Biological / Brain
True or False: It is common for someone dealing with a substance use disorder to also be dealing with a mental or physical health disorder.
TRUE. 5% of US adults experience co-occurring mental and substance use disorders each year (national recovery month). Alcohol misuse is associated with high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, scarring of the liver, anxiety, depression, and food disorders. However, decrease in the amount and regularity of heavy drinking has shown to reverse some of these negative effects and promote recovery physically and mentally.
What does BAC stand for? (Blood Alcohol Content)
When we talk about Blood Alcohol Content, we are referring to the percentage of alcohol that makes up your bloodstream. For example, if you have a Blood Alcohol Content of .150, 15% of your blood is made up of alcohol.
What percentage of young adults (18-25 years old) battle a substance use disorder?
14-15% of young adults report battling a substance use disorder ( as of 2017)
What are two federal websites or resources for college students who drink?
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), and the U.S Department of Education
What are Health Disparities? (examples or definition)
"Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations" (CDC). This can look like not having equal access to medical care, environmental factors such as pollution in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and inaccurate stereotypes surrounding disadvantaged populations and their use of substances.
True or False: Frequent binge drinking (4 or more drinks per occasion for females and 5 for males) can have long-term impacts on the brain and body.
True. Long-term alcohol misuse can have impacts such as memory problems (because of alcohol's effect on the hippocampus) and decrease in the production of brain stem cells, among other effects on individual organs resulting in damage such as scarring on the organs.
What is a standard drink of alcohol?
In the United States, one "standard" drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol. 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol. 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol.
What percentage of college students meet the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder?
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, approximately 20% of college students meet the criteria for AUD. Alcohol Use Disorder is defined as a “chronic relapsing brain disease” that causes a person to drink compulsively despite negative consequences
What are types of treatment options offered?
Motivational Interviewing, 12 step programs, Trauma therapy, Mindfulness-Based Sobriety, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
True or False: Hispanic and Black people have a higher risk for developing alcohol-related liver disease than white people.
True. This is due to health disparities in the medical field.
What two parts of the brain are MOST impacted by alcohol?
The Prefrontal cortex and the midbrain. The prefrontal cortex is associated with judgement and decision making, and the midbrain is associated with movement, and visual and auditory processing. Alcohol can disrupt these functions, leading to less control over body movement and lack of judgement.
What is the “sweet spot” range for alcohol consumption?
The sweet spot is in the range of .02 and .06 because you typically feel the good effects of alcohol during this time and not the negative effects. This is when people feel euphoric and uplifting effects of alcohol. They are more likely to feel more confident about themselves and be more comfortable with certain activities like dancing.
What are some harmful consequences that college age students face from drinking?
1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohhol related unintentional injures including motor vehicle accidents, 696,000 students are asualte by another student who has been drinking, and about 97,000 students report experiecing alcohol relted sexual assault or date rape
Terms such as "alcohol abuse" can be stigmatizing to those in substance use recovery. What is a non-stigmatizing wording that we can use?
Instead of the word "abuse", try to use "misuse" (ex. alcohol misuse vs. alcohol abuse). This is a less stigmatizing way to talk about those going through recovery for misuse of substances and promotes more holistic and inclusive language about substances
1 out of every ___ Native Americans experience Alcohol Use Disorder.
1 out of 10. This is 10% of the Native American population. This is largely due to having less access to medical care, as well as the link between historical trauma and higher rates of substance misuse as a coping strategy.
What organs are effected by long term alcohol consumption and how are they effected?
Heart = high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and stroke; Liver = inflammation, including alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis; Kidneys = acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease; Pancreas = inflammation and swelling of blood vessels
At what BAC range do blackouts occur?
Blackouts do not mean that someone becomes unconscious, like when you fall asleep. Instead, they often perform normal behaviors, but are unable to remember them the next day. Alcohol impairs your brain causing the inability to form new memories.
There’s a myth that revolves around the consumption of more alcohol, the more you drink beyond your sweet spot is not a positive linear progression of euphoria, rather a negative downslope that can result in some serious side effects (CUPS).
What percentage of full-time college students binge drank in the past month?
36.9%-Binge drinking is defined as 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks on occasion for women. This stat is higher for those in college compared to those not in college.
What are some ways to prevent overdose of a substance?
Ways to prevent overdose include being aware of the source where the substance came from (ex. buying cannabis from a dispensary), not mixing substances, calling numbers like Never Use Alone (800) 484-3731 when using substances without someone else around, and carrying Naloxone (a nasal spray that can help slow overdose of opioids until medical emergency services arrive).
True or False: Lower income houses are 3x more likely to experience health disparities.
TRUE. There is a strong link between income and healthcare access, and those in lower income households are more at risk to experience the effects of health disparities.
How does alcohol effect the brain?
Alcohol can have short and long term effects causing a disruption in the brains communication pathways. These can influence mood, behavior and other cognitive functions.
How many standard drinks are in a cup of jungle juice?
Jungle Juice typically contains 5 to 8 standards drinks. For a visual, you can imagine that 1 cup of jungle juice is basically equivalent to 5 beers. However, while 5 to 8 is typical, it is important to note that you never really know unless you know who is making it and exactly what is going into the mix.
What is the most vulnerable time for harmful and underage college drinking?
The first 6 weeks of freshman year- this is due to unstructured time, widespread availability of alcohol, inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws, and limited interactions with parents and other adults.
What is Narcan?
Narcan is the brand name for a naloxone nasal spray. This nasal spray can be used in cases of overdose, by helping to slow opioid overdose until medical services arrive. There are no negative effects of Narcan and you can attend a short Narcan training at the Barnes Center for free to become certified to administer Narcan.
What are some examples of social determinants of health?
Some examples include:
Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets)
Access to educational, economic, and job opportunities
Access to health care services
Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities
Transportation options
Public safety
Social support
Social norms and attitudes (e.g., discrimination, racism, and distrust of government)
Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder (e.g., presence of trash and lack of cooperation in a community)
Socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it)
Residential segregation / Redlining