2. Alcohol Quiz
Try your knowledge at the alcohol quiz - are the statements true or
false? Be prepared to give reasons for your answers
1. Alcohol is produced by yeast cells
2. Alcohol is poisonous
3. You cannot become addicted to alcohol
4. A pint of beer contains 1 unit of alcohol
5. You can buy alcohol when you are 16
6. The legal limit for driving is 100mg of alcohol in 100cm3 of blood
7. Alcohol makes you react quicker
8. Alcohol makes you more relaxed
9. Too much alcohol can damage the liver
10. Alcohol affects all people in exactly the same way
11. Women react more quickly to alcohol than men
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 2
3. Alcohol
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a recreational drug that has short term
and long term effects on the body
Alcohol is a depressant that works by slowing down
the nervous system and relaxing the brain - it can
reach the brain in <1 minute
The liver breaks down alcohol to remove this toxic
drug from the body - too much alcohol can damage
the liver and brain
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 3
4. Behavioural Effects
Alcohol can result in some serious behavioural changes in people -
it’s a depressant (slows the nerve impulses) which can make people
feel relaxed and happy, but also severely slows their reaction times
But it is different for different people - some people can become
aggressive, confused and loud!
This is because the alcohol affects the brain and stops the nerves
from working
Excess alcohol will cause vomiting (your bodies defense in trying to
remove the poisonous alcohol), however too much can lead to
death as it stops signals from the brain informing the lungs to
breathe
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 4
5. Anatomical Effects
Alcohol also has some nasty affects on the body
These include brain damage - from brain cells being destroyed
The liver is also extremely vulnerable - the liver breaks the
toxic alcohol down, but too much of it slowly kills of the liver
cells leading to cirrhosis and possibly cancer
Alcohol also stops some vitamins being absorbed into the body
- heavy drinkers will suffer vitamin deficiencies
And if you’re pregnant, all the poisonous alcohol in your blood
will pass to the foetus - severely affecting its development
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 5
6. How Much?
How much alcohol is safe?!
Alcohol is an addictive drug, which can have serious consequences -
killing nearly as many people as smoking!
It is recommended that men should drink no more than 21 units a
week (10 pints of lager)
Women should drink no more than14 units (7 alcopops)
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 6
7. The liver
The liver is most responsible
for metabolizing,
detoxifying, and
eliminating drugs.
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 7
8. Drugs
What is a drug?
A drug is any substance that changes the way the body or mind
works
Drugs are substances that have effects on the body
Medicines are drugs that help people suffering from pain or
disease, such as aspirin or penicillin
Other drugs, often called recreational drugs, are taken for
pleasure
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 8
9. Stimulants
Stimulants - increase the speed at which nerves carry
messages (they make you feel more alert)
Caffeine (legal)
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Amphetamines
They make you feel more energetic and confident, but they can
damage the liver and heart.
They can also cause loss of memory and concentration, and
bring an increased risk of mental illness.
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 9
10. Depressants
Depressants - slow down messages in the brain and along the
nerves (they make you feel more relaxed, happy, distorted view
of surroundings)
Alcohol (legal)
Cannabis
Solvents
Heroin
Some of the long-term effects of depressants on the body include
damage to the liver, brain and heart
Alcohol can cause weight gain; solvent abuse causes a rash around
the nose and mouth; cannabis causes loss of memory and
concentration, as well as an increased risk of mental illness.
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 10
11. Alcohol Quiz
Try your knowledge at the alcohol quiz - are the statements true or false?
Be prepared to give reasons for your answers
1. Alcohol is produced by yeast cells True
2. Alcohol is poisonous True
3. You cannot become addicted to alcohol False
4. A pint of beer contains 1 unit of alcohol False - 2 units
5. You can buy alcohol when you are 16 False - 18
6. The legal limit for driving is 100mg of alcohol in 100cm 3 of blood False - 80mg
3
of blood
7. Alcohol makes you react quicker False - depressant so slows reaction times
8. Alcohol makes you more relaxed True
9. Too much alcohol can damage the liver True
10. Alcohol affects all people in exactly the same way False
11. Women react more quickly to alcohol than men True - absorb it quicker
Neil Paul,New Delhi,INDIA 11
