Alcohol

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a depressant drug that reduces social inhibitions and relaxes. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of fruits, vegetables or grains. Alcoholic drinks consist mainly of water and ethanol or ethyl alcohol to varying strengths. All alcoholic drinks have the ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage shown on the container which give an indication of their strength.

About 9 out of 10 people in Europe drink. The average amount consumed is the equivalent to 8 pints of beer a week for a male and 3 pints of beer for a female. It is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. 7% of men and 2.5% of women aged 18 or over get drunk at least once a week in the UK, for instance.(source: Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence). In the late teens and early twenties alcohol consumption is about average.

Effects of short-term use

Alcohol is absorbed very quickly into the blood stream from the stomach lining, in as short a time as 5 to 10 minutes. The effects can last for several hours depending on the amount and how quickly it was consumed. Women absorb alcohol more quickly because their bodies contain less water. The water dilutes the alcohol and so the same amount of alcohol will produce a higher concentration in the blood. Alcohol intake is measured in units. One unit is 8 grammes of pure alcohol, which is equal to half a pint of normal strength beer/lager/cider, a standard glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits. After 4 to 5 units most people feel less inhibited and more relaxed. After 8 or so units, most people slur their speech and become less co-ordinated and clumsy. Some people have increased emotional reactions. More alcohol could result in staggering, double vision, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting and an impression of 'the room spinning'. With large doses blindness and unconsciousness may occur, the user may also not be able to remember what happened while they were under the influence of alcohol. The influence of alcohol is dependent on several factors; how quickly the alcohol was consumed, how much food is in the stomach, body weight, the personality and surroundings of the drinker.

The greatest danger from alcohol consumption is injury due to the reduction in physical and mental performance. In 1990, 15% of fatal road accidents were alcohol related and 32% of all pedestrians killed in road accidents were over the legal blood-alcohol level for driving.

Drinkers may also choke on their own vomit whilst unconscious due to alcohol, but this is very uncommon.

After a period of alcohol consumption a mixture of factors, mainly withdrawal and dehydration (alcohol dehydrates the body) may cause a hang-over. This is usually characterised by nausea, a headache and sometimes vomiting. However, this may be avoided if the water is drunk (usually at least a pint, if not more if you are a heavy drinker) after a drinking session.

Mixing alcohol with other depressant drugs increases its effects and dangers and should be avoided.

Effects of long term use

The recommended alcohol limits are 21 units per week for men and 14 units per week for women. However, sustained drinking in excess can increase the drinkers chance of damaging his or her health. This can lead to liver disease, ulcers, heart/circulation disorders and in extreme cases permanent brain damage (such as Korsakoff's psychosis, a form of permanent amnesia).

Physical and psychological dependency can occur. Deaths from suicide, accident and cirrhosis of the liver are common among heavy drinkers. Sudden withdrawal from heavy drinking produces sweating, anxiety and trembling and in some cases can cause delirium and convulsions.

Drinking and Driving

The legal limit for driving in most countries is 80mg of alcohol in every 100ml of blood. In practice, there are many factors which can affect an individual's ability to stay under the legal limit and so there is no fail safe guide as to how much an individual can drink before being illegal to drive. The only safe advice is not to drink and drive.

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