Human HealthAlcohol and Reaction Time

AlcoholLearning Intentions:What are the short term effects of alcohol?What are the long term effects of alcohol?Name a low and high tech method of measuring alcohol content of the body.What effect does alcohol have on your reaction time?What effect does alcohol have on an unborn child?

Alcohol – General facts Alcohol is a drug Alcohol enters the blood stream and

alters how your body works Alcohol has a direct influence on the

function of your brain and how it responds to different stimuli

Alcohol has varying effects depending on how much you consume

Alcohol - General facts cont’d

Alcohol usually makes you feel- relaxed- uninhibited (you are more likely to do something you would never

normally do when under the influence of alcohol)

Alcohol Alcohol is broken down by

- the liver Alcohol is broken down at the rate of

- 1 unit per hour after alcohol consumption has stopped

Acceptable units of alcohol per week- Female 14units- Male 21 units(these figures have been altered since this course was written)

How to work out the units of alcohol

Work out your alcohol units for yourself with this handy sum:

No. of = Strength (%) x volume (ml) units 1000

E.g. Pint of Stella 5.2 (%) x 568 (ml) ÷ 1000 = 2.95 units

Measuring alcohol level of body Low tech method breathalyser

High tech method Digital alcometer

Short term effects of alcohol Longer/slower reaction

time- you will take longer to brake in a car therefore are more likely to have an

accident

Scottish Drink Driving ad - YouTube

Short term effects of alcohol

Poorer muscle control and co-ordination- more likely to fall and hurt yourself and need medical attention wasting NHS resources

Short term effects of alcohol

Poor judgement- more likely to take something someone says the wrong way and end up in a fight

Long term effects of alcohol

If consumed to excess on a regular basis or as part of binge drinking at the weekend alcohol will eventually cause permanent damage to the:- brain- liver

Stacy died aged 24 from alcoholic liver disease

Teen drinkers and the liver YouTube - Binge drinking dangers -

Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Alcohol tests the morning

after - Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Liver testing teens 1 -

Embarrassing Teen Bodies YouTube - Liver testing teens 2 -

Embarrassing Teen Bodies

Reaction timeReaction time is time taken to respond to a stimulus. Measured using:Calibrated ruler (low tech)Electronic timer (high tech)Affected by:Drugs Excitementalcohol

Used as an indicator of health. Slower reaction times caused by:

Diabetes Nerve disorder Brain disorder Arterial disease

Alcohol and reaction time Under the influence of alcohol you

have slower reaction times

You break down alcohol at 1 unit per hour after you stop drinking

Think about the scenario on the next slide

Scenario You binged on alcohol at the weekend

and consumed 12 units before you stopped drinking at 2am.

Would you be safe (i.e. have your

reaction times recovered enough) to drive to work at 8am the same morning?

1 in 4 accidents are caused by drink driving

Alcohol and pregnancy

If a mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy the baby also consumes the alcohol – it passes across the placenta from mothers blood to baby’s blood

Alcoholic expectant mothers can have a baby who has foetal alcohol syndrome – low birth weight, developmental problems and low IQ

Quiz What are the short term effects of

alcohol? What are the long term effects of

alcohol? Name a low and high tech method of

measuring alcohol content of the body. What effect does alcohol have on your

reaction time? What effect does alcohol have on an

unborn child?