Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Teens: Effects
What are the effects of alcohol on the human body? There is a continuum of physical responses that is begun once an individual takes a drink of alcohol. Consider a 14 year old girl attending a high school party where alcohol is being served…
Within 30 seconds of Suzy's first sip of beer, alcohol is being absorbed into her bloodstream via the small intestine. Eventually, it reaches nerve cells deep inside her brain. One or two cans of beer later, the muscles in her body are relaxing and the lowering of her inhibitions is well underway. Within two hours, or at approximately 5 drinks, Suzy’s blood alcohol level is measuring 0.10. She is finding it difficult to see because her vision is blurry, to speak because she is slurring her words, and to walk because her motor skills have been dramatically slowed. If Suzy were to continue drinking until her blood alcohol concentration was at 0.40, she would likely slip into a coma. At 0.60 her breathing would stop.
Certain physical consequences of drinking are consistent in minors and adults alike. For instance, the liver becomes stressed because it metabolizes 90% of alcohol present in the system, with the lungs and urine eliminating the remaining 10%. “Hangovers” produce common symptoms such as nausea, headache, irritability, tremors, and dehydration.
