Alcohol:
What You Don't Know Can Harm You

• Introduction
• What Is a Drink?
• Drinking and Driving
• Interactions With Medications
• Interpersonal Problems
• Alcohol-Related Birth Defects
• Long-Term Health Problems
• Research Directions
• Resources

Drinking and Driving

It may surprise you to learn that you don't need to drink much alcohol before your ability to drive becomes impaired. For example, certain driving skills--such as steering a car while, at the same time, responding to changes in traffic--can be impaired by blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) as low as 0.02 percent. (The BAC refers to the amount of alcohol in the blood.) A 160-pound man will have a BAC of about 0.04 percent 1 hour after consuming two 12-ounce beers or two other standard drinks on an empty stomach (see the box, "What Is a Drink?"). And the more alcohol you consume, the more impaired your driving skills will be. Although most States set the BAC limit for adults who drive after drinking at 0.08 to 0.10 percent, impairment of driving skills begins at much lower levels.

• If you spend $20 a week on alcohol, you spend $1,040 in a year!
• 12 beers a week at 12 oz. each = 144 oz.
• 144 / by 16 oz. = 9 pounds
• 9 pounds times 50 weeks = 450 pounds
  If you weigh 150 pounds, you are drinking 3 times your body weight in beer a year.
  
  If you drink 12 beers a week, you drink 1 gallon and a pint. This amounts to 56 gallons of beer per year.
  
  Do you drink 56 gallons of milk or juice?
  
  
• 12 beers per week * 50 weeks equals 600 beers per year.
• That would be 25 cases.
  Where would you store a year’s worth of beer?

• 2,000 calories recommended per day
• 100 calories per a beer
• 10 beers per a week * 100 calories = 1,000 calories
• 50 weeks * 1,000 calories = 50,000 calories per year
• 50,000 calories of beer = 25 days of empty calories

If you drink 12 beers a week, you drink 9 pounds a week.

• 9 lbs. * 50 weeks = 450 lbs. a year

If you urinate 6 oz. in a minute, it would take 9 minutes to pass a week's worth of beer.

• 450 lbs. / by 60 minutes = 7.5 hours of urinating and don’t forget to add in zipper time

Myth: "Drinking coffee, getting some fresh air, or taking a cold shower will sober you up."

Fact: The only way to get sober is to wait for the body to metabolize (eliminate) the alcohol – it takes several hours. The body metabolizes about one drink each hour. Coffee or a shower may make you feel more awake, but you will still be impaired.

Myth: "I only drink beer. Beer won't affect my driving."

Fact: Beer will fill you up more than wine or hard liquor, but a glass of beer has the same alcohol content as a glass of wine or a mixed drink.

Myth: "Alcohol helps me socialize better."

Fact: The effect of alcohol may cause a person's attention to be less focused, allowing them to feel more comfortable around other people. However, this effect is very brief and does not last as one continues to consume more alcohol. The social effects that then result vary from person to person, but include being obnoxious, aggressive, withdrawn, and impulsive.

Myth: "Alcohol makes me perform better."

Fact: Heavy drinking has a negative effect on judgement, coordination and reaction time. Due to alcohol's relaxing effects, drinking alcohol can lead to a false sense of confidence that can have deadly consequences if unchecked.

Marijuana (also Hash)

Short-term effects:

• Sleepiness
• Difficult keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory
• Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car
• Increased heart rate
• Potential cardiac dangers for those with pre-existing heart disease
• Bloodshot eyes
• Dry mouth and throat
• Decreased social inhibitions
• Paranoia, hallucinations

Long-term effects:

• Enhanced cancer risk
• Decrease in testosterone levels for men; also lower sperm counts and difficulty having children
• Increase in testosterone levels for women; also increased risk of infertility
• Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure
• Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect