FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL & TOBACCO

FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL

Alcohol is one of the most popular drugs for youth as well as adults. Although many people think of alcohol as a "pick-me-up", it is in fact a "depressant" and slows down the activity of the central nervous system. The effects of alcohol can be very serious. Even over a short period of time, drinking can be extremely dangerous - for example, when large amounts are consumed quickly or when it is combined with other activities such as driving. When alcohol is used heavily on a regular basis it is a factor many different diseases some of which can be fatal. The effects of alcohol are also increased when drinking is mixed with other drugs such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers and some cold remedies.

Short-term Effects of Drinking Alcohol:

• at first, the person feels more relaxed and less inhibited
• the person will not be able to think as clearly and judgments and decisions will be affected
• then the person's reflexes will become slower, he will have trouble working and doing things, which require physical co-ordination
• the person's mood may change, he may become angry or more willing to take risks
• if the person drinks a large amount of alcohol very rapidly, his or her breathing may slow down seriously or even stop, causing death
• the effects of alcohol may increase if combined with certain other drugs (e.g. sleeping pills, cold medicines)

Alcohol and Disease:
Heavy, regular drinking is seen as a risk for developing:

• inflamed stomach or pancreas
• cirrhosis of the liver
• certain cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract and mouth and esophagus
• stroke and heart disease
• osteoporosis (alcohol interferes with calcium and bone building)

Women and Alcohol:
Women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol because of:

• percentage of body fat to body water. Women generally have more fat, less water. Alcohol is very soluble, so less water in the blood means higher blood alcohol concentration
• less active alcohol dehydrogenase, which begins to break down alcohol in the stomach lining. Less enzyme means more alcohol in the system.

Women who drink regularly more than 14 drinks a week have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Women who drink while they are pregnant risk having a baby with fetal alcohol effects/syndrome (FAE/FAS). While the risk increases with the amount they drink, no safe level of drinking has been established.

FACTS ABOUT TOBACCO

Despite anti-smoking campaigns and policies, tobacco remains a popular drug. The nicotine in tobacco is largely responsible for the short-term effects of smoking and its addictive nature. The long-term effects, usually caused by the tar and other poisons such as cyanide, formaldehyde, arsenic and carbon monoxide, are the most dangerous to your health.

Short-term Effects of Smoking Tobacco:

• the person's pulse rate and blood pressure will rise
• the person's skin will become cooler
• the amount of acid in the stomach will increase
• the amount of urine produced will decrease
• at first, activity in the person's brain and nervous system will speed up, then it slows down
• the person's appetite decreases
• the person will be less capable of vigorous physical activity

Long-term Effects of Smoking Tobacco:

• the person's blood vessels in the heart and brain will narrow or darken
• the person will be short of breath, cough often
• the person will be more likely to get infections in the lungs, such as pneumonia
• the person may develop chronic bronchitis, or emphysema
• the person may get stomach ulcers

Tobacco and Disease

• Smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths; it is linked to cancers of the lung, mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas
• Smoking greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke

Women and Smoking

• Smoking among women is linked to lower fertility, cancer of the cervix and osteoporosis
• Pregnant women who smoke have higher rates of miscarriage, stillborn babies, premature birth, low birth weight babies and babies who die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• There is a higher risk of developing breast cancer for women who start smoking in their early teens
• A woman smoker who takes birth control pills is more likely to develop blood clots