The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
How does alcohol react with the body? Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Once in the blood, alcohol spreads throughout the body, reaching the brain almost immediately. The liver is the organ which breaks down or "metabolizes" alcohol. The liver works slowly and at a constant rate. This rate varies from one person to the next. What does BAC mean? BAC, which stands for Blood Alcohol Concentration, is a measurement of the level of alcohol in the bloodstream. The BAC is expressed as the measure of milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. This is written as a milligrams percent. In Canada, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of over 80 mg%, or as the Criminal Code expresses it, .08. What factors influence the BAC level? The two most important factors that influence a person's BAC level are the number of drinks and how fast the alcohol is consumed. Other factors include: - Lean body weight. A person of smaller build will reach a higher BAC for the same number of drinks as a person of larger build. Remember to judge by lean body mass, as weight due to excess fat does not increase the body's ability to absorb alcohol. - Gender. Women will have a higher BAC than men when drinking equal amounts of alcohol. While this is not fully understood, one reason may be that women generally have more fat and less water than men of the same weight. Tobacco Tobacco use will cause more than 47,500 people to die this year. That's roughly the population of a city the size of Brandon, Manitoba. Smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death in Canada. Marijuana Did you know that the harmful effects on the lungs of one marijuana cigarette are comparable to smoking a whole pack of cigarettes. Crack-Cocain Cocaine and crack cocaine can cause dependency in anyone after only one or two uses. It is the only drug rats will choose instead of food, even if they starve to death. Illegal drugs Did you know that a drug conviction might result in restriction of freedom to travel and immigrate, your ability to be bonded or a limitation of job opportunities? Some employers now require prospective employees to be tested for illegal drugs prior to hiring. Cocaine Cocaine is a powerful stimulant and a highly addictive drug. Single high doses of cocaine have been known to result in seizures or death due to stroke, cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. Street cocaine is rarely pure increasing the risk of overdose. Using cocaine can put your life at risk.
