Tobacco & Alcohol

1. Tobacco & Alcohol Chapter 14

2. Tobacco & Alcohol as Drugs • Using cigarettes and wine can make people feel energetic, relaxed ,or out of control. • Any kind of alcohol or tobacco can cause these short term effects in the mind and body, • Tobacco and alcohol also cause a variety of long-term health effects. • Because they affect the mind and the body, tobacco products and alcohol are drugs.

3. Affecting the Mind & Body • Tobacco- is a plant with leaves that can be dried and mixed with chemicals to make products such as cigarettes, smokeless tobacco(dip), and cigars. • Sometimes tobacco can make your mind seem to work faster. Other times it can make it feel more relaxed.

4. Affecting the Mind & Body • Alcohol-is a liquid that can affect the way people think and act when they drink it. Alcohol causes body function to slow down. • It lowers the heart rate & breathing rate. It also makes the mind slow down causing you to take longer to think and react.

5. Tobacco & Alcohol Are Unpredictable • Predicting how people will react to a drug is difficult. People do not react to drugs in the same way. • Alcohol Effects: • Dependent on body weight • How much food is in the stomach • How much you have used it in the past (tobacco also) • Mixing Drugs (ex. Painkillers and alcohol) Mixing drugs with alcohol can cause body functions to slow down to the point of death. Tobacco and Alcohol can cause UNPREDICTABLE changes in the body.

6. Chemicals in Tobacco Products • Tobacco products are made with hundreds of chemicals. Most of the chemicals are dangerous to the human body. • Nicotine- an addictive drug found in all tobacco products. The addictive properties of nicotine leave people wanting more tobacco. • When tobacco products are burned, they form even more chemicals. • Carbon Monoxide: a dangerous gas that is absorbed into the lungs and can keep them from taking in enough oxygen. • Tar: is a black sticky substance that coats the lungs. This coating can lead to serious diseases and keeps the body from being able to filter out harmful particles in the air.

7. Early Effects of Cigarettes • Even the first cigarette is harmful. Just one puff leaves chemicals in the mouth, throat, and lungs. Every time a smoker has a cigarette, more chemicals build up in the body. • Smoking can Cause: • Bad Breath • Dulled Taste Buds • Smelly Hair & Clothes • Yellow Teeth • Skin to Wrinkle • Lack of Exercise-due to shortness of breath

8. Environmental Tobacco Smoke • Environmental Tobacco Smoke-ETS • A mixture of exhaled smoke and the smoke from the end of a lit cigarette. • Commonly called second-hand smoke • ETS can increase allergies or asthma in people. • ETS can also cause a build-up in non-smokers lungs • This can eventually lead to the same health problems that a smoker has.

9. Smokeless Tobacco • Smokeless Tobacco comes in 2 forms. • Snuff: powdered tobacco that can be sniffed into the nose or put inside the mouth under the lips. • Chewing Tobacco: (spit tobacco or chew) made from chopped tobacco leaves that are chewed or tucked under the lips. • Snuff & Chew both form a brown slime when mixed with saliva in the mouth. You must spit to get rid of this. • Smokeless Tobacco causes: • Yellow teeth • Cuts & Sores in the Mouth • Tooth Decay

10. Tobacco-Related Disease & Death • The longer a person uses tobacco, the higher his or her risk of getting serious diseases. • Emphysema – a disease in which the lungs get so damaged they cannot absorb enough oxygen. • People usually need a machine to help them breathe and eventually causes death. • Cancer – a disease in which groups of cells grow uncontrolably and destroy healthy body tissue. • Lung, throat and stomach cancer can occur. Can harm a persons ability to speak or eat and lead to death.

11. Early Effects of Alcohol • Alcohol enters the blood through the stomach and carries it through the body. • When it hits the brain, thoughts and actions become less controlled. • Small amounts may make one feel light-headed and warm. • More alcohol may make one feel dizzy or tired. • Alcohol is like poison. It may make someone vomit, pass out, or die. • This is due to the overwhelming effects it has on the body and how much the body function slows sown.

12. Blood Alcohol Concentration • Intoxication- is the state of being affected by alcohol. • You can measure a person’s level of intoxication. • Blood Alcohol concentration (BAC) –is the percentage of alcohol in a persons blood. • How many beverages you consume and a persons body weight affects BAC.

13. Long-Term Effects of Alcohol • Cirrhossis– a disease that causes the liver to stop working properly. • The body breaks down alcohol in the liver and over time this will cause damage to the liver. • Ulcers – Open sores in the stomach lining. • Can cause some parts of the brain to stop functioning, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. • Drinking alcohol as a teen is very dangerous due to the brain development and higher chance that this person would become addicted to alcohol.

14. Alcohol and Pregnancy • Pregnant women who drink may cause her child to be born with health problems. • When the mother drinks alcohol, the alcohol also reaches the unborn baby. • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) – a group of birth defects that can occur when an unborn baby is exposed to alcohol. • Babies may be born with a low birth weight, abnormal physical features, behavioral problems, and mental disabilities.

15. Drunk Driving • Driving or operating any kind of vehicle while even slightly intoxicated is very dangerous. • It risks the lives of the driver and anyone near the automobile. • Driving requires quick reactions. Alcohol slows down the ability to react and make responsible decisions. • This is why drunk drivers cause so many accidents. • Never get into a car driven by someone who has been drinking.

16. Addiction • Drug Addiction – not being able to control the use of a drug. • Addiction will happen without anyone even realizing it. • Tolerance – the body’s ability to resist the effects of a drug. • Person needs more of the drug each time to feel the drug effects.

17. Alcoholism • Alcoholism – a disease caused by physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. • They will have difficulty carrying out their duties, do not make good decisions, have strange reactions to normal events, job performance may suffer and may neglect family and friends. • Support programs can help both people who have alcoholism and their families. • Alcoholics Anonymous – a group that helps alcoholics recover. • Al-Anon – offers families a place to talk about living with a person who has alcoholism. • Alateen– offers support specifically for teens.

18. Recovering from Addiction • Once a person is addicted, it is extremely difficult to stop using a drug. • Quitting addiction to alcohol can be dangerous. • The body becomes so dependant on alcohol that it physically needs it to function. • Suddenly stopping the supply of alcohol can be fatal. • Alcoholics can recover if they take action and refuse to give up. • They will need the help from medical personnel, family and friends.

19. Feeling Pressure • Pressure to try tobacco, alcohol and other drugs comes from many places. • Identifying the pressures to try drugs is the first step to resisting drugs. • Pressure from others: • 1. Those who do the drugs are a major source of pressure. • 2. Peer Pressure – influence from a friend or a group of friends. Can be good and bad…. • 3. Family Members and celebrities who use drugs can also place pressure on teens. Parents, famous athletes, and movie stars can make drugs seem safe. We barely see the negative effects from them. • 4. Advertisements such as magazines, tv, billboards, etc. make tobacco and alcohol users look glamorous or cool. They give a false idea of the experience of doing drugs.

20. Rough Times • Why people abuse drugs. • Some abuse tobacco or alcohol as an escape from thinking about problems. • Some abuse who are sad or stressed out sometimes take advantage of how drugs affect the mind. • Some abuse because people thing drugs will help them forget about their problems. • Drugs never solve problems, they usually make them worse. Talking to friends, parents, teachers, trusted adults, counselors, and doctors can help solve these problems

21. Refusing Tobacco and Alcohol • Ways to Refuse • Easiest to say “No, thanks.” • Give a reason if it makes you feel more comfortable. • “No, I have practice tomorrow and I want to be in really good shape.” or “No way….its illegal!” • If pressure continues, be more clear, firm and simply leave. • Walk away to avoid danger. • If uncomfortable, you could try to change the subject, suggest a fun activity instead NEVER MAKE EXCUSES for refusing to do drugs. QUESTION your relationship with that person. A true friend will always respect your decision to refuse.

22. Build an Active Social Life • Some feel they need drugs to be social. • Drugs actually make it harder to be social when they cause confusion and tiredness. • Continue to find ways to have fun with your friends that are safe. • Have an interest in a hobby or activity • Join a group that shares your interest. • Join a sports team, music group, a club, theater group, volunteer program. When you join groups, you will become more social.