ALCOHOL

THE LAW 

• It is illegal to give alcohol to a child under five years old.  

• Many local authorities have by-laws which may, for example forbid the drinking of alcohol in public places, the police have the power to confiscate alcohol from anyone under the age of 18 years who drinks in public

• It is illegal for licensees to sell alcohol to under 18’s.

• The legal limit for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or 35 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath, but there is no sure way of telling how much you can drink before you reach this limit.  It varies with each person depending on your weight, your sex, your age, if you have just eaten and what sort of drinks you had so you’ll never know how many drinks you can have to be ‘under the limit’.

 Therefore it is safer not to drink any alcohol before driving.

 WHAT TYPE OF DRUG IS IT?

Alcohol is a strong depressant drug, which slows down body reactions and the working of the brain. Therefore, it should not be mixed with any other drugs, particularly other depressants like Heroin, Tranquillizers or sleeping tablets, GHB or Methadone.

SENSIBLE DRINKING  - WHAT IS IT?

The following information on 'Units' applies to adults and not young people under the age of 18. The safe limit for young people is NIL. The unit system does not apply to young people whose bodies, brain and organs are still developing.

The amount of alcohol an ADULT consumes is measured in UNITS.

A typical unit is: 

1 UNIT = HALF A PINT of average strength beer lager or cider

1 UNIT = ONE SMALL GLASS of wine (125ml)

1 UNIT = ONE SINGLE pub measure of spirits (25ml)

1 UNIT = ONE STANDARD pub measure of port or sherry

MEN - sensible levels if you want to avoid damaging your health is 3-4 units of alcohol in any one day – AND NOT EVERY DAY.

WOMEN - sensible levels if you want to avoid damaging your health is 2-3 units of alcohol in any one day – AND NOT EVERY DAY. Pregnant or women trying to get pregnant should drink no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week, although some doctors recommend not drinking at all. Remember that what you drink also gets passed to the baby, and those mother’s who drink heavily risk having a baby with physical and mental abnormalities. (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). There is on-going debate on the safe limits or whether it should be zero alcohol consumption recommended when a woman is pregnant but either way it is important to discuss with your doctor / health visitor or drug worker honestly if you do intend or have been drinking whilst pregnant.

Click here for Young People's Website about Alcohol

 ALCOHOL CHANGES MOOD AND BEHAVIOUR

Alcohol changes our mood, it can make you feel more relaxed and merry, and it can also make you aggressive, or depressed and suicidal. Our moods affect our behaviour; the impact of alcohol on our mood will have an associated impact on our behaviour. Also, adding a ‘depressant’ drug like alcohol when you are already feeling low will, in the long run, make you feel worse. Alcohol also affects our sense of right or wrong before it affects our co-ordination leading us to do things perhaps we wouldn’t consider when sober.

Like all drugs, the effects of alcohol on an individual will depend on a number of factors. Such as the amount drunk, how quickly, what type of drink and how strong it was, the mood they are in, what they expect to happen, whether they have eaten, and the company they are in etc... However, the following effects can occur to the individual:

• Change in mood or behaviour (Happy to Sad, Quiet to Aggressive)
• Relaxation
• Giggly
• Co-Ordination problems
• Fights
• Nausea / Vomiting
• Headaches

 TIPS FOR SENSIBLE DRINKING

• Avoid taking the car if you are going to have a drink
• Try to have a meal before drinking – it slows down the effects of alcohol
• Avoid mixing alcohol with drugs or medication
• Remember drinks poured at home are often larger than pub measures
• You can choose low-alcohol or non-alcohol drinks instead
• Pace your drinking throughout the evening
• Choose a spritzer [wine with water] in place of a glass of wine
• Avoid drinking competitions and gimmicky events to get you to drink more
• Using alcohol to cope with problems will not solve them.

 HANGOVERS

Hangover symptoms can include headache, nausea and trembling, weakness, irritability and tiredness. Alcohol is a diuretic – it makes the body lose water – and is broken down by the liver into waste products. A hangover is largely caused by dehydration and the effects of waste products in the system. After a heavy drinking session, blood sugar levels drop leaving you feeling weak and shaky, and it’s irritant effect on the stomach can make you feel sick. You don’t get proper REM sleep when drinking alcohol, possibly a late night too, along with your cracking headache can leave you a tad irritable.

So what’s the cure or how can we avoid them??

• Don’t drink too much or mix drinks.

• Eat between drinks and don't drink on an empty stomach.

• Drink Slowly

• The ‘hair of the dog’ is not a good idea. It will delay the inevitable, add upset to your stomach and make you feel worse.

• Plan ahead. Drink plenty of (soft drink) fluids interspersed with alcoholic drinks the night before, and the following morning replace lost fluid with plenty of water, fruit juice or ginger tea. Avoid Coffee or caffeinated fizzy drinks, as this will add to dehydration. As will a big juicy - full - of - salt - bacon bap!

• Try and have some breakfast to rebalance your sugar levels.

• Rest and give your body time to recover. Leave at least 24-48 hours before drinking alcohol again to give your liver a rest too.

CAN YOU OVERDOSE?

YES, you certainly can! As alcohol is a depressant drug it slows down you’re central nervous system – that includes your breathing and brain functions. Too much and you could go into a coma and die. Falling asleep and vomiting can also lead to choking to death if someone is not put in the recovery position. Accidents whilst drunk are also responsible for a number of deaths.

If someone has Alcohol Poisoning the following may occur:

• The person will have collapsed

• The person will be difficult or impossible to wake up

• The breathing will be slow and noisy

• As the body begins to slow down, including your brain & heart so the skin will be cool and clammy

• There may be some vomit

• The person may have wet themselves

• The pupils of the eyes may be very wide

These signs indicate it's important that you call an Ambulance asap.

 MIXING ALCOHOL WITH OTHER DRUGS

Mixing drink and drugs either legal or illegal can be very dangerous. Check with your doctor or pharmacist when you are prescribed or buying any medication.

If you drink and take depressant drugs such as tranquillizers  (Librium or valium) or heroin you risk falling into a coma or heavy sleep, if you are sick while unconscious you can choke on your own vomit and die of asphyxiation.

SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NEED HELP

 The following are not a complete list but may indicate a problem:

• Getting into trouble (drink driving) / arguments / injured (accidents) because of your drinking.
• Drinking in secret.
• Hiding drink or empty bottles.
• Evading questions about your alcohol intake or lying about how much you drink.
• Becoming anxious when you can’t get access to drink
• Thinking a drink is the only thing that will help you deal with certain situations.
• Getting into financial difficulty as a result of the amount you spend on alcohol.
• Having to increase the amount you drink in order to feel the effect.
• Feeling sick, having the shakes, sweating in the morning or in the middle of the night.
• Are family rows more common; is there less money for essential.

CAN YOU GO FOR 40 DAYS WITHOUT DRINKING? TRY THE CHALLENGE - CLICK HERE