What is alcohol?

What happens to alcohol in the body?

How does alcohol effect my body?

What is recommended for adults?

Why can't I drink until I'm 18?

Is it true I can drink in a restaurant?

Safer Drinking Tips

How do I cope with a hangover?

What do I do if someone has too much to drink?

Alcohol is another name for ethanol or ethyl alcohol. There are many different types of alcoholic drinks, but they all contain ethanol.

Ethanol is made from the sugar in grains and fruits and is a clear liquid. It is made through a process called fermentation which involves mixing yeast and sugar, causing a chemical reaction.

Different types of alcohol are made from different fruits and grains; for example, wine is made from grapes, cider from apples and beer from barley.

In order to make stronger drinks and spirits, the alcohol made is later distilled which means it is boiled so that the liquid evaporates and the ethanol left behind is stronger.

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When alcohol is swallowed it travels to the stomach and small intestine where it is absorbed and passed into the bloodstream. It then travels around the body, including the brain.

The amount of alcohol in your blood is called your Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC, This is measured as a number of milligrams in a hundred millilitres of blood. Your BAC tells you how affected you are by the alcohol you have drunk, however, it is very difficult to calculate your BAC even if you know how much you have drunk.

If the police suspect someone of drink driving, they may conduct a BAC test to see how much alcohol is in their blood. This would involve a blood test and would give an accurate idea of how much the individual had been affected by alcohol.

Your BAC, and therefore the amount alcohol effects you, is dependant on a number of factors:

• How many drinks you've had

• Your size and weight – a smaller person's BAC will be higher even if they drink the same amount

• Your metabolic rate – how quickly your body burns food/drink, this can vary widely for an individual depending on the time of day, the month and/or year

• Your general fitness

• Your emotional state

• The type of drink – for example, fizzy drinks are absorbed more quickly into the blood

• The speed of drinking

• How much you've had to eat

• Your gender – women have less body water than men so their BAC will be higher

Brain:

Alcohol is a depressant which effects the brain as it is the control centre of the body. It may be uplifting at first but happiness is usually followed by depressing low. Drinking long term can kill off brain cells and lead to memory loss and mental health problems.

Head:

Alcohol can make you feel more relaxed, emotional and uninhibited, but it can also make you lost control. As your judgement is effected you are more likely to make a fool of yourself, cause accidents, get into trouble or do something you later regret.

22% of accidental deaths per year are alcohol related. Alcohol dehydrates the brain, resulting in the drinker feeling dizzy and causing the classic hangover headache.

Eyes:

Alcohol can cause eyes to look bloodshot. It also affects the signals between the brain and eyes meaning that vision can become blurred and it is harder to judge speed and distance. Too much alcohol also ruins your deep sleep, so although you may sleep for a long time, you are unlikely to feel as rested.

Skin:

As alcohol dehydrates your body, it can damage your skin and complexion. It also causes blood vessels to swell under the skin's surface and leads to visible veins on the nose and cheeks.

Heart:

Binge drinking can cause irregular heart beats and shortness of breath.

Liver:

The liver breaks down the alcohol in your system, however, it can only break down an average of 1 unit per hour. If you drink more than that it will stop working properly. Drinking to excess may mean that the body cannot cope with the alcohol in your system and you can fall into an alcoholic coma. This can be fatal. Long term drinking kills off the cells of the liver and can lead to liver disease and liver cancer.

Reproductive Organs:

Having too much to drink will affect your sexual performance as you are no longer in control of your body. Women may find that excessive drinking causes delayed periods, and in the long term it can affect fertility.

Waist:

Alcohol is very high in calories and makes you hungry so can cause you to put on weight.

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The UK government that adult women drink no more than 2 to 3 units a day, and that men drink no more than 3 to 4. Drinking more than this regularly can lead to serious health problems. See the table below to see how many units there are in a drink.

Don't be tempted to “save up” your units until the weekend so that you can drink them all at once! Binge drinking is just as bad for your health and is very likely to lead to behaviour you'll come to regret.

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Young people who are under 18 are less able physically and emotionally able to cope with the effects of alcohol. As their bodies are still developing, if someone under 18 drinks the same amount of alcohol as someone over 18 it is likely to have a much greater effect.

As well as the immediate physical and emotional effects of alcohol, there is a likelihood that alcohol will effect your judgement and make it more likely that you will do something dangerous or that you'll regret.

Alcohol is also a very addictive substance and can have a huge impact on your daily life and the relationships you have with others.

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The law promotes responsible drinking and therefore does not ban under 18s from drinking at all. Anyone over the age of 5 is legally allowed to drink; but there are restrictions on where the alcohol is drunk and who may buy it.

If you are under 16 you may be allowed into pubs, but it is up to the landlord and you will not be allowed to buy or drink alcohol while you are there.

If you are under 18 you cannot buy alcohol anywhere. The only exception is that in Scotland you may buy beer, wine or cider to drink with your food in a restaurant, if you are with someone over 18.

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Be aware of what you're drinking

Check the labels of what you are drinking to see what the alcohol content is, many drinks now also tell you how many units they contain. Remember that different types of wines and beers will be different strengths, so be careful not assume that they are low in alcohol. “Just a few beers” can have quite an affect if their alcohol content is more than you're used to.

Also be sure to consider your home measures, what you pour yourself is likely to be far, far stronger than a pub measure. (You can get glasses from SYIS that show you how big a drink you're pouring yourself.) Also beware of “top ups” it is much easier to keep track of how much you've had if you finish one drink before starting the next. Be responsible for your own drinking and don't let others fill your glass.

Pace Yourself

If you've got a long drinking session ahead of you it is easy to drink too much too soon. One way to avoid this is to alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water. Your mates might slag you off for this one but you're much more likely to have a good time and still be standing at the end of the night if you take it easy. And that way you'll be able to remind them of their bad behaviour the following day!

Eat!

Drinking on an empty stomach will mean that your Blood Alcohol Concentration level is likely to be much higher, meaning that you are going to be more affected by what you've had to drink. Even if you're planning to go out straight after work, make sure you've at least had a sandwich or something. It will line your stomach and stop the alcohol being absorbed as quickly into the blood stream.

Look out for each other

Statistics show that over 30% of Brits have taken risks or got into an uncomfortable situation by going home alone or with a stranger after a night out. Make sure you arrange early in the night who will be walking home/sharing a taxi with who. It's a good idea, if you can afford it, to have enough money set aside to get you home with or without your mates, so that if you do find you've been abandoned, you can afford to get a taxi home alone. Keep tabs on were your mates are, and if you think they've had enough to drink try to get them to go home where they'll be safe. And make sure you're out with the kind of people who'd do the same for you!

Look out for yourself

Learn to say no to your mates, just because they want another drink doesn't mean you have to have one.

Never leave your drink unattended, anyone could have put anything in it. If you are in any doubt at all, don't drink it!

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Even if you've had the best intentions, all of us end up drinking more than we should from time to time. When that happens there are a few things you can do that will help that morning after feeling:

• Drink plenty of water before you go to bed, and keep a glass beside your bed so you can have more through the night.

• To counteract the depressing effect of alcohol, have a cup of tea or coffee to perk you up, but remember that they can dehydrate you so keep drinking water too.

• Alcohol lowers your blood sugar so eat as soon as you can to make you feel better.

• Avoid alcohol for a couple of days at least, and never have a “hair of the dog”, it only makes the hangover last longer.

Large amounts of alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, alcoholic coma or even death. If you suspect someone is in danger it is vital that you get emergency help as soon as possible. Even if you are worried that you, or your friend may get into trouble for drinking, act fast. Who cares if you get shouted at? You might have saved a life.

What to do if someone is unconscious:

• Keep them on their side with their head turned to the side (the recovery position)

• Check they are breathing and that their mouth and airways are clear

• If they stop breathing – start mouth to mouth resuscitation

• Loosen any tight clothing that might affect their breathing

• Keep them warm

• Call an ambulance (do not leave the person if it can be helped, if you do not have a mobile get someone else to go and call)

What to do if someone vomits:

• Try to keep them sitting up

• If they do lie down, make sure they are on their side with their head turned to the side (recovery position) and make sure their mouth and airways are clear

• If they begin to choke call for an ambulance immediately

• Do not leave them alone – even if you feel ill at the sight of vomit you must stay with them. Alcohol poisoning can be very dangerous and can kill.

How to recognise alcohol poisoning:

• The person's breathing slows down to less than 12 breaths a minute or they stop breathing for 10 seconds or more

• You cannot wake the person up

• The person's skin is cold, clammy, pale and bluish in colour.

If you are worried that someone is suffering from alcoholic poisoning, call 999 immediately and stay with them until help arrives.

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