D.4.2


 * D.4.2 Discuss the social and physiological effects of the use and abuse of ethanol.**
 * Ethanol** is a central nervous system depressant and has a range of side effects, both long-term and short-term. It is also known as ethyl alcohol and is the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks.


 * Social Effects**

Effects on the Family:
 * Can cause domestic violence because of impaired judgment
 * Alcoholics can be a burden as they are often too helpless to be able to find jobs
 * Parents/ older siblings will be setting a bad example for children/ younger siblings.
 * Alcoholics cannot be trusted with money
 * Increases chances of infidelity
 * It's a vicious downward cycle of addiction.
 * When pregnant women drink alcohol, it could possibly cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which can seriously damage the fetus.

Costs to Society:
 * Driving under the influence (DUI) puts your life, as well as the lives of others on the road in danger.
 * Increased crime and violence
 * Welfare costs due to family problems
 * Leads to the need to support foster children, or single parent homes.

(http://addictionrecoverybasics.com/how-alcohol-abuse-affects-family/) (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_signs_effects_treatment.htm)

Short-term effects depend on a variety of variables including
 * Physiological Effects**
 * Amount consumed
 * Hydration
 * Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
 * Tolerance

(0.03%-0.12% BAC) || Lethargy (0.09%-0.25% BAC) || Confusion (0.18%-0.3% BAC) || Stupor (0.25%-0.4% BAC) || Coma (0,35%-0.5% BAC) || The legal blood alcohol concentration in most states of the US and many other countries is 0.08%.
 * = **Short-term effects:** ||
 * Euphoria
 * * Improvement in mood
 * Increased self-confidence and courage
 * increased sociability
 * shortened attention span
 * flushed appearance
 * inhibited judgment
 * impaired fine muscle coordination || * Sedation
 * Impaired memory or comprehension
 * Delayed reactions
 * Unstable walking
 * Impaired senses (vision) || * Confusion
 * Increased ataxia (wobbliness and uncoordination)
 * Impaired speech
 * Mood Swings
 * Impaired senses
 * Inability to feel pain
 * Vomiting || * Severe ataxia- [|defined]
 * Consciousness, Unconsciousness
 * Anterograde amnesia-l
 * Vomiting
 * Respiratory depression (life-threatening)
 * Inability to control your bladder
 * Decreased heart rate
 * Death may occur due to aspiration of vomit while unconscious || * Unconsciousness
 * Half of those with a BAC of higher than 0.4% die ||
 * = **Long Term Effects** ||
 * * Addiction
 * Permanently impaired nervous system
 * Alcoholic Liver Disease (see cirrhosis, due to alcohol abuse)
 * Fibrosis of liver (cirrhosis where liver cells are damaged and replaced with scar tissue)
 * Increased chance of heart failure
 * Increased chance of strokes
 * Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) ||



After drinking, the concentration of alcohol in the blood increases as the alcohol is absorbed into the blood and gradually declines with time as shown below:

n (http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/44/5444-004-6BFBEEEA.gif)