L. 1: Why is Alcohol Harmful
What percentage of alcohol is eliminated from the body through the liver's metabolic process?
95%
What measurement is the main factor used by law enforcement to determine if a person is driving while intoxicated?
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Prolonged, heavy alcohol use is a major factor in the development of cancer in the liver, throat, and this body part.
stomach
What is the general name for the chronic disease characterized by a psychological and physical need for alcohol?
Alcoholism
What is the ultimate goal of a recovering alcoholic who has committed to an alcohol-free life?
Sobriety
Because alcohol is a depressant, what effect does it have on your reaction time and coordination?
They slow down
Alcohol causes a loss of body heat, but what false sensation of warmth does the drinker feel?
A false sense of warmth
What is the condition where fat builds up in the liver, leading to liver cell death and potentially a full-sized, diseased organ?
Fatty liver
This is the term for a person who drinks excessively but is not yet physically dependent on alcohol.
A Problem drinker
What is the most important initial action an alcoholic must take to begin recovery?
Admission
A person's BAC is affected by the amount of food in their stomach and this other physiological factor.
Body size/weight
What is the severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose?
Alcohol poisoning
What is the term for a group of alcohol-related birth defects that includes mental disabilities and facial deformities?
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
The stage of alcoholism where the person loses control and drinking becomes the central focus of his or her life is known as what?
Addiction (Stage 3)
This program is a support system specifically designed for teenagers who have an alcoholic family member.
Alateen
What is the term for the state in which the body is poisoned by alcohol and a person's physical and mental control is reduced?
Intoxication
What short-term effect on the brain causes a person to become more talkative or aggressive?
Loss of inhibitions
Long-term use of alcohol permanently damages cells in the brain and this other major organ responsible for filtering blood.
The Liver
What non-physical factor, related to heredity, significantly increases a person's risk of developing alcoholism?
Genetics
What is the process of learning to cope with the stress of everyday life without drinking alcohol?
Recovery
What dangerous behavior is caused by alcohol's effect on judgment, leading a person to take risks they wouldn't normally take?
Impaired judgment
What legal acronym is used to describe an individual operating a motor vehicle with a BAC above the legal limit?
DUI (Driving Under the Influence)
Chronic alcohol use weakens the body's ability to fight off disease by suppressing this vital bodily system.
The Immune system
In what stage of alcoholism does the drinker begin to use alcohol to manage stress and avoid facing problems?
Abuse (Stage 1)
What is the medical term for the process in which an alcoholic is monitored by a doctor in a hospital as the body adjusts to functioning without alcohol?
Detoxification