Alcohol & Other Drugs

Information on Alcohol, Tobacco/Nicotine and other drugs

• Alcohol

  Alcohol is a drinkable substance that has ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and typically produced by fermenting grains and fruits. Alcohol acts as a depressant, meaning that it can suppress or slow down parts of the brain that control important bodily functions, such as breathing.

  The percent of "pure" alcohol, expressed here as alcohol by volume (alc/vol), varies by beverage.

   Your liver can only process one standard drink, which is a unit of measurement used to define how much “pure” alcohol is in a beverage, per hour. Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time raises your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) quickly and dramatically increases the chances of experiencing serious consequences.
  
  High-risk drinking, also known as “binge drinking,” is defined as 4 or more drinks for women or 5 or more drinks for men in about a 2 hour time span. This type of drinking greatly increases the risk of alcohol poisoning, car crashes, drunk driving arrests, sexual assault, and injuries.
  
  

  Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

  Alcohol consumption has different effects on the body depending on the size, weight, and sex of a person as well as the amount of alcohol consumed in a given time period. The chart below gives a general description of what happens to your body when you reach a certain blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

  BAC	Physical Effect
  0.02%	Relaxed
  0.04%	Relaxation continues; Buzz develops
  0.06%	Cognitive judgement is impaired
  0.08%	Nausea can appear; Motor coordination is impaired
  0.10%	Clear deterioration in cognitive judgement and motor coordination
  0.15% - 0.25%	Blackouts
  0.25% - 0.35%	Pass out; Lose consciousness; Risk of death
  0.35% - 0.45%	Lethal dose

  Signs of Alcohol Poisoning:

  1. Person is passed out or unresponsive and cannot be awakened.
  2. Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin.
  3. Breathing is slow or irregular, with 10 seconds or more between breaths.
  4. Vomiting while "sleeping" or passed out, and not waking after vomiting.
  5. Unable to stand or walk without help.
• Roofies / Drink Spiking

  If you suspect that you or someone has ingested a roofie, immediately call 911. Make sure the person is with a trusted friend or family member, and stay with them until emergency personnel arrive.

  Symptoms of Being Roofied:

  • Nausea
  • Aggression
  • Headache
  • Loss of Coordination
  • Disorientation
  • Drowsiness
  • Decreased Reaction Time
  • Brain Fog
  • Lowered Inhibitions

  Is my drink spiked? Check for:

  • Foggy Appearance
  • Change in Color
  • Sinking Ice
  • Excessive Bubbles

  If you choose to drink:

  • Set Goals in Advance
  • Pace Yourself
  • Eat Before
  • Stay with Trusted Friends
  • Avoid Drinking Games
  • Hydrate
• Cannabis
• Vaping / E-Cigarettes

  Vaping

  • Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it’s still not safe.
  • Research suggests vaping is bad for your heart and lungs.
  • Electronic cigarettes are just as addictive as traditional ones.
  • Electronic cigarettes aren’t the best smoking cessation tool.
  • A new generation is getting hooked on nicotine.
  • Comparable to opioids, alcohol, and cocaine.

  A typical JUUL cartridge, or “pod,” contains about as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.10 These products also use nicotine salts, which allow particularly high levels of nicotine to be inhaled more easily and with less irritation than the free-base nicotine that has traditionally been used in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.We need as much education that's credited on vaping - studies are still very new.

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  E-Cigarettes

  E-cigarettes are a relatively new tobacco product that have been sold in the U.S. for about a decade. The e-cigarettes currently in the U.S. marketplace have not been systematically reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration to determine their impact on lung health.

  • A study from the University or North Carolina found that the two primary ingredients found in e-cigarettes - propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin - are toxic to cells, and that the more ingredients in an e-liquid, the greater the toxicity.
  • E-cigarettes produce a number of dangerous chemicals including diacetyl, acrolein and formaldehyde. These toxins can cause lung disease, as well as cardiovascular (heart) disease.
  • E-cigarettes also contain acrolein, a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds. It can cause asthma and lung cancer.
  • In 2016, the Surgeon General concluded that secondhand emissions contain, “nicotine; ultrafine particles; flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds such as benzene, which is found in car exhaust; and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead.”
  • The Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping tobacco users quit. If tobacco users are ready to quit for good, they should call 1 (800) QUIT NOW or talk with their doctor about finding the best way to quit using proven methods and FDA-approved treatments and counseling.
• Other Drugs
  •     Caffeine 
  •     Cocaine 
  •     Prescript Stimulants 
  •     Sedatives 
  •     Hallucinogens 
  •     Narcotics 
  •     Inhalants 
  •     Nicotine 
• Tobacco/Nicotine

  Every year in the U.S., more more than 480,000 people die from tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, making it the leading cause of preventable death in this country. Smoking and the use of other tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco, causes or worsens numerous diseases and conditions.

  • Stroke
  • Wrinkled Skin
  • Mouth and Throat Cancer
  • Heart Disease
  • Lung Cancer, COPD, Asthma
  • Diabetes Complications
  • Stomach Cancer and Ulcers
  • Blocked Arteries
  • Kidney and Bladder Cancers
  • Cervix, Ovary and Uterus Cancers, and Infertility

  Are you, or someone you love ready to quit smoking? The American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking is a proven-effective quit smoking program that is available over the phone, in-person or online. Learn more or sign-up at 1 (800) LUNGUSA or Lung.org/ffs