Underage Drinking and Its EffectsMaking The Right Choice

How Alcohol Is Absorbed Through The Body?Once an alcoholic beverage is consumed, 20% of alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, the remaining 80% is absorbed by the small intestine. Alcohol enters the bloodstream trough the walls of the small intestine. Alcohol is then carried throughout the body to different body tissues.

How Alcohol Is Absorbed Through The Body?Enzymes in the liver metabolize alcohol. The liver can process one ounce of liquor (or one standard drink) within an hour.

This is also dependent on factors such as the persons weight and gender. Otherwise, the blood becomes saturated, and alcohol is accumulated in the blood and tissues until it can be metabolized.

How alcohol affects your body?Source: http://www.newbehaviorinstitute.net/image/30391931.jpg

StomachWhile in the stomach, alcohol acts as an irritant increasing digestive juices. Chronic irritation can lead to damage of the lining.Drinking alcohol causes stomach irritation that may lead to gastritis, ulcers and severe bleeding.

StomachLeft untreated, peptic ulcers can cause internal bleeding and can eat a hole through the wall of your stomach or small intestine, putting you at risk of serious infection of your abdominal cavity (peritonitis). Peptic ulcers can also produce scar tissue that can obstruct passage of food through the digestive tract, causing you to become full easily, to vomit, and to lose weight.- MayoClinic.com

HeartDrinking alcohol causes a slight increase in blood pressure.

Increases in blood pressure makes the heart work harder than it needs to and can be a risk factor for coronary disease, stroke, and heart attacks.

Alcohol increases the risk for alcoholic cardiomyopathy, enlarged weakened heart.

HeartNormal Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy - Weaken by excessive alcohol intake

Source : http://www.womensheart.org/content/HeartDisease/alcohol_and_heart_disease.asp

BrainThe brain is the command center of the body. It takes about 30 seconds for the first amount of alcohol to reach the brain after digestion.

Alcohol acts on nerve cells deep in the brain.Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections, University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.brainmuseum.org/ Funded by NSF

BrainThe most highly developed part of the brain is the cerebral cortex.

- Takes up 2/3 of the brain - Responsible for thinking, reasoning, perceiving, producing and understanding language.- Divided into specific areas involved in vision, hearing, touch movement and smell.

BrainNerve cells in the brain communicate through electrical impulses that are enabled by neurotransmitters.Alcohol acts as a depressant to the central nervous system and inhibits neurotransmitters. Judgment and coordination , two process of the central nervous system, become impaired.

BrainDrinking inhibits firing of nerve cells that control breathing, referred to as respiratory depression.

Excessive drinking may cause vomiting. A person could inhale the vomited fluids, resulting in asphyxiation.

How alcohol can affect the young brain.Brain goes through dynamic changes during adolescence, alcohol can damage long and short term growth process. Brain damage from alcohol during this time can be terminal and irreversible.

Short term or moderate drinking impairs learning and memory more in youth than in adults.

BrainThe brain images above show how alcohol may harm teen mental function. Compared with a young non-drinker, a 15-year-old with an alcohol problem showed poor brain activity during a memory task. This finding is noted by the lack of pink and red coloring. Image from Susan Tapert, PhD, University of California, San Diego. http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_youngBrainsOnAlcohol

LiverExcessive drinking can lead to liver damage.Including:- Fatty Liver- Hepatitis- Alcohol Cirrhosis

Fatty Liver is the earliest stages of alcoholic liver disease. The liver becomes swollen with fat globules and water. If drinking is stopped at early stage, the liver can heal itself.

LiverHepatitis is inflammation and soreness of the liver. In advance state, it becomes difficult for the liver to breakdown waste products in blood, leading to jaundice, condition where skin turns yellow-orange.

Alcohol Cirrhosis causes cells of liver to be damaged beyond repair. Dead cells caused by cirrhosis cause scar tissue, which in itself can lead to further complications. Scar tissue build up prevents blood flow in the liver. Progressed scarring can not be cured.

Liver DamageA. Normal Liver B. Fatty LiverC. Cirrhosis

Its the Law!Minors who purchase, attempt to purchase, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages, as well as minors who are intoxicated in public or misrepresent their age to obtain alcoholic beverages, face the following consequences: (1) Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500 (2) Alcohol awareness class (3) 8 to 40 hours community service (4) 30 to 180 days loss or denial of driver's license

Its the Law!

Adults and minors who give alcohol to a minor also face a stiff penalty.

The punishment for making alcoholic beverages available to a minor is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $4,000, confinement in jail for up to a year, or both. Additionally, the violator will have his or her driver's license automatically suspended for 180 days upon conviction.

Its the Law!Also as of September 1, 2005, persons 21 or older (other than the parent or guardian) can be held liable for damages caused by intoxication of a minor under 18 if the adult knowingly provided alcoholic beverages to a minor or knowingly allowed the minor to be served or provided alcoholic beverages on the premises owned or leased by the adult.

Sale to a minor is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $4,000, confinement up to a year in jail, or both.

GO TO JAIL with NO DRIVERS LICENSE

DEATHDrunk Driving is the #1 Cause of Death in Teenagers!

Citeshttp://www.centurycouncil.org/research/how-alcohol-affects-your-body

http://www.alcoholpolicymd.com/pdf/brain3.pdf

http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/atod/alc_aayb.htm

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/CollegeStudents/anatomy/InteractiveBody_flash.aspx

http://ezinehealth.com/articles/10/1/Cirrhosis-of-the-liver/Page1.html

Underage Drinking and The Lawhttp://www.tabc.state.tx.us/leginfo/underagelaws.htm

Free Posterhttp://www.tabc.state.tx.us/leginfo/tsnPoster.pdf

*Side Note:Metabolism is the bodys process of converting ingested substances to other compounds.*The cerebral cortex is divided into four areas: the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and occipital lobe. They all work together, but each of them also does special things.