Concepts Of Intoxication And Blood Alcohol Concentration

Classifying someone as an alcoholic can be hard because the physiological features of an alcoholic and someone who drinks a lot can be the same. To identify an alcoholic, often it is necessary to judge the negative impact heavy drinking has on the person's quality of life compared with the perceived benefits the alcoholic is receiving. There are always instances where it is difficult to establish whether or not a person is an

Describe an example of each of the components of alcoholism: a preoccupation with drinking, emotional, vocational, social, and family problems, and physical problems.

As a college student, alcohol is a very real and prevalent temptation. It is a normal occurrence for a Friday night to be filled with friends, a bonfire, and alcohol out on the lake. Unfortunately, not many students know the effects of alcohol on their brain. I took a personal interest in this subject because alcoholism runs deep in my family. I want to know what effects my personal consumption of alcohol have on my brain and how they will affect my life if I continue to drink or choose to stop.

** The amount of alcohol in the bloodstream is called the blood alcohol concentration or BAC. BAC is measured in percentages. For examples, a BAC of 0.10 percent means that a person has 1 part alcohol per

Lower Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Limits Miss Pounsberry Vernice P. Briddell-Sewell Delaware Technical & Community College

Also, low doses are known to alter motor coordination and time and space perception, important aspects of car driving (about 50% of all fatal traffic accidents are caused by intoxicated drivers). Some effects are already seen at levels of 0.05%. Pain sensitivity is diminished with moderate doses. In some individuals, alcohol is known to diminish feelings of self-criticism and to inhibit fear and anxiety, effects which are probably related to an alcohol-induced sociability. These effects act, no doubt, as psychological reinforcers for the use of alcoholic beverages.

In order for an individual to be considered a heavy drinker they would have to drunken five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of five or more days in the past thirty days. If an adolescent had access to only a small shot of alcohol then they could not be classified as a heavy drinker because there would not be enough alcohol in their system to get them drunk. In order to be a heavy drinker a person must have a ready access to a larger amount of alcohol. The effects of an individual heavily drinking does not only put them at risk for substance abuse; it can also effect members of the family. The heavy drinking can lead to another person having psychopathological problem. In the next study, scientist wanted to know if psychopathological problems could also be effected by parenting

Many times, people do not realize the amount of alcohol they are consuming. Whether an individual drinks a small glass of wine, a bottle of beer or drinks a shot, each of these constitute as one drink; however, how many drinks can an individual have before becoming impaired?

BAC tests measure the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. The result of a blood alcohol concentration test is one of the strongest pieces of evidence in court. To pass the test, drivers must be below a certain threshold. In Georgia, drivers measuring a blood alcohol content over 0.08% are considered to be driving under the influence. This is for drivers over the age of 21. Drivers under the age of 21 are considered to be under the influence if their blood alcohol content is 0.02% or higher.

An individual's response to alcohol differs commonly. Some elements that impact alcohol disability consist of gender, body weight, time of last dish, time of day, alcohol tolerance, medications, genetics, rate of alcohol usage, and much more.

Binge drinking may seem like fun and games until one’s blood alcohol content rises. Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the measure of one’s intoxication. When his or hers BAC rises to 0.03% it causes relaxation and a mood change which can cause them to want to drink even more. When one’s BAC rises to 0.09% things get difficult like: delayed reaction time, decreased muscle control, and slurred speech. 0.09% is past the legal driving limit in multiple states, but yet people continue to drive and put themselves and others in danger. At 0.15% blurred vision occurs, unsteadiness, and impaired coordination make for someone who cannot take care of themselves. When the BAC rises to .50% it can cause coma and risk of death. Most people do not realize what

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the primary assessment tool in determining how under the influence and defined as the amount of alcohol per volume of blood for example, 0.01 BAC equates to 0.01gram of alcohol per 100mls of blood. Objective studies of the dose-response relationship between BAC with clinical symptoms of impairment have helped advance drink driving policies (Babor, 2003). However, the effects of alcohol on individuals are not uniform for all. The symptoms of a chronic alcohol drinker compared to the clinical signs of an acute alcohol drinker will vary significantly, even with the same BAC (Dubowski, 1980).

The effects associated with alcohol are produced by the ethanol in the alcohol. The severity of these effects is reflected by the concentration of alcohol in an individual’s blood, which is dictated by the amount of alcohol ingested, the volume of blood, the individual’s metabolism, and amount of time since ingestion. In large doses, alcohol acts as a depressant of the central nervous-system. A blood alcohol level of 0.1% affects some of the motor areas of the brain associated with speech, balance and manual dexterity. A blood alcohol level of 0.2% depresses all motor functions and the area concerned with emotions is depressed. At a blood alcohol level of 0.45% the entire section of the brain that handles perception is depressed and the individual becomes comatose. At a blood alcohol level of 0.7% the parts of the brain that control the heartbeat and breathing are depressed and the individual

Some may have more food in their stomach than others.(Langone, Book 45) Food becomes a big factor when you are drinking. (Langone, Book, 45) If you have a lot of food in your stomach to absorb the alcohol, instead of it being absorbed into your blood stream, then you won't be intoxicated as fast. (Langone, Book, 45) Weight can also determine your tolerance and speed of intoxication(Langone, Book 45) Since our bodies are 70% water, alcohol is diluted some. A small person has less water for the alcohol to dilute in than someone who is bigger. (Langone, Book 45) A single drink may even be all it takes to impair judgment. (www.alcolimit.com November 27) Some people believe that by becoming a "seasoned" drinker they are more tolerant to the alcohol they put into their bodies.(Langone, Book, 85) However being a seasoned drinker does not make you use to alcohol because you can become seriously impair by even the smallest quantities.(Langone, Book, 85) The effects of alcohol is different among all people depending on size, weight, time and amount of alcohol consumed.

Ethyl alcohol, which is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, enters the bloodstream through the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, mostly from the walls of the stomach and of the small intestines. Once ethyl alcohol enters the bloodstream, it passes through the brain and bathes the brain cells. This is how alcohol "kill" brain cells and damages the brain. (5) Different levels of alcohol in the blood have different effects on the behavior of a person; however, these effects are not predictable. At low levels, the inhibitory centers are usually suppressed and there is a "false sense of increased confidence and a feeling of well being." The depressing effects of alcohol on the brain may relax a person but equally likely, may make a person irritable, mistrusting, and very sensitive. (3) (4) (5) (6) While feeling relaxed is generally good for a person, it carries negative effects when a person gets in trouble from being overly relaxed. For example, there are cases in which women are raped as a result of being too comfortable with the men they drink with. Studies show that a substantial percentage of victims of violent crimes were intoxicated at the time of their assault (2). Offenders may