|
|
| There are many little
known facts and many known myths about alcohol and its consumption. |
| Some of the myths
include: |
 Myth:
"The worst thing that can happen is that I?ll pass out and have a
hangover tomorrow." |
| *The fact
is that death can and does occur from drinking too much alcohol. This
is known as alcohol poisoning or acute alcohol intoxication and occurs
when the level of alcohol in the body acts as a poison, causing death
from the drug overdose. Another way that alcohol can cause death is
due to alcohol related accidents, such as drunk driving, falls. and
suicide. |
| Myth:
"People pass out from drinking all the time. It?s nothing to worry
about." |
| *The fact is that
you pass out due to the body?s inability to tolerate the amount of
alcohol that you have put into it. Alcohol is a central nervous system
depressant that works to slow down the heart rate, lower your blood
pressure, and slow your breathing rate. Once your brain has been depressed
enough by the alcohol, you pass out. The amount of alcohol it takes
to make you pass out is dangerously close to the amount of alcohol
it takes to make you dead!
|
| Myth:
"The best thing to do for someone who is drunk is to put them to bed
and let them sleep it off." |
| *Although this is
partly true, the fact is that a drunk person is helpless and must
be cared for.
DO NOT LEAVE A DRUNK (INTOXICATED) PERSON ALONE!!!!! Stay
with the person, check their breathing, check their skin temperature,
and frequently try to wake them. |
| Myth:
"If my friend passed out, I wouldn?t call for help. I couldn?t live
with myself if I got them in trouble". |
| *The fact
is that if you don?t call for help, your friend may not live to be
mad at you. When someone passes out from drinking too much, they are
unconscious and have consumed too much alcohol. This person is suffering
from alcohol poisoning and needs medical attention. |
| The following is a
generalized alcohol affect chart based on a 150 pound person, metabolizing
0.5 ounces of alcohol per hour, that has eaten. Please note that 50%
of the persons who attain a blood alcohol level of 0.4 will die! |
| Blood
Alcohol Level |
Affect
On Body |
| 0.02 |
Slight
mood changes |
| 0.06 |
Lowered
inhibition, impaired judgement, decreased rational decision-making
abilities. |
| 0.08 |
Legally
drunk, deterioration of reaction time and control. |
| 0.15 |
Impaired
balance, movement, and coordination. Difficulty standing, walking,
talking. |
| 0.20 |
Decreased
pain and sensation. Erratic emotions. |
| 0.30 |
Diminished
reflexes. Semi-consciousness. |
| 0.40 |
Loss of
consciousness. Very limited reflexes. Anesthetic effects. |
| 0.50 |
Death.
|
|
