Information and Issues

Myth Alcohol destroys brain cells

Fact The moderate consumption of alcohol does not

destroy brain cells. In fact it is often associated with improved cognitive (mental) functioning.

Myth A "beer belly" is caused by drinking beer.

Fact A "beer belly" is caused by eating too much

food. No beer or other alcohol beverage is necessary.

Myth Drinking coffee will help a drunk person sober up.

Fact Only time can sober up a person...not black

coffee, cold showers, exercise, or any other common "cures." Alcohol leaves the body of virtually everyone at a constant rate of about .015 percent of blood alcohol content (BAC) per hour.

Myth Alcohol stunts the growth of children and retards

their development. Fact

Scientific medical research does not support this old temperance scare tactic.

Historians have found evidence of alcohol use dating back as far as ________________

Evidence of alcohol use is noted in many different ancient cultures from around the globe.Persian, Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and

others. The use of alcohol has been a consistent

fixture in human society for thousands of years…and remains in use in most cultures.

Alcohol is the name to given a variety of related compounds; the drinkable form is ____________________. It is a powerful, addictive, central nervous system _____________ produced by the action of yeast cells on carbohydrates in fruits and grains.

__________ is made from fermented grains and has an alcohol content of three to six percent.

Wine is made from fermented fruits and has an alcohol content of 11 to 14 percent. Some wine drinks, such as wine coolers, have fruit juice and sugar added, lowering alcohol content to between four and seven percent. Fortified wines, such as port, have alcohol added, bringing alcohol content to between 18 and 20 percent.

_________ is made by distilling a fermented product to yield a drink that usually contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol. The alcohol content in liquor is sometimes indicated by degrees of proof, which in the United States is a figure twice as high as the percentage. Thus, 80-proof liquor is 40 percent alcohol.

Alcoholism is a disabling addictive disorder. It is characterized by compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol despite its negative effects on the drinker's health, relationships, and social standing.

Like other drug addictions, alcoholism is medically defined as a treatable disease. The term alcoholism is widely used, and was first coined in 1849 by Magnus Huss, but in medicine the term was replaced by the concepts of "alcohol abuse" and "alcohol dependence" in the 1980s.

When a person consumes alcohol, the drug acts on nerve cells deep in the brain. Alcohol initially serves as a stimulant, then induces feelings of relaxation and reduced anxiety. Consumption of two or three drinks in an hour can impair judgment, lower inhibitions, and induce mild euphoria.

_______________ Lymbic System Cerebellum Hypothalamus and Pituitary ________________

Smell of alcohol on breath Irritability Euphoria Loss of physical coordination Inappropriate or violent behavior Loss of balance Unsteady gait Slurred and/or incoherent speech __________________________ Slowed thinking Depression Impaired short-term memory ____________________________

Tremors Agitation Anxiety and panic attacks Paranoia and delusions Hallucinations (usually visual) Nausea and vomiting Increased body temperature Elevated blood pressure and heart rate Convulsions Seizures

Neurological dangers include impaired vision and impaired motor coordination, memory defects, hallucinations, blackouts, and seizures. Long-term consumption can result in permanent damage to the brain.

_________________problems include elevated blood pressure and heart rate, risk of stroke and heart failure.

Respiratory dangers include respiratory depression and failure, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung abscesses. Additionally, alcohol abuse increases the risk of mouth and throat cancer.

Liver disease caused by chronic alcohol abuse, including alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, and ______________, kills 25,000 Americans each year.

Other physiological dangers include damage to the gastrointestinal system (including duodenal ulcers, reflux, and diarrhea), the pancreas, and the kidneys. In addition, alcohol consumption may cause malnutrition, disrupt the absorption of nutrients in food, and suppress the immune system, thus increasing the potential for illness.

Psychological dangers include impaired judgment and verbal ability, apathy, introversion, antisocial behavior, inability to concentrate, and deterioration of relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Myth I am too old to quit

FactOlder smokers are 50% more likely than

any other age group to successfully quit smoking.

MythYou can smoke your whole life and never

have any side effects. Fact

This is the exception and not the norm. Tobacco use accounts for 96 billion dollars in health care expenses nationally.

Myth Chewing tobacco is safe compared to smoking

tobacco. Fact

Approximately 31,000 new cases of oral cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.

Myth Cigarettes have not been proven to cause

cancer. Fact

Nearly as common as lung cancer among smokers is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which entails the narrowing of airways in the lung, largely in the form of chronic bronchitis or emphysema.

 Members of all Native American tribes traditionally used tobacco dating back nearly 18,000 years. It was often consumed in religious practices; among some tribes, this was done only by experienced shamans or medicine men.

Following the arrival of the Europeans, tobacco became increasingly popular as a trade item. It was used recreationally.

The ill effects of tobacco and nicotine became evident in the ________________

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus _____________

There are more than 70 species of tobacco in the plant genus ______________

Smoking TobaccoCigarettesCigarsPipeHookah____________Kreteks

Smokeless TobaccoChewing tobaccoSnuff

Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine. Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking behavior, even in the face of negative health consequences.

It is well documented that most smokers identify tobacco use as harmful and express a desire to reduce or stop using it, and nearly 35 million of them want to quit each year.

Unfortunately, more than 85 percent of those who try to quit on their own relapse, most within a week.

The main affect is the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke binds to the hemoglobin molecules in your red blood cells 40x stronger than oxygen.

So, in effect, when you smoke, it reduces the amount of oxygen available to the brain. This creates the euphoric 'high' that cigarette smokers experience.

Nicotine also activates areas of the brain that are involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Recently, scientists discovered that nicotine raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward.

According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break, while the pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States.

More deaths are caused each year by ____________use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.

An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking.

Coronary Heart Disease Stroke Cancer

Acute myeloid leukemia Bladder cancer ______________________________________ Cancer of the esophagus Kidney cancer Cancer of the larynx (voice box) Lung cancer ___________________________________ Cancer of the pharynx (throat) Stomach cancer Cancer of the uterus

Lung DiseaseEmphysemaBronchitisChronic airway obstruction

Infertility ______________________________ Stillbirth Low birth weight Sudden infant death syndrome Bone density issues

MythMarijuana is not harmful.

FactHealth effects include respiratory damage,

mental health concerns, and cognitive functioning.

MythMarijuana is not addictive.

FactEvidence suggest that dependency issues

can arise surrounding Marijuana use.

Cannabis is indigenous to Central and South Asia. Evidence of the inhalation of cannabis smoke can be found at least 3000 years ago.

Evidence suggest that religious, recreational and medicinal uses of cannabis existed in many cultures around the globe.

Cannabis was criminalized in various countries beginning in the early 20th century.

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as _______________________________. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana.

Unprocessed The terms cannabis or marijuana generally refer to the dried

flowers and subtending leaves and stems of the female cannabis plant. This is the most widely consumed form, containing 3% to 22% THC.  In contrast, cannabis strains used to produce industrial hemp contain less than 1% THC and are thus not valued for recreational use

Processed Kief

Kief is a powder, which can be sifted from the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants and either consumed in powder form or compressed to produce cakes of hashish.

____________ ___________ is a concentrated resin produced from the flowers of the

female cannabis plant. Hash can often be more potent than marijuana. It varies in color from black to golden brown depending upon purity.

Hash oil Hash oil, is a mix of essential oils and resins extracted from mature

cannabis foliage through the use of various solvents. It is also used in a variety of cannabis foods.

Residue (resin) Because of THC's adhesive properties, a sticky residue, most commonly

known as "resin", builds up inside utensils used to smoke cannabis.

Joints Blunts Pipes Bongs ____________ Food products

Long-term regular users of marijuana may become psychologically dependent. They may have a hard time limiting their use, they may need more of the drug to get the same effect, and they may develop problems with their jobs and personal relationships. The drug can become the most important aspect of their lives.

Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)

Problems with memory and learning Loss of coordination Trouble with thinking and problem-

solving Increased heart rate Mood Changes

EuphoriaAnxiety

Hallucinations Delusions

The active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or _________, acts on cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells.

Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors, but other areas of the brain have few or none at all.

Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.

Reduced blood pressure Similar respiratory concerns as in

tobacco use Lung Disease

___________________ Bronchitis Chronic airway obstruction

______________________________________________________________________________

Reduced immune response Some negative impact on unborn

children