Understanding Wellbeing Week 5: Introduction to alcohol awareness for the individual

LO 1: State the unit strength of several alcoholic drinks (1.1)

LO 2: Identify reasons for misusing alcohol (2.1) & list psychological and physical effects of alcohol misuse (3.1)

LO 3: Describe how alcohol misuse can effect family, friends and society (4.1) & identify organisations that can offer help (7.1)

LO 4: Identify a variety of health impacts (5.1) & the effects of alcohol withdrawal (6.1)

Session 5 Objectives

4 examples of where to get support or advice on substance misuse

4 ways that stereotyping can affect users

5 signs or symptoms that may indicate substance misuse

3 harmful effects of substance misuse on individuals/society

Recap – Group buzzers

Please stand up

I will read out a statement…

If the statement applies to you then please sit down

Ice Breaker

Men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week - the equivalent of six pints of average strength beer or seven glasses of wine - in order to keep their health risks low, new guidelines have recommended.

The new Department of Health limits - which came into effect on Friday the 8th of January - replace the previous ones on drinking, which were set out 21 years ago.

New alcohol guidelines: What you need to know

Work in pairs to read through and discuss the hand-out relating to the new guidelines

Think about, discuss and answer the following questions;

1. Do you think they are right to reduce the recommended guidelines?

2. Do you think people will take notice of the new guidelines?

3. Do you think the reasons for changing the limit are good enough?

Activity 1

Choose at least 4 different kinds/brands of alcohol (Fosters, vodka, wine etc.)

Find out and take notes on the % of alcohol, amount of units (often found on the back) and the quantity (ml) of those alcoholic drinks

Bring your notes back in to class to share with others

HomeworkYou needed to…

What is a UK unit of alcohol?10 millilitres of pure alcohol or ethyl alcoholWhy are ‘units’ used to measure alcoholic drinks? To improve the public’s understanding of how much alcohol is in the volume of liquid they are consuming & to help people drink at safer levels.What is ABV?Alcohol By Volume (the percentage of alcohol contained in a volume of liquid)

The packaging or containers for most alcoholic drinks now have the unit content displayed…if however they do not, there is a way to quickly approximate. This is called the litre method:

The ABV % indicates how many units of alcohol would be in a full litre (1000ml) of that particular liquid. We can then estimate how many units are in the quantity of alcohol we are drinking…

Units of alcohol

A 1 litre (1000ml) bottle of 12% ABV red wine?12 units

What about 1 glass (250ml)3 units

So…how many units?

A pint (approx. half a litre) of 5% lager 2.5 units

A shot (25ml) of 40% whisky 1 unit

And a couple more…

Work in pairs

You can either use mobile phones or laptops

www.drinkaware.co.uk/tips-and-tools/drink-diary/

(Website is also on your worksheet)

You will share your findings as a groupThis worksheet links to Page 22 AC 2.1

Activity 2 - Complete the ‘How many units’ Worksheet

I need 1 volunteer to stand at the number 7 please

I will begin a story and I would like you to add to it and include drinks & unit content to the story as we go along.

Activity 3 - Alcohol clock game

15 minutes = Plenty of time for a brew, chat, drink of

water, toilet visit

BREAK TIME

Complete the worksheet in pairs by working in pairs to write all the reasons why you think people

choose to drink or not drink alcohol

This worksheet links to Page 22 AC 2.2

Activity 4 - The decision on whether to drink or not

For the next part of the session you will be working in small groups to gather, interpret and present information that relates to the following areas:

Group 1: Identify and describe 3 different reasons why people may misuse alcohol (2.1) & describe 3 psychological and 3 (immediate) physical effects of alcohol misuse (3.1)

Group 2: Describe how alcohol misuse can affect 1) family 2) friends 3) society (4.1) & identify and describe 3 organisations that can offer help and information in relation to alcohol misuse (7.1)

Group 3: Identify the health impact of alcohol misuse on 1) nutrition 2) Liver 3) Heart 4) mental health 5) sexual health (5.1) & describe the effects of alcohol withdrawal (6.1)

Each group will receive a task sheet. You will have up to 45 minutes to research, discuss and prepare your presentation. You will have up to 10 minutes to present – Presentations will be used for additional evidence.

Activity 5 - Group investigation & presentation

Group 1 (2.1, 3.1)

Reasons for misusing alcohol: easily available and relatively cheap, socially acceptable form of drug use, lack of awareness, mask trauma and/or unpleasant feelings, means of psychological escape, learned behaviour (2.1)

Psychological impact: socially disinhibiting, relieve stress, aid relaxation, increase levels of anxiety/depression, increase aggression or tendency to be violent, increase risk taking, dependence

Physical impact: lowers core body temperature, increase feelings of hunger, increase need to urinate, loss of coordination, balance and motor skills, increases heart rate and blood pressure (3.1)

Impact on family: increase risk of arguments and domestic violence, employment and financial problems through over-spending, absenteeism or loss of employment, intergenerational alcohol misuseImpact on friends: increase risk of inappropriate, aggressive or violent behaviour, breakdown in relationshipsImpact on society: increased levels of aggression and violence in town centres, loss of social income through absenteeism & inability to work, increased levels of welfare dependency, healthcare costs (acute & chronic) (4.1)

3 organisations that can offer help and/or information:Inspire, THOMAS, Alcoholics Anonymous (7.1)

Group 2 (4.1, 7.1)

Nutrition: does not contain any useful nutrients and in fact prevents the body from absorbing and processing other nutrients, high in calories that cannot be utilisedLiver: increased risk of developing diabetes, some liver cells turn to fat, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, increased risk of liver disease (and death)Heart: increased heart rate and blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, risk of stroke, coronary heart diseaseMental health: increased levels of depression/anxiety, psychological dependence, stress levels etcSexual (reproductive) health: reduced testosterone levels, sperm production, sperm mobility, interruption to menstrual cycle, decreased chance of conception, increased risk of risky sexual behaviour and STIs/STDs (5.1)

Effects of alcohol withdrawal: shaking, sweating, nausea, vomiting, headaches, insomnia, hallucinations, seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), disorientation, high blood pressure, racing heart rate, fever – withdrawal from alcohol should always be medically supervised as it can be fatal if not managed correctly (6.1)

Group 3 (5.1, 6.1)

You need to complete the sections on pages 23/24 which you did not research/present the information in

Homework