Tag Archives: BAC

Alcohol and Sex

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Alcohol and Sex

Drinking alcohol has a number of effects on sex and sexual behavior. There is a strange counterbalance between alcohol and sex: the suppressive effects of alcohol on sexual functioning decreases sexual activity, yet at the same time its suppression of psychological inhibitions, increases the desire for sex.

Alcohol is a depressant; it causes the body’s systems to slow down. Often, feelings of drunkenness are associated with elation and happiness but other feelings of anger or depression can also arise. Balance, judgment, and coordination are also negatively impacted. One of the most significant short term side effects of alcohol is reduced inhibition. The relationship between alcohol and sex here becomes significant because reduced inhibitions can lead to an increase in sexual behavior.

Alcohol and Sex in Men

Men’s sexual behaviors can be affected dramatically by alcohol. Both chronic and acute alcohol consumption inhibit the production of testosterone. Because testosterone is critical for libido and physical arousal, alcohol tends to have damaging effects on male sexual performance. Alcohol intoxication can decrease sexual arousal, decrease pleasure and intensity of orgasm, and increase difficulty in attaining orgasm. Therefore, contrary to the belief that alcohol and sex go hand-in-hand, as demonstrated in the social practice of meeting people at bars, alcohol only serves to negatively impact sexual performance in men.

Alcohol and Sex in Women

Women have a different response to alcohol intoxication than men. In many women, alcohol and sex seem to complement each other more than men, alcohol and sex. Women’s sexual arousal and desire, is increased with the intake of alcohol however it lowers the signs of arousal. Studies have shown that acute alcohol consumption tends to cause increased levels of testosterone and estradiol. Since testosterone controls in part the strength of libido in women, this tends to cause an increase in interest in sex. Also, because women have a higher percentage of body fat and less water in their bodies than men, alcohol can have a quicker and more dramatic impact. Women’s bodies take longer to process alcohol; that is, a woman’s body often takes one-third longer to eliminate alcohol from their system.

For women, alcohol and sex is also different in their sexual behavior. Studies have shown that increased BAC is associated with longer periods of orgasmic inactivity and decreased intensity of orgasm. Some women report a greater sexual arousal with increased alcohol consumption as well as increased sensations of pleasure during orgasm.

Psychologically speaking, alcohol plays a role in women’s sexual behavior. Women who were intoxicated then reported that they believed they were more sexually aroused than before their consumption of alcohol. This psychological effect contrasts with what the physiological effects were measured to be. This again supports the belief that alcohol and sex is affected because drinking alcohol leads to a loss of inhibitions. Often, alcohol can influence the capacity for a woman to feel more relaxed and in turn, be more sexual because she is not as inhibited as she would be if she was sober.

 

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.webmd.com/

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Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

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Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

We all know how and why breathalyzers work. You blow into a tube and it can accurately detect your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you have ever seen a breathalyzer hopefully it was because you owned one that you used to keep an eye on your own BAC and it wasn’t because you are drunk driving. If it was because you were drunk driving, at least you and the rest of the people on the road are safe. Drunk driving is dangerous and causes thousands of accidents a year. Many people needlessly die due to drunk driving and law enforcement as well as groups such as MADD; have been trying to combat it for years now. Finally there may be an answer to the drunk driving epidemic: urinalyzers.  

Few people actually have the extra cash to spend on a portable breathalyzer and even fewer people who have a portable breathalyzer with them, actually use it. The drunker people get the less responsible, shall we say, they get. This is where the urine-analyzer rightly dubbed the “urinalyzer”) comes in. A urinalyzers is a new device which measures your BAC when you go to the bathroom after a few drinks, a lot of drinks, or you can’t even walk to the bathroom in a straight line amount of drinks. These urinalyzers are the newest thing in nightclub technology created by a marketing agency DDB and Zouk, a popular night club in Singapore.

The urinalyzer is a creative and clever device that is meant to stop drunks before they ever become drivers. Therefore the urinalyzer is meant to stop drunk drivers. So how does a urinalyzer work?

  • First off, when you enter the nightclub you hand over your car keys in exchange for a special RFID card from the valet.
  • Second, you have a few drinks.
  • Third, you go to relieve yourself and the card will pair with the urine analyzer which then provides instant feedback on a screen above your urinal. 

If you have gone above the limit and don’t listen to the warning that you just got from your urinal, the RFID card will warn the valet pretty much not to let you drive. The valet will then offer you many other ways to get home that don’t involve you getting behind the wheel of a car. They may offer to call you a cab or pitch to you their own drive-home service.

The urinalyzer is a new proactive technology so it has plenty of room to develop and fix any minor inconveniences or problems; the biggest one right now being the fact that women don’t use urinals. It won’t be surprising if eventually the urinalyzer finds its way into the women’s restroom too. But in the meantime the urinalyzer has stopped 573 people over the legal limit; in only two weeks. The sad news about that is only 342 took the valet up on the cab or drive-home service but those numbers could improve and include every person over the limit with police involvement.

Either way it seems more than hopeful that yes, urinalyzers will cut down on DUI’s.

http://www.thefix.com/content/urinalyzers-tag-drunk-clubgoers91941

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Alcohol Poisoning

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Last weekend, Indiana law enforcement picked up a man with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .552, almost seven times the legal limit. James Henderson, 28, was found unconscious on the side of a road.  His level of intoxication would kill most people, or put them in a coma. Remarkably, Henderson was alive, though suffering from extreme alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — consequence of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. When a person has alcohol poisoning they have consumed a toxic amount of alcohol, usually over a short period of time. Their BAC is so high it is considered toxic to their body. Alcohol poisoning can be life threatening and requires immediate medical care.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

  • Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
  • Unconscious or unable to be roused
  • Slow or irregular breathing
  • Puking repeatedly or uncontrollably
  • Seizures

Alcohol poisoning commonly results from binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as more than five drinks in a sitting for men, and more than four for women.  Alcohol poisoning can also occur when someone drinks household products containing alcohol, either accidentally or on purpose.

Alcohol slows involuntary body responses like gag reflex and breathing. With enough alcohol, these reactions can slow to a dangerous level or stop altogether. Someone who has alcohol poisoning is at risk for decreased breathing and gag reflex. Alcohol also irritates the stomach. Many people who are suffering from alcohol poisoning vomit. If the person suffering from alcohol poisoning is unconscious when vomiting begins, they run the risk of asphyxiating on the vomit, particularly if they are lying on their back. People with alcohol poisoning may have seizures or succumb to hypothermia, since alcohol lowers your internal body temperature.

When you drink alcohol, your liver has to filter out the alcohol, a toxin, from your blood. Alcohol poisoning occurs because you are ingesting alcohol more quickly than your liver can metabolize it. In general, the liver metabolizes one drink an hour, although there are slight variations based on sex, size, and race. If you consume more than one drink per hour, the alcohol begins to build up in the blood stream and you increase your risk for alcohol poisoning. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. This means that your blood alcohol content continues to rise, even after you have passed out.

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, you should immediately call 911. Stay with the person until help arrives. If the person is vomiting due to alcohol poisoning, turn them on their side. Try to keep the person suffering from alcohol poisoning conscious by talking to them. Cover them with a blanket and wait for emergency personnel.  It is important to call for medical help, because someone suffering from alcohol poisoning could seize, die, or experience permanent brain damage if they are not medically treated in a timely manner.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.