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By Alex S. and Alex H.
Facts on Alcohol's Effects
http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/
A photo describing alcohol as as the main cause of liver damage. http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=alcohol&sourceid=Mozilla-search#
TEN FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW 1.More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. 2.Every year 74% of male drinkers and 72% of female drinkers surpasses the guidelines for low risk drinking. 3.About 14 million Americans meet the norm for alcohol use disorders. 4.More than 18% of Americans experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some time in their lives. 5.Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among young people. 6.45% of driving fatalities are in alcohol-related crashes. 7.Alcohol kills 6.5 times more adolescents (18 and under) than all other illegal drugs combined. 8.Alcoholics are estimated to have four times as many days in the hospital as nondrinkers 9.Every week, someone dies of alcohol poisoning 10.95% of alcoholics die from the effects of alcoholism and die about 26 years younger than their normal life expectancy.
According to recent studies, alcoholic beverages can be beneficial to one’s health. In fact, low to moderate utilization of alcohol has an advantageous effect on the coronary system. A moderate level of alcohol can be considered one drink for a woman and two drinks for a man. However, once drinkers surpass the moderate level of alcohol consumption, there may be dire consequences on different organs of the human body. In the short-term effect, there are horrid consequences to the consumption of alcohol, even at low doses; alcohol can impair one’s ability to concentrate and one’s ability to operate heavy machinery. In low to moderate doses of alcohol, there can be an increase of chance for a person to perform aggressive acts. The drinker may also experience loss of muscle control and slurred speech. Since alcohol is transferred rapidly to the brain, high levels of alcohol consumption put this population at risk for short-term memory loss and blackouts. Once a drinker consumes gratuitous amounts of alcohol, there is a chance for one to vomit, receive large migraines, and many fall into a stupor (at a .30 blood alcohol ratio). If the blood alcohol level reaches .35, a person can be at great risk for a coma, respiratory paralysis, and even death. Over time, repeated symptoms can lead to a person falling into the destructive cycle of alcoholism. Alcohol is a dangerous drug and could greatly affect your body if consumed irresponsibly. The long-term effects of alcohol underscore a bold statement that this is an unhealthy habit that may, in fact, lead to your demise. Over time, alcohol’s effects target two vital organs, the liver and the brain.
In short-effects, alcohol indubitably affects the brain, in which difficulty walking, slurred speech, and blurred vision obviously highlights evidence of its harmful effects. However, over a long period of time, drinking can lead to memory lapses and blackouts. According to recent studies of the CT Scans of drinkers, the brain has been found to shrink and to even deteriorate. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, a disease caused by thiamine-deficiency where brain function becomes severely impaired, causing many of these neurological symptoms. 80% of all alcoholics have a thiamin deficiency where this syndrome is likely to develop. This drug may also affect the drinker’s demeanor. Alcohol is known to cause many psychological disturbances, such as: depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Alcohol’s effect on the liver is the most widely known to the world’s population. Many people know that “heavy” drinking over time can lead to damaging the liver, the organ used to break down alcohol into harmless byproducts. Over time, excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. These problems may lead to total liver failure, in which many people die from each year. Also, many people are unaware that liver dysfunction can lead to harm the brain as well. Alcohol does not just affect the brain and the liver, but also manipulates some of the body’s vital functions that help the body to work properly. Moderate to high consumptions of alcohol over time will increase your risk of cancer in the liver, pancreas, rectum, breast, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and in the esophagus. Alcohol also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, in which blood pressure increased. These affects of alcohol are greatly dependent on the frequency, the amount, and how quickly one drinks. Many people who drink a low amount of alcohol seldom will have very little effects from alcohol. However, someone who consumes high levels of alcohol very often is targeted for these effects. Although, whether you drink very little amounts of great amounts of alcohol, there will be consequences on the body. That small lack of coordination and slowed reaction of the body may be the difference between life and death. In order to prevent alcohol’s (for the most part) damaging effects, limit your amount of alcohol consumption and remember to drink responsibly.
Audio Reflection
Intro
Works Cited Page
A video describing how much alcohol the average male or female should take in at a time.
The short term effects of alcohol depending on the amount of alcohol consumed.
