Drug Education Project · Health Class · AITE

Alcohol
& Addiction

A comprehensive look at one of the world’s most widely used and most misused substances — and a celebrity whose life it nearly destroyed.

88K

Deaths / year

5th

Preventable cause

28.9M

Americans with AUD

−10yr

Life expectancy lost

01

01 — The Drug

What Is Alcohol?

Q 01

The Drug & Street Names

The active compound is ethyl alcohol (ethanol) — found in beer, wine, and distilled spirits.

BoozeHoochThe SauceSpiritsLiquid CourageRotgutBrewJuice

Q 02

Type of Drug

Alcohol is a Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressant. It slows brain activity and impairs judgment, coordination, and memory — despite the widespread belief it’s a stimulant because it initially lowers inhibitions.

Q 03

History & Important Facts

Alcohol use dates back thousands of years across nearly every civilization. Benjamin Rush (1700s) first called alcoholism a medical condition — not a moral failure. Prohibition (1920–1933) failed; production went underground. In 1935, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith founded Alcoholics Anonymous. Clinicians now prefer Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) to reduce stigma. Alcohol kills ~88,000 Americans annually — the 5th-leading preventable cause of death.

02

01 — The Drug (cont.)

Access, Cost
& Addiction

Q 04

How It Is Taken

Almost exclusively consumed orally: beer (~5% ABV), wine (~12%), spirits (~40%). A 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, and 1.5 oz shot all contain one standard drink — identical alcohol regardless of form.

Q 07

Access & Cost

Legally sold to anyone 21+ in the U.S. A six-pack ~$8–15, wine ~$10–30, liquor ~$15–50+. Low cost and legal status make it the most accessible addictive substance in existence — available at every corner store.

Q 08

Why People Become Addicted

Alcohol floods the brain’s dopamine reward system, creating a loop the brain is wired to repeat. The brain undergoes neuroadaptation — rewiring to require alcohol for normal function. Genetics account for 50–60% of AUD risk; those with an addicted parent are 3–4× more likely to develop AUD.

Q 10

Dangers

Short-term: impaired driving, blackouts, alcohol poisoning, violence.
Long-term: liver disease, heart failure, brain damage, 7 types of cancer. More U.S. deaths annually than all illegal drugs combined.

03

02 — Effects on the Body

What Alcohol Does

Once in the bloodstream, alcohol triggers immediate changes across multiple organ systems.

Brain

Impairs judgment, slows reaction time, reduces inhibitions. Long-term: dementia, memory loss, Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome.

Heart

Causes arrhythmia, weakens heart muscle, raises blood pressure — dramatically increasing stroke risk over time.

Liver

Heavy use causes fatty liver, hepatitis, and irreversible cirrhosis — permanent scarring that destroys liver function.

Cancer Risk

Raises risk of mouth, throat, liver, esophagus, colon, and breast cancers. WHO Group 1 carcinogen — no safe level.

Body Temperature

Dilates skin vessels — you feel warm while core temperature actually drops. Hypothermia risk is significantly elevated.

Fetal Development

Drinking during pregnancy causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — permanent brain damage and physical abnormalities. No safe amount exists.

04

03 — Addiction Science

The Science of Addiction

Q 08

Why People Get Addicted

Alcohol floods the brain’s dopamine reward pathway, creating a pleasure loop the brain is designed to repeat. With continued use, the brain undergoes neuroadaptation — rewiring to require alcohol for normal function. Genetics account for 50–60% of AUD risk. Environmental factors — trauma, stress, mental illness, peer pressure — account for the rest.

Q 10

Why It’s Uniquely Dangerous

Unlike most drugs, stopping alcohol cold turkey can be fatal — severe withdrawal causes life-threatening seizures and delirium tremens. It reduces life expectancy by 10 years. It is a known carcinogen linked to 7 cancers. It kills more Americans than all illegal drugs combined — and it’s sold legally at every grocery store.

Drunk Driving

One person dies every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash — the single largest cause of U.S. traffic fatalities.

Alcohol Poisoning

The amount needed to pass someone out is dangerously close to a lethal dose. Passing out from alcohol is a medical emergency.

Withdrawal Risk

Heavy drinkers cannot quit without medical supervision. Benzodiazepines are required to prevent fatal seizures during withdrawal.

Reduced Life Expectancy

Chronic alcoholism costs an average of 10 years of life — 88,000 Americans per year. The 5th-leading preventable cause of death.

05

04 — Myths vs. Facts

Common Myths

Myth

Coffee or a cold shower will sober you up.

Fact

Only time metabolizes alcohol. Coffee makes you feel alert while remaining fully impaired — making you more dangerous, not safer.

Myth

Beer is safer than hard liquor.

Fact

A 12 oz beer, 5 oz wine, and 1.5 oz shot contain identical amounts of alcohol. Only total consumption matters — not the form.

Myth

High tolerance means you’re fine.

Fact

Tolerance is a warning sign of neuroadaptation — your brain has rewired around alcohol. Internal damage continues regardless of how normal you feel.

Myth

You have to drink every day to be an alcoholic.

Fact

AUD is defined by inability to control drinking once started — not frequency. Weekend binge drinking fully qualifies as Alcohol Use Disorder.

Myth

Red wine is good for your heart.

Fact

Early studies were flawed and correlational. The WHO states there is no safe level of alcohol. It is a Group 1 carcinogen.

06

05 — Celebrity Case Study

Bradley Cooper

BC

Bradley Cooper

Actor · Director · Producer

Sober since 2004

1975

Born, Philadelphia PA

1997

Georgetown BA in English

Early '00s

Alias — fired; addiction deepens

2004

Will Arnett intervenes; sober at 29

2009

The Hangover — breakthrough

2018

A Star Is Born — 8 Oscar noms.

2023

Maestro; 20+ years sober

Who Is He?

Award-winning American actor, director, and producer. Georgetown BA, Actors Studio MFA. Multiple Academy Award nominations across acting, directing, and producing.

Substance Use

Battled both alcohol and cocaine addiction throughout his 20s — using substances to cope with a stalling career and severe imposter syndrome. He has described suicidal thoughts during this period.

Impact on Life & Career

Fired from Alias, severed his Achilles tendon, hit rock bottom. Friend Will Arnett confronted him in July 2004: “That was the first time I realized I had a problem. Will is the reason I got sober.” His entire addiction predates his fame — by The Hangover he had been clean for 5 years.

Current Status

Alive, healthy, sober — over 20 years clean. He drew directly on his addiction to portray an alcoholic rock star in A Star Is Born, praised universally for its raw authenticity. He credits sobriety as the foundation of everything.

07

06 — Rehabilitation

Treatment & Recovery

Treatment is most effective when multiple approaches are combined. Recovery is possible — millions have done it.

01

Medical Detox

The most critical first step. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal — benzodiazepines prevent seizures and delirium tremens during medically supervised withdrawal.

02

Medication

Naltrexone blocks pleasure effects. Acamprosate restores brain chemistry. Disulfiram causes illness if alcohol is consumed — a powerful behavioral deterrent.

03

Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and family therapy address the psychological roots of addiction and rebuild self-image and coping skills.

04

Support Groups

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and SMART Recovery offer long-term community and accountability. Sustained peer support is the #1 predictor of lasting sobriety.

08

07 — References