...abuse starts with misinformation, or miscommunication. A person who does not know the negative effects a substance can have on the body is more likely to start abusing said substance. In order to properly inform, and warn the public of the effects that harmful substances can have on your body, one must first learn about it themselves. It is also imperative to know specifically how different substances affect the human body in order to potentially reverse harmful effects. The most commonly used addictive substance in the United States is Alcohol. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 1 in every 12 adults have problems with alcohol abuse. Because, it is the most commonly used, it is important to know precisely how alcohol can affect the human body. Not only does alcohol affect the human body, but it also heavily damages the economy of the United States, and to ease this burden it is important to know how to reduce these effects. The...
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...How Alcohol Affects the Baby's Brain: The most common effect is permanent brain damage which leads to learning disabilities, behavior problems, memory deficits, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and/or mental retardation.This is called "static encephalopathy" meaning brain damage that doesn't get any better and doesn't get any worse.There is way to reverse the damage. More subtle damage from occasional binge drinking can cause damage that is like buck shot - scattered holes in the brain that affect whatever area that was developing at the time, causing brain cells death, migration of cells to the wrong place, or tangles in the neurons with inaccurate connections. Regions of the brain most affected: .Corpus Callosum - processes information between right brain and left brain .Cerebellum - motor control .Basal Ganglia - processes memory .Hippocampus - learning and memory .Hypothalamus - controls appetite, emotions, temperature, and pain sensation .Frontal lobes - executive functions, impulse control, judgment The corpus callosum and the frontal lobes are affected by alcohol exposure in ways that are manifested in behavior that is perceived to be inappropriate and immature. The corpus callosum separates the right brain from the left brain and passes information from one brain to the other.The left brain controls rules, consequences, concrete ideas, practical details, and orderly sequences.The right brain controlsabstract thinking, emotions and feelings, creativity, and intuition...
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...Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Table of Contents Table of contents…………………………………………………………… | 2 | Introduction………………………………………………………………… | 3 | Definition of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)…………………………….. | 3 | Characteristics of FAS……………………………………………………… | 4 | Affect of FAS on babies……………………………………………………. | 5 | Affect of alcohol on the brain……………………………………………… | 6 | The role the South African context has played in FAS…………………….| 7 | Conclusion………………………………………………………………….. | 8 | REFERENCES | 9 | Appendix A…………………………………………………………………. | 11 | Appendix B…………………………………………………………………. | 12 | Appendix C…………………………………………………………………. | 13 | | | Introduction South Africa has the highest rate of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in the world! The draft South African liquor bill released on Monday 6th February 2012 will prohibit the sale of alcohol to pregnant women if it is passed. It is the first time that the South African government has proposed legislation to assist controlling the alcohol intake of women. (“Liquor Surprise for Pregnant Women,” 2012) But is this enough to meaningfully diminish the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women in South Africa? Within this context the following questions will be addressed: What is Foetal Alcohol Syndrome? How is FAS characterised? How is a baby affected by Foetal Alcohol Syndrome? How does alcohol affect the brain? What kind of role has the South African...
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...chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014, p.1). Addiction can be several things, two well-known addictions are drinking and doing drug. When addiction starts to change the brain it leads to long terms affects which is usually abuse. Adolescents can and will go a little further with abuse by adding things like pill popping and smoking. “Many adolescents who abuse drugs have a history of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse or other trauma” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014, p.2). Abuse begins when adolescents start to do things like steal and lie to friends and family members to get what it is they want. How does abuse or addiction affect the developing brain of an adolescent? Drug abuse can cause serious progressive problems within the adolescent brain.”Memory loss, ability to concentrate, motor skills and coping skills are all affected by drug and alcohol abuse. Adolescents tend to make decisions that are irrational when under influence of drugs and alcohol, they may think they are making the right decisions but they are actually they are doing more harm to themselves then they realized. For adolescents, this can be even more significant as the brain is still developing and changing and any damage to sensitive nerves or brain matter can be permanent” (Alcohol rehab, 2015,p.1). Adolescents when doing things like alcohol tend to make irrational...
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...How Drugs and Alcohol Affect the Mind and Body Drug and alcohol abuse can have very devastating effects on the user. It can affect you mentally and physically, and if continued can even lead to death. I’m here to explain all the ways that drugs and alcohol affect you. Many people believe that since prescription pills and alcohol are “legal†that their safe. That would be nice, if only it were true. First, I’m going to tell you how alcohol affects the mind. It all depends on three things, how much does that person consume, how often that person consumes it, and how long have they been drinking. Some of the short-term effects of drinking are: Slurred speech, and slowed reaction times. The long-term effects are: Permanent brain damage, and a life-threatening brain disorder called hepatic encephalopathy. This disorder can cause changes in sleep patterns, mood and personality, have psychiatric implications like developing anxiety and depression , severe cognitive effects like shortened attention span and problems with coordination like shaking hands. Next, I’ll talk about how alcohol affects the body. One of the big effects that almost everybody knows is liver damage. But what most people don’t know is that prolonged liver dysfunction as a result of chronic alcohol abuse can harm the brain and leads to the potentially life-threatening brain disorder that I was talking about in the last paragraph. It can also cause heart problems, pancreas, and can cause...
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...of Australians under 25 years is related to alcohol consumption. Fellow year 12 and Mrs Thomas there is much research showing the benefits of raising the legal drinking age in Australia from 18 to 21. I believe it is the right thing to do for the good of our health and the good of our futures. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of heavy drinking. Excessive alcohol consumption affects how our young brains develop. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption negatively affects academic performance and can impair judgement resulting in risk taking behaviours, unsafe or unwanted sex or injury. Our brains continue to develop into our 20’s. Areas of the brain that undergo the most dramatic changes during adolescence are the frontal lobe and the hippocampus.These are areas of the brain that are associated with motivation,planning,judgement, decision making, language, impulse control and addiction. Aspects that heavily affect people of our age. Alcohol is a neurotoxin. Neurotoxins are substances that are poisonous or destructive to nerve tissue. In simple terms, alcohol poisons the brain. Excessive alcohol consumption at a young age interferes with vitamin B absorption; this prevents the brain from working properly. Professor John Toumbourou of the Deakin University School of Psychology says that ‘Alcohol causes permanent brain damage in young people, and raising the legal age will reduce not only youth alcohol problems but also other forms of drug use.’ ...
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...is when a person has a consistent craving for alcohol. They basically feel like they need some form of alcohol in order to survive. When they do want to relax and have some type of beverage they have no control of how much they have. Most people will never know who actually has alcoholism because people who actually have alcoholism are really good at covering up their dependence on alcohol. Another name for alcoholism is alcohol dependence. Most people with alcoholism have these symptoms; craving, loss of control, physical dependence, and tolerance. Do Alcoholics have Addictive Personalities? Addictive personalities refer to a set of characteristics that make a person inclined to developing addictions. Today no one has discovered any certain type of addictive personalities that lead to alcoholism....
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...Mario Fabrizio Curzio Aguirre Grade: 9° Group: “A” December 3, 2013 How do the drugs affect the brain? When drugs get into the bloodstream they are carried to all parts of the body and some reach the brain. The quicker the drug reaches the brain, the more intense the effects. The quickest way to get a drug into the brain - and also the most dangerous way of using any drug - is to inject it intravenously, or into the vein. Almost as quick is smoking a drug. followed by sniffing or snorting and then by mouth. Eating or drinking a drug is the slowest route, because the drug has to pass through the stomach first. Once in the brain drugs affect chemicals called neurotransmitters. These are the chemicals that control the flow of information within the brain between the neurons or brain cells, forming a synapse. Neurotransmitters also alter people's moods and feelings. Different drugs can affect different neurotransmitters. How do the drugs affect the heart? Once drugs are taken and enter the bloodstream the heart pumps blood containing the drug to the brain where it will affect how people feel. Drugs can also have an affect on the heart directly and exacerbate heart disease. Heavy drinking of alcohol, for example, can weaken the heart's ability to pump blood and lead to heart failure although some studies have suggested that moderate consumption may be better for the heart than not drinking alcohol at all. Taking regular and high doses of stimulant drugs like amphetamine...
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... drank alcohol at risky levels or used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months. Drug use is a complex and serious issue, which contributes to many sociological and psychological disruptions. Excessive alcohol intake is a major contributor towards morbidity and mortality. Similarly, illicit drug use is a major risk factor for various health conditions and death. The consumption of alcohol is a massive part of Australian culture and contributes to the large majority of the Australian population that drinks regularly. In 2013, around fourth-fifths or Australians aged 24 or older had consumed alcohol in the past year and 6.5% had...
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...on my life as a college student. I feel that 21 is an appropriate age to allow drinking to become legal. It seems as though the drinking age does not stop minors from drinking or even consuming large amounts of alcohol, but in my opinion it does affect where and how students engage in drinking. Therefore, not only affecting my live, but the lives of individuals everywhere. According to MADD, maintaining the minimal legal drinking age at 21 saves lives, prevents injuries, and protects still developing brains. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism proves that alcohol does indeed have a profound effect on the brain. There are many short-term difficulties with speech, vision, and memory when alcohol is brought into our bodies; but there are also many long-term deficits that occur to the brain when a person drinks over a long period of time too early in life. These long-term deficits remain even once those consuming alcohol become fully sober. The human brain continually develops until a person has reached age 25. Underage drinking does impair neurological development causing youth to process and send neural impulses more slowly. If our brains do not fully develop until age 25 and we are continually drinking alcohol; we are ultimately poisoning our brains and reducing their full potential. Once the brain is damaged by alcohol, the impairments are nearly...
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...Alcohol is a very serious and dangerous drug, although it is not treated this way anymore. College students have taken drinking to a new level in which, for many, is very scary. Alcohol is much more dangerous than many would think. Kids see a night of drinking as a great way to have fun and party but do not see the consequences. Getting drunk and even blacking out can lead to many problems. When alcohol is consumed in unhealthy amounts it can lead to not only short-term effects, but long term ones as well. Many people could tell you what alcohol will do to you. Blurred vision, memory loss, slurred speech, difficulty walking, and slow reaction times are all very common side effects depending on how much one consumes (“Alcohol Alert”). To most there is really nothing wrong with this. Party all night, have a good time, find somewhere to sleep, pass out, and wake up in the morning. A couple of Advil and a glass of water and you’re good to go, no harm done. This is where many are wrong. These effects are not just short term, they all add up in the long run. “Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety” (“Alcohol Alert”). Ethyl alcohol or ethanol, or most often known as simply alcohol can come in the form of beer, wine, or liquor....
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...use of alcohol and illegal drugs is very common around the United States. Although both alcohol and illegal drugs have serious side effects people still use them to gain the feeling of satisfaction during parties, reunions, or any other social event. Both alcohol and illegal drugs cause many damages to our society and the individual. For these reasons alcohol and illegal drug abuse classes should be mandatory at all high schools at some point. Alcohol is a gateway drug in the United States. This means that alcohol can be considered the first step to be involved in any other illegal drug. The abuse of alcohol or drugs has very serious side effects. As any other substance that is taken without a proper control alcohol and drugs can become...
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...To support her argument Lang’s states that the amount of crashes occurred by alcohol has dropped since the drinking age was risen from eighteen to twenty-one. She gives references on how brain development is effected when a people is consuming alcohol before the brain is fully developed. Lang states “The impact of alcohol on a developing brain is far more acute than a mature one, as is the risk of addiction.” This would most likely convince the teenagers that started to drinking at young ages because they can be concern about their brain development which can affect their health. Lang then continues to discuss how when the drinking age was raise from eighteen to twenty-one, there was a decline in automobile crashes involving young people....
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...Alcoholism and Its Effect on Your Life Alcohol is very common in today’s society. Many people drink beer, wine, or liquor. Most people can drink socially with few or no problems. Then there are those people that abuse or are dependent upon alcohol. Alcoholism is the common term for these two disorders and is the extreme dependence on excessive amounts of alcohol. People may use alcohol to help anxiety, unhappiness, loneliness, or other personal problems. There are many risks associated with alcohol use and excessive consumption of alcohol affects your brain, your behavior, and your overall general health. Research over the years has improved and much progress has been made in the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Article 1. Genetic research: who is at risk for alcoholism? John C. Crabbe, Howard J. Edenberg and Tatiana Foroud. There are a number of factors that work together to cause a person to become an alcoholic. Recent genetic studies have shown that close relatives of alcoholics were more likely to become alcoholics themselves. The risk holds true even for children who were adopted away from their biological families at birth and raised in a non-alcoholic family, with no knowledge of their biological family’s difficulties with alcohol. Additional research is presently being done to determine if genetic factors could account for differences in alcohol metabolism that may increase the risk of an individual becoming an alcoholic. Other factors may...
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...Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lowered? The legal drinking age should remain 21. The United States minimum legal drinking age of 21 years old is set at the highest in the world. People consume alcohol for many different reasons; celebrations, anxiety, depression, peer pressure and boredom. This group of people includes teenagers. It is very easy for teens to get ahold of alcohol whether it be from the cabinets in their own homes or from older friends and family members, who would buy it for them. Teenage drinking has become one of the largest social issues today. More than 25,000 lives have been saved because of the MLDA (minimum legal drinking age). When states had lowered drinking ages in the past, the underage drinking problem was worse than ever before in the US. To have a better understanding on the controversy around the legal drinking age, some background information may be helpful. Kids are now experimenting with alcohol at early ages than they have ever before. Teens who are drinking can be affected in many different ways. Alcohol has been linked to a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease. Some studies and surveys have shown that between the ages of 12-21, young adults have consumed alcohol at least once. Every year there are about 5,000 deaths in young people as a result in underage drinking. However with the ratings and percentages of teens drinking there are some ways to educate and possibly prevent the negative...
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