Information about Alcohol
Alcohol is legal and widely available, but it is still a drug and it can still cause a lot of harm. It is possible to get addicted to using alcohol, and drinking too much (even if you are not addicted) can seriously damage your health both immediately and in the long term.
Effects: Most people will be familiar with the effects of alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows down the nervous system and your responses. Effects range from feeling a bit more relaxed, to slurred speech, lack of co-ordination, and slower reactions, to being sick, passing out and memory loss. The emotional effects of alcohol tend to enhance whatever mood you were in before drinking. So trying to ‘drown your sorrows’ is not a good idea – you will usually end up feeling worse. Being drunk can also result in more extreme behaviour than normal – alcohol is responsible for a lot of violence and aggression.
Risks: Drinking a large amount of alcohol can be fatal, either by causing alcohol poisoning or by someone being sick and inhaling their own vomit while they are unconscious. Even in relatively small amounts alcohol can give you a nasty hangover, with headaches, sickness and feeling generally uncomfortable. Long-term overindulgence can cause liver disease and heart problems and has been linked to several types of cancer. Aggression, violence or other behaviour which might not have happened if the people involved weren’t drunk, can have serious consequences such as serious injury and/or getting arrested.
Alcohol is an addictive substance. Most people can enjoy a drink without going too far or forming a habit, but for some people alcohol use becomes a problem. You can develop a tolerance to alcohol, so you need more to get the same effect, and it’s possible to become physically addicted so that you experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking. Withdrawal can be very nasty and even fatal, and can only be done safely under medical supervision.
Minimising the risks: It takes your body an hour to process one unit of alcohol. Be aware of how much and how quickly you are drinking – it’s perfectly possible to enjoy a drink or two without getting completely intoxicated and possibly doing something you’ll regret. Drink non-alcoholic drinks as well as alcoholic ones – this will stop you getting too dehydrated and mean you have less of a hangover. If you know from experience that you’re likely to get aggressive or do something dangerous when you’re drunk, the answer is simple – don’t get that drunk and avoid putting yourself in that situation.
The Government’s recommended safe drinking levels are 14 units a week for women and 21 for men, with no more than 2-3 units a day for women and 3-4 units a day for men. A unit is about half a pint of beer or one small glass of wine. The experts suggest having at least two alcohol-free days a week, and if you do have a heavy night, leave at least 48 hours before drinking again to let your body properly recover.