User:Idank/bagrut project

Introduction

I chose to do a research about alcohol. In my research you will be able to see the advantages and disadvantages of drinking alcohol. Although alcohol sometimes can be a good and most of the time it causes problems. According to some doctors alcohol can even be a medicine. Teens of today made it a custom to drink alcohol every Friday night. The result of this drinking sometimes is devastating. This is due to the fact that alcohol has certain effects on our mind and behavior. As a result we lose control over our actions and misjudge the reality. In order to understand these effects I decided to research the alcohol substances from the chemical point of view. In addition, I also studied normal patterns of behavior and compared them with the behavior of the alcohol users. At the end I conducted a survey in order to prove my initial assumption, that is that Israeli teenagers drink a lot and this drinking affects their behavior.

Research Process and Findings

Research process and findings Drinking alcohol is called ethanol. Ethanol is a flammable, colorless liquid and is referred as alcohol. It is the oldest recreational drugs known to man. You can find ethanol in any alcoholic drinks and it affects human mind. When someone drinks alcohol he has to know two things, first of all not to mix different kinds of alcoholic beverages, especially not to mix vodka with beer or wine. Secondly, if someone wants to drink he doesn't need to be drunk but he has to stop whenever he starts losing control over his actions. In chemistry, alcohol is a general term for any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom, which in turn may be bound to other carbon atoms and further hydrogens. Other alcohols such as propylene glycol and the sugar alcohols may appear in food or beverages regularly, but these alcohols do not make them "alcoholic". Methanol (one carbon), the propanols (three carbons giving two isomers), and the butanols (four carbons, four isomers) are all commonly found alcohols, and none of these three should ever be consumed in any form. Alcohols are toxicated into the corresponding aldehydes and then into the corresponding carboxylic acids. These metabolic products cause a poisoning and acidosis. The molecular formula of ethanol is C2H2OH but it is often abbreviated as ETOH. Ethanol is a psychoactive drug. It has both short and long terms effects on our organism. Its most common effects is on a central nervous system. As it has an ability to change the human consciousness it is considered a drug. In some cases an overdose of alcohol can cause death. Prolonged heavy consumption of alcohol can cause permanent damage to the brain and other organs.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages and disadvantages of alcohol consumption:

1. Sometimes alcohol kills the bacterium in our body.
2. People lose control over their actions
3. People do things that have never thought of doing People lose coordination

Although alcohol is consumed during feasts, its disadvantages overweigh its advantages.

Drinking and Driving

Drinking and driving is known that drinking and driving can cause fatal effects. Therefore most countries have laws against drunk driving. Any amount of alcohol in the blood is dangerous while driving. Although in different countries there is a certain amount of alcohol that is permitted it must be remembered that driving under the influence of alcohol can be fatal. During driving we have to focus on the road and be ready to take quick actions under any circumstances. In split seconds alcohol affects our brain and central nervous system and prolongs the time of our reaction. Therefore, every new driver should be acquainted with any possible effects of the alcohol on our behavior.

Drinking and driving

Survey

Survey

1. Do you drink when you meet your friends?
   1. Always
   2. Usually
   3. Never
2. In your opinion a good party can be celebrated without alcohol?
   1. Yes
   2. No
   3. Seldom
3. Someone who does not drink alcohol isn’t considered a man?
   1. Yes
   2. No
   3. Sometimes
4. Do you drive under the effect of alcohol?
   1. Yes
   2. No
   3. Sometimes
5. Do you mix different kinds of alcohol?
   1. Yes
   2. No
   3. Sometimes
6. Do you drink alcohol until you are drunk?
   1. Always
   2. Sometimes
   3. Never
7. Do you like to drink alcohol?
   1. Yes
   2. No
8. Do you drink alcohol before you go to a party?
   1. Always
   2. Never
   3. Sometimes

Results

This survey was conducted in order to investigate teenager's habits of drinking alcohol. The questionnaire was given to 10 teens, both sexes, of 17-18 years old. The results were the following: Quest Drink alcohol Sometimes drink alcohol Never drink alcohol

1. 60% 20% 20%
2. 80% - 20%
3. 40% 10% 50%
4. 30% - 70%
5. 100% - -
6. 70% 20% 10%
7. 90% - 10%
8. 80% 10% 10%

As it is shown in the table 69% of the teenagers tend to drink alcohol when they are having fun. Although only 30% said that they drive under the influence of alcohol, most of them think that alcohol is an important part of their life. These results confirm my hypothesis that teenagers drink alcohol. Therefore I believe that it is very important to show teens the devastating effects of the alcohol. It can be done with the help of lectures, movies or books.

Conclusions

In my research I have learned that alcohol isn’t sometimes nice to you I mean that alcohol can make you lose control, hit people and even say that you don’t what to say. If someone wants to drinks alcoholic drinks he must learn how to drink them without getting drunk. In this way he will enjoy the alcohol and won't cause any damage to himself and others. I also learned that many teenagers are not aware of the real dangers of alcohol and therefore consume it a lot.

Feedback

I enjoyed doing a research about alcohol and I learned a lot about this subject. L learned about chemical structure of the alcohol and its effects. By reading a lot of articles I improved my reading skills. I also learned some new word in English and improved my writing. The most difficult part of the project was summarizing the articles in my own words because I didn’t want to copy the material. The easiest and the most interesting part was to conduct a survey, because it was fun to speak with my friends.