FORS-2107EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Molar Attenuation Coefficient, Gas Chromatography, Blood Alcohol Content
27 Jun 2018
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Forensic Science - Day 11 2018.02.26
Pharmacodynamics - The effects of Alcohol on the Body
-Impairment refers to task performance
-Intoxication are all the outwardly visible
signs of being drunk (ex. glossy eyes,
slurred speech, etc.)
-When drinking persists over time, it is
said that someone becomes “tolerant”
to intoxication but you cannot become
tolerant to impairment, you simply
become tolerant to the effects alcohol
has on your body
-Alcohol also suppresses your ability to
judge how drunk you actually are
-Vasodilatation will lead to
-Reduced blood pressure
-Increased heart rate
-Muscle fatigue
-Hypothermia
-This can be fatal, even in summer months as this reduces blood pressure which
will cause the vascular tubes to get wider and closer to the surface of the skin, so
blood vessels will dilate and skin will look red, and due to the vessels being so
close to the skin, they can easily lose heat at a fast rate and die
-Effects of Alcohol on Aggression
-Alcohol does not cause aggressive behaviour on its own, but through reducing
inhibitions, it can facilitates behaviour that may otherwise have been kept under
control
-Faculties Required for Driving
-With dose-dependent CNS impairment, there is an increase in impairment of
driving related cognitive and psychomotor functions as BAC increases
-Most affected factors for driving:
-Divided attention
-Choice Reaction time
-Judgment (Risk/hazard/Speed/Distance)
-Tracking (eg. steering)
-Vigilance (eg. concentrated attention)
-As BACs get higher, there is visual and auditory effects affected, along with
coordination, which become increasingly impaired
-The ability to make and properly act upon decisions in new situations (eg.
emergencies) is impaired by alcohol
-Tolerance cannot overcome these impairing effects
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Document Summary
Pharmacodynamics - the effects of alcohol on the body. Intoxication are all the outwardly visible signs of being drunk (ex. glossy eyes, slurred speech, etc. ) When drinking persists over time, it is said that someone becomes tolerant to intoxication but you cannot become tolerant to impairment, you simply become tolerant to the effects alcohol has on your body. Alcohol also suppresses your ability to judge how drunk you actually are. Alcohol does not cause aggressive behaviour on its own, but through reducing inhibitions, it can facilitates behaviour that may otherwise have been kept under control. With dose-dependent cns impairment, there is an increase in impairment of driving related cognitive and psychomotor functions as bac increases. As bacs get higher, there is visual and auditory effects affected, along with coordination, which become increasingly impaired. The ability to make and properly act upon decisions in new situations (eg. emergencies) is impaired by alcohol. Blood or serum is typically analyzed by.
