Alcohol

Consequences of Abuse

Warm-UpPlease take an index card from the stool by the entry door. Then, get out sheet of notebook paper and do the following activity:

Write your name in cursive on the notebook paper.

After you have written your name in cursive on the index card, you must:1. If you wrote your name with your right hand, hold your right foot out in

front of you. 2. If your wrote it with your left hand, hold your left foot out in front of you.3. Turn the extended foot in a circular motion, clockwise (the direction a hand

on a clock moves). While you are doing this, write your name in cursive directly under the place you wrote it before. Do NOT stop rotating your foot while you are doing this!

4. NOW STOP the foot moving and write two to three sentences on how you felt or what you experienced while doing the activity.

5. Be ready to share your experience with the class

Let’s discuss the Warm-Up

• How many of you felt confused or uncoordinated?

• Could someone feel this way if they were using alcohol or drugs?

• What impact could this have on your ability to perform tasks in which you need to be able to think clearly?

Index cards: If you chose a colored index card, please

stand.What do you think the colored index card

represents?

It is a health problem.

The percentage of families in the USA that are affected by this problem.

The problem: alcoholism affects 1 in 4 families.

Questions to discuss:

• What is alcohol?

• Is alcohol a drug?

• Is alcohol a stimulant or a depressant?

• How does it affect the body?

• Let’s look at the green student guide (workbook) for Lifeskills 1, page 37

So, let’s review that …

• Small doses of alcohol will…– Slow down the ability to think clearly and

make decisions– Make you feel a little more relaxed– Make you feel more loose and daring than

you usually do

And …

• Larger doses of alcohol will….– Slow down other areas of the brain and

nervous system– Cause dizziness– Decrease coordination– Cause difficulty in speaking, walking, or

staying awake– Cause emotional behavior

Some people may..• Pass out or temporarily lose their

memory because of the drug’s action on the brain

• Other behavioral effects include:– fighting/arguing/violence– Talking loudly or more than usual– Obnoxious behavior– Silliness/giggling– giddiness

How many adults drink?

Actually only 70% of adults drink alcohol (so how many do not?)

Of those who drink, 10% are heavy drinkers ( 5 or more drinks per occasion for at least 5 days during the past month)

Many adults only drink at certain times. What are some examples?

Why do people drink?

• Abstinence: no drinking due to religion, alcoholism, allergies

• Ritual drinking: for a religious service or family rite as weddings, church/sabbath service

• Social drinking: appropriate to time and place• Compulsive or problem drinking: to cope with problems

or negative feelings - drink too much, too often

There are four basic types of behaviors for drinking:

Let’s watch a short video

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Look at page 38 of the student guide

People do NOT drink? Some Teenagers DO drink?

What are some reasons why…

• Dislike taste• Don’t like getting drunk• It’s fattening• Religious or family

restrictions• Need to stay in shape

for sports• It is illegal under age 21

• Look grown up• Be more popular• Look cool• Feel less nervous

socially• Like the taste• Get high - to have fun• Peer pressure• Boredom

Myths and realities (page 39)

• Social Acceptance of Drinking– You CAN be popular and well-liked without

drinking• You CAN become less popular and well liked also

– Some forms of drinking are NOT socially acceptable and cause negative attitudes to be formed

• Underage drinking, intoxication, getting into trouble, compulsive & excessive drinking

– BOTTOM LINE: Drinking is neither cool nor grown up

Assignment: My reasons for NOT drinking:

• Write the title : ”MY REASONS FOR NOT DRINKING”

• Number 1-10

• Write ten complete sentences to answer the statement.

Now let’s take a survey:1. What percentage of adults in the USA drink alcohol?

2. What percentage are heavy drinkers (five or more drinks per occasion at least 5 days a month?

3. What percentage of high school seniors drink daily?

4. What percentage of high school seniors have been drunk daily?