Drink with Care
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3

Because Alcohol truly is a powerful drug, people need to drink it with care.

Alcohol can change the way a person thinks, acts, and feels.

Its main ingredient (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) is a depressant.

This means it slows down the central nervous system and can

affect the brain in complex ways.

Alcohol can also interact with medications used to treat high

blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

Combining alcohol with medicine can interfere with the way

medication is supposed to work.

Alcohol can lead to both psychological and physical

dependence (also known as addiction).

Additionally, alcohol consumed in large quantities can lead to alcohol poisoning. People can, and sometimes do die from drinking too much in a short period of time.

Warning!!

If women have 4 or more drinks in a row or men have 5 or more drinks in a row, they are engaging in “High Risk” or “Binge Drinking”.

Excessive drinking can cause people to pass out.

Passing out is a warning sign that drinkers are in SERIOUS trouble.

NEVER leave them alone.

Instead, call for help and get them to the hospital immediately. Even when an intoxicated person appears to be sleeping it off, the alcohol in their stomach is still continuing to enter their bloodstream.

BOTTOM LINE

Binge drinking is not a party game.

Excessive drinking can be a question of life or death!

Alcohol also should be taken seriously because

it plays a part in 1/2 of all fatal (that means deadly)

car accidents, 1/2 of all murders, 1/2 of all reported rapes,

and 1/3 of all completed suicides.

Remember, people CAN be alcohol-free.

In fact, about one third of adults in the United States are!

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