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Appendix Al -Training Materials/Employees Alcohol <br />Alcohol is the most widely abused of all drugs and belongs to the class of drugs known as depressants. Depressants <br />affect the central nervous system; slowing down mental functions, depressing the pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration <br />and other bodily functions. 60% of all automobile accident fatalities involve alcohol. <br />Alcoholism is a progressive disease which typically passes through 5 stages: social drinking, increased tolerance, <br />behavioral changes, concealment of drinking, complete dependency. <br />In addition to the direct effects, even small amounts of alcohol can have a serious effect on <br />an unborn child. Two-thirds of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol -related vehicle accident during their lifetimes. The <br />rate of separation and divorce in families with alcohol dependency problems is 7 times the average. <br />From 1982 through 1993, deaths from drunken driving accidents have dropped by nearly one third. This drop is <br />attributed (by the CDC) to improved law enforcement, state's raising their drinking ages to 21 and lowering their legal limits <br />for intoxication. Fewer people are drinking. There has been an increase in social pressure against driving drunk and <br />heightened public awareness as a result of groups such as MADD. <br />Signs and Symptoms: <br />Typical Sources: Beer, wine, hard liquors. <br />Physical Symptoms: Odor on breath; slurred speech; very bloodshot/ watery eyes; poor balance/ coordination; sleepy or <br />stuporous condition; gaze nystagmus (spasmodic movement of eyes); possibly constricted pupils; greatly impaired driving <br />ability; impaired judgment; inability to divide attention; lowered inhibitions; changes in sleep patterns. <br />Behavioral Symptoms: excessive use of mouthwash or mints to cover odor of alcohol; focus on alcohol -related activities; <br />hidden drinking, morning drinking, drinking before attending an activity that includes drinking; drinking instead of eating; <br />chronic, unjustifiable problems with family, employer, other employees; excessive irritability and impatience; extreme <br />changes in personality. <br />Personal Health Safety, and the Work Environment: <br />The annual alcohol -related death toll includes: 35,000 auto accident deaths; 15,000 in non -highway accidents; 40,000 <br />deaths due to liver and brain disease or suicide; 125,000 in other alcohol -related conditions/accidents. Two-thirds of all <br />homicides are committed by people who drink prior to the crime. Two to three percent of the drivers on the highway are <br />legally drunk on a typical week -day, and four to six percent on nights and weekends. <br />General Health Effects: ■ Reduced coordination and reflex action ■ Impaired vision and judgment ■ depressed genital <br />reflexes and increased sexual dysfunction/impotency (in spite of reduced inhibitions) ■ vitamin/mineral deficiencies resulting <br />from improper diet ■ increased risk of miscarriage/premature birth/birth defects ■ ruptured veins ■ high blood pressure ■ <br />damage to stomach, pancreas, brain cells, esophagus, liver ■ increased danger of auto/boating accidents, slips/trips/falls, <br />fire, drowning, or becoming a victim of violence, crime, murder. <br />Safety and the Work Environment: Impairment in coordination and judgment can be objectively measured with as little as <br />two drinks in the body (increasing with each additional drink) and resulting in an accident rate of up to 6 times the rate for an <br />unimpaired individual. It takes an average person (150 pounds) about an hour to process one serving of an alcoholic <br />beverage from the body. Over 40 percent of falls are alcohol -related. <br />Overdose Effects: ■ Unconsciousness ■ Amnesia/Blackouts ■ Impotency ■ Coma ■ Death <br />Withdrawal Syndrome: Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. Symptoms can include ■ Sleep disturbance ■ Anxiety attacks ■ <br />Decreased appetite/nausea/vomiting/cramps ■ Hallucinations ■ Sweating and tremors ■ Convulsions ■ Coma ■ Heart failure. <br />The alcoholic requires professional medical attention during withdrawal. <br />2020 Drug Screens Plus. All Rights Reserved. (22) FMCSA 20200101 266 <br />