alcohol

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Teen Alcohol and Tobacco Usage

Definition
Alcohol- Also called ethanol. It is a central nervous system depressant. Is drank to feel pleasure and or stimulation.
Nicotine- Obtained from tobacco. It is a central nervous system stimulant. Used for awareness or a stress-killer.

Drinking and Driving
Teenagers often make the decision to drink while intoxicated on misinformation. They actually think that their capable of driving under the influence of alcohol.
* Alcohol decreases the ability to concentrate
* Slows reaction time behind the wheel.
* Can experience double-vision
Driving while intoxicated is against the law in every state. Yet over twice as many licensed teens are involved in alcohol-related car accidents then people over the age thirty.

Why Smoke?
Most people know that smoking is hazardous to their health and can cause serious diseases.
* Over 50 million people in the US smoke
* 3 million of them being teenagers
The main reason is addiction. Over a short period of time, a smoker can be addicted to the nicotine. Many teens start from peer-pressure or just wanting to fit in.

Death and Smoking
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in America.
* Every day approximately 3,000 teens become
regular smokers
* One-third of them will eventually die from it
Each year more than 400,000 deaths occur from smoking. That's more deaths than from AIDS, alcohol, and car accidents. It is estimated that if smokers hadn't started smoking, they would live up to 12 to 15 years longer.

Costs of Smoking
In 1993 about $50 billion was spent on medical expenses, including $26.9 billion for hospital expenditures. Another $15.5 billion for physician expenses and $1.8 billion for prescription drugs.
There was $900 million for home health care. It is estimated that smoking expenses would raise past $100 billion every year....