How Alcohol Harms Body Systems
HEALTH EDUCATION - Lesson 4 - Week 4/8
Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention (4)
HPE Lesson Plans - Health - KHE, 1HE, 2HE, 3HE, 4HE, 5HE
Safety | Mental, Social & Emotional Health | Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention | Growing Up Healthy
L1: Medicines Affect the Body| L2: Common Substances That Can Be Harmful | L3: How Tobacco Harms Body Systems | L4: How Alcohol Harms Body Systems | L5: Saying No to Alcohol & Tobacco | L6: Why People Become Ill| L7: Infectious Diseases | L8: Fighting Infectious Diseases | L9: Noninfectious Diseases | L10: Staying Well
Substance ABUSE & Disease Prevention
How Alcohol Harms Body Systems
See below for the following:
Standard(s), Essential Question(s), Big Idea(s)
LEARNING TARGET / SUCCESS CRITERIA
I will describe alcohol and the harm it causes to body systems and behavior.
I will identify some effects of problem drinking.
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PRE-INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITY
Vocabulary
alcohol - a drug found in drinks such as beer and wine and in liquors such as vodka, gin, rum, and brandy
blood alcohol level (BAL) - the amount of alcohol in a person's blood
cirrhosis - a liver disease that results from drinking too much alcohol
intoxicated - being strongly affected by alcohol
alcoholism - a disease in which a person is addicted to alcohol and cannot stop drinking without help
alcoholic - a person who suffers from the disease of alcoholism
OPENING (Engage)
Main Idea
Alcohol is an addictive drug that can harm the body and mind.
Why Learn This?
Knowing the dangers of alcohol can help you refuse to use it.
WORK PERIOD (Explore/Explain/Extend/Elaborate)
READ: How Alcohol Harms Body Systems
Do you know the difference between legal and illegal drugs? Legal drugs can be bough in stores. But it is against the law to buy, sell, or use illegal drugs. Some drugs are legal for adults to use but illegal for young people. Alcohol is a drug that is legal for adults to use, if they use it responsibly.
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a drug found in drinks such as beer and wine and in liquors such as vodka, gin, rum, and brandy. A single serving of most types of alcoholic drinks contains the same amout of alcohol. One 12-ounce bottle of beer has about the same amount of alcohol as 5 ounces of wine or an ounce and a half of liquor.
The more a person drinks, the higher the person's blood alcohol level will be. Blood alcohol level (BAL) is the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. For example, a person who drinks two beers will have a blood alcohol level of 0.04 and may have trouble remembering things.
Alcohol changes the way a person feels, acts, and thinks. It also changes the way the body works. People may find it hard to walk or speak after drinking alcohol. Size and age can affect how the body responds to alcohol. After drinking the same amount of alcohol, a person who is small will have a higher blood alcohol level (BAL) than will someone who is large. Young people often feel the effects of alcohol more intensely than do older people.
Why do some people use alcohol?
Some adults drink alcohol as part of religious ceremonies, cultural events, or celebrations. For example, some people drink champagne at weddings. Others drink small amounts of wine in church as part of a ceremony.
Some adults have small amounts of wine or beer with meals or at parties. Most adults who drink in these instances do not have problems with alcohol. Alcohol does not interfere with their work or family life.
But some people drink too much alcohol, or drink it too often. They may drink to relax or to hide feelings of loneliness, nervousness, or depression. They may become addicted to alcohol. They crave alcohol and need it more and more often.
Some young people begin using alcohol because they see adults using it. They are curious about its effects. They think drinking alcohol will make them seem grown up. Many young people think drinking alcohol will increase their fun. Other young people may try alcohol because their friends pressure them to try it. They want to feel part of a group.
How can alcohol harm body systems?
The food a person eats is slowly digested into nutrients that are small enough to enter the bloodstream. The blood then delivers these nutrients to all parts of the body. Alcohol does not need to be digested. Instead, it goes directly into the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine. The blood then quickly carries alcohol to the brain.
Alcohol slows down the brain. Because the brain controls the body's functions, alcohol can have many immediate effects, including:
difficulty walking steadily
loss of memory
decreased ability to think clearly and make decisions
blurred vision
slurred speech
dizziness
Alcohol changes the way a person feels, too. After one drink an average-sized adult might feel relaxed. After several drinks the person might feel ill, sleepy, angry, or depressed.
Long-time overuse of alcohol can damage the brain permanently. Alcohol affects the way a person thinks and makes decisions and can affect memory. Long-term heavy drinking affects the nervous system and can cause stomach cancer. Drinking too much alcohol also contributes to heart disease.
Other organs of the body, especially the liver, can be damaged by heavy drinking. The liver cleans the blood of poisons, such as alcohol. It also stores some nutrients the body needs. Alcohol can cause the liver to work too hard. Cirrhosis (suh*ROH*suhs) is a liver disease that results from drinking too much alcohol. The liver can become so damaged that it won't work anymore. The drinker can die.
Many heavy drinkers do not eat well. Alcohol makes it hard for the body to absorb nutrients from food. A heavy drinker may suffer from malnutrition because the body doesn't get all the nutrients it needs.
Alcohol in the Body
Nervous System - Nerves carry messages more slowly between the brain and the rest of the body, slowing reaction time.
Liver - Poisons in alcohol collect in the liver, scarring the liver and making it hard for the liver to clean the blood. Over time the liver may stop working.
Pancreas - The pancreas makes important chemicals that help the body work. Alcohol can harm the pancreas, causing severe pain and vomiting.
Brain - Heavy drinking can damage parts of the brain linked to memory. Over time some short-term effects of alcohol -- poor vision and loss of coordination -- become permanent.
Heart - Alcohol makes the heart beat faster, raising blood pressure. Heavy drinking can cause hypertension, a condition of constant high blood pressure.
Stomach - Alcohol causes the stomach to secrete digestive juices. These juices irritate the stomach when there is no food present. Small holes, called ulcers, may form in the stomach lining.
Driving after drinking alcohol is dangerous.
Driving after drinking alcohol is dangerous. So is riding with a driver who has been drinking. Alcohol affects many skills that are needed to drive safely.
Dizziness - Alcohol can make a person feel dizzy and can affect the way a person sees. Good vision is important when driving.
Difficulty Thinking- Alcohol makes it hard for a person to think. A drunk driver is not able to make quick decisions about traffic and road conditions.
Lack of Coordination - The ability to steer, brake, and speed up depends on coordinating different muscles. Alcohol makes it hard for people to control their muscles.
Slowed Reaction Time - To avoid crashes, a driver must be able to speed up, slow down, or change course quickly. A drunk driver can't react as quickly as a driver who is sober.
How does problem drinking affect people?
A problem drinker is often intoxicated from drinking too much alcohol. Being intoxicated (in*TAHK*suh*kay*tuhd) means being strongly affected by alcohol. Intoxicated people behave differently than they would if they were not drinking. They have trouble thinking and making good decisions. They may say things that make others angry. They lose friends.
Problem drinkers may get into serious situations that hurt themselves and others. They cause car crashes that may harm or kill themselves and other people. Sometimes problem drinkers fall asleep when smoking cigarettes, resulting in fires that can harm themselves and others.
Problem drinkers often miss work or do a poor job. As a result, they may have trouble keeping a job. Young drinkers can't concentrate on schoolwork and often miss school. As they lose interest in their classes, their grades fall.
Problem drinkers often are addicted to alcohol. They cannot stop drinking without help. They have a disease called alcoholism (AL*ku*haw*lih*zuhm). A person who has this disease is called an alcoholic (al*kuh*HAW*lik).
The families of alcoholics often suffer. People who are intoxicated can't think about the needs of others -- not even family members. Alcohol makes some people verbally and physically abusive. Some intoxicated people become violent and destroy property. They may hurt others or be arrested by the police. Their behavior can change from day to day.
CLOSING (Evaluate)
Complete Lesson Checkup
Finished Early? (sign into BrainPOP using Clever)
Standard(s)
HE4.1a - recognize the relationship between healthy behavior and disease prevention
HE4.3a - identify the characteristics of valid health information, products, and services
HE4.3b - list resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health information
HE4.5b - describe the possible consequences of an unhealthy decision and healthy alternatives when making a health-related decision
Essential Question(s)
Why is it dangerous for young people to drink alcohol?
Big Idea(s)
It is dangerous for young people to drink alcohol because they have smaller bodies, so even one drink could give them a high blood alcohol level (BAL). Also, young people are likely to feel the effects of alcohol more strongly than adults.
RESOURCES / INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
see below
DCSD Board-Approved Instruction Materials
Your Health: Teacher's Edition - Grade 4. Harcourt Brace & Company. 1999.
Technology
Chromebook
large video screens for whole-class viewing
sound system for sharing of audio