• Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant used by about half of all Americans. Alcohol's effect on the body is measured by the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The higher the BAC is the greater the drowsiness and impaired judgment and motor function.
LO 2 Alcohol and Your Health
• Excessive alcohol consumption can cause long-term damage to the nervous system and cardiovascular system, liver disease, and increased risk for cancer. Alcohol-impaired drivers are responsible for about 1 in 3 car crash deaths. College students have high rates of alcohol-related crashes. Drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
LO 3 Alcohol Use in College
• Large numbers of college students report drinking in the past 30 days. Negative consequences associated with alcohol use among college students include academic problems, traffic accidents, unplanned sex, hangovers, alcohol poisoning, injury to self or others, and dropping out of school.
LO 4 Abuse and Dependence
• Alcohol use becomes alcoholism when it interferes with school, work, or social and family relationships or entails violations of the law. Causes of alcoholism include biological, family, social, and cultural factors. Treatment options include detoxification at private medical facilities, therapy (family, individual, or group), and self-help programs. Most recovering alcoholics relapse (over half within 3 months) because alcoholism is a behavioral addiction as well as a chemical addiction.
LO 5 Tobacco Use in the United States
• Tobacco use involves many social and political issues, including advertising targeted at youth and women, the fastest-growing populations of smokers. Smoking costs the United States between $289 and $333 billion per year.
• College students are heavily targeted by tobacco marketing and advertising campaigns. College students smoke to reduce stress, to fit in socially, and because they are addicted. The FDA requires prominent health warnings on tobacco products and enacts other policies to prevent young people from using tobacco products.
LO 6 Effects of Tobacco
• Smoking delivers over 7,000 chemicals to the lungs of smokers. Tobacco comes in smoking and smokeless forms; both contain nicotine, an addictive psychoactive substance.
LO 7 Health Hazards of Tobacco Products
• Health hazards of smoking include markedly higher rates of cancer, heart and circulatory disorders, respiratory diseases, sexual dysfunction, fertility problems, low birth weight babies, and gum diseases. Smokeless tobacco increases risks for oral cancer and other oral problems. Environmental tobacco smoke puts nonsmokers at greater risk for cancer and heart disease.
LO 8 Quitting
• To quit, smokers must kick a chemical addiction and a behavioral habit. Nicotine-replacement products or drugs such as Zyban and Chantix can help wean smokers off nicotine. Therapy methods can also help.
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