Substance Abuse - Alcohol

Strand 3: Individual and Community Health

Outcome:

5.6 - Students analyse attitudes, behaviours and consequences related to health issues affecting young people

5.1 - Students analyse how they can support their own and others sense of self

SLA: Influences on alcohol use and binge drinking

SLT: Examine the consequences of alcohol use on the individual and community

Skills: Decision making

Task 1: Small Group Experts.

Students are to be devided into groups of 5. Each group is provided with an excerpt from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Report,"Young Australians. Their Health and Well being 2007. Student groups are to read and take notes on each part of the report. At the conclusion of this session each group is to relay their knowledge to the rest of the class.

This activity is designed to provide a base of understanding to students as to the prevalence and problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Short Term Risk Factors - Group 1

Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality. In the short term,
high doses of alcohol severely impair brain function and can result in coma or death from direct
intoxication (NHMRC 2001). The immediate effects of excessive alcohol consumption include
a lowering of inhibitions and impairment of motor, sensory and thought processes. When these
effects are combined with the typical risk taking behaviours associated with adolescence, the risk
of serious injury and death is high. Young people are the group at greatest risk of alcohol-related
harm such as motor vehicle accidents, physical and sexual assault, falls, drowning and suicide
(NHMRC 2001).

Long Term Risk Factors - Group 2

In the long term, excessive alcohol consumption can impair liver function, resulting in alcoholic
hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, and have toxic effects on the cardiovascular system, resulting
in high blood pressure and stroke (NHMRC 2001). Alcohol consumption is also a major factor
in the development of certain forms of cancer, including cancers of the oral cavity, cancer of the
oesophagus, cancer of the liver, cancer of the larynx, and female breast cancer (AIHW & AACR
2004). Other long-term health problems related to excessive alcohol consumption include sexual
dysfunction, gastric ulcers, metabolic conditions such as gout, nutritional conditions such as folate
deficiency, and nervous system disorders such as alcohol-related brain damage (NHMRC 2001).

Risky Drinking - Group 3

Risky and high-risk drinking
Alcohol consumption is measured in standard drinks—one standard drink is any drink containing
10 g (equivalent to 12.5 ml) of alcohol. Consumption levels associated with harm are presented in
Table 3.10. These levels relate to consumption among people aged 18 years and over. Young people
under 18 years of age are more vulnerable to the risks of alcohol consumption than adults—they
are physically smaller, they lack experience with drinking and its effects, and do not have a built-up
tolerance to alcohol (NHMRC 2001).
NHMRC guidelines recommend that young people under the age of 18 years should not drink
beyond the levels set for low-risk drinking by adults—for males, no more than 4 standard drinks
per day on average, and never more than 6 standard drinks on any one day and for females, no more
than 2 standard drinks per day on average, and never more than 4 standard drinks on any one day
(NHMRC 2001).

Consumption Statistics - Group 4

According to the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 31% of 12–24 year olds drank,
once or more a month, at levels that put them at risk or high risk of alcohol-related harm in the
short term, and 11% drank at levels that put them at risk or high risk of alcohol-related harm in
the long term.
• An estimated 37% of 16–19 year olds and 45% of 20–24 year olds drank at risky or high risk
levels for short-term harm. These rates are almost twice the rate for all Australians (21%;
see AIHW 2005a). A much smaller proportion (4%) of young people aged 12–15 years were
drinking at risky or high-risk levels for short-term harm.
• Relatively high proportions of young people were also drinking at risky or high-risk levels for
long-term harm: 14% of young people aged 16–19 years and 17% of young people aged
20–24 years. This compares with 10% of all Australians. Less than 2% of young people aged
12–15 years drank at levels that were risky or high-risk for long-term harm.

In their same groups students are asked to examine on of the following subject areas and brainstorm ideas and solutions.

Group 1

What negative effects can alcohol abuse have on individuals/families

Group 2

What are the consequences for society as a result of alcohol abuse

Group 3

How much of a role does peer pressure play in under age binge drinking

Group 4

What strategies could be put in place to make people more aware of the dangers of alcohol abuse

At the conclusion of this session each group is asked to discuss their findings with the rest of the class. Teacher is to document in dot point form each groups findings on the white board.

Debrief: General class discussion on the dangers of alcohol abuse, the ramifications on society and the individual and how we can provide assistance to ourselves and others.