is unsafe to continue drinking after throwing up

The Fattening Power of Alcohol

As for the calories of alcohol, this energy source should probably be counted as fat in the diet because metabolic interactions occur between fat and alcohol in the body. When the body has both fat and alcohol to burn, it gets ride of the toxic alcohol while burning it off as fuel. This causes the fat to stay in storage. Alcohol promotes fat storage in the abdominal area causing the "beer belly" effect, along with being stored in the thighs and legs. There are 7 calories per gram of alcohol, one ounce of alcohol represents about half an ounce of fat.

Calories in Alcoholic Beverages and Mixers per 12 oz.

• Regular Beer: 150
• Light Beer: 100
• Bahama Mama: 237
• Long Island Iced Tea: 381
• Frozen Margarita: 468
• Tequila Sunrise: 594
• Mudslide: 804
• Blue Hawaiian: 837

A serving of alcohol delivers ½ ounce of pure ethanol. Each of the following is considered a drink:

• 3-4 ounces of wine
• 10 ounce wine cooler
• 1 ½ ounce hard liquor (80 proof)

Emergency Situations

Since not everyone knows when they've had enough, chances are that sometime during your college career, you'll encounter a person whose drinking on a given night has gotten dangerously out of control. Even if, in some cases, you worry that the person may get in trouble, how can the person be angry with you for trying to save his or her life. If you notice someone exhibiting any of the following symptoms, you must intervene. Here's how:

Here's what to do when the person:

• Is having difficulty breathing:If the person is not breathing normally or if he or she stops breathing, head to the emergency room immediately.
• Is vomiting: Try to keep the person sitting up. If they insist on lying down make sure they do so in a fetal position. Keep an eye on them to guard against choking.
• Has passed out: Try to wake the person up. If you can't, put the person in a fetal position and call 911 or your college emergency service.
• Is injured: Take the person to the emergency room. He or she may not feel pain and tell you they do not require medical assistance. Do not believe it; insist that he or she see a doctor.
• Has a fever or the chills,or skin that is cold, pale, bluish in color or sweaty: Call a doctor, describe these symptoms, and get advice on what to do.
• Is exhibiting threatening behavior that may endanger others: Notify the party's host or a bouncer at the bar. Call the police if the behavior is especially volatile.
• Seems to be paranoid,confused, or disoriented, or has difficulty standing or speaking. Take the person home and make sure he or she does not drink any more alcohol. Try to keep the person awake and calm. If symptoms persist, call a doctor.