Alcohol is a very powerful drug and is one of the most common causes of completed suicide. Alcohol is a term that describes a whole group of chemicals rather than just a single substance. In fact it is called ethyl alcohol. It is produced - along with carbon dioxide, when yeast ferments sugars. A whole range of natural sugars can be fermented to produce a wide range of alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol is a depressant drug. It is in physiological terms dangerous as it slows down both heart and respiratory rate( breathing) It also has a huge effect on brain function. Loss of inhibitions and feelings of elation come from the initial effects of alcohol on the part of the brain that controls behaviour. This is why it is wrongly believed to be a stimulant.
There are several factors that influence how alcohol effects the body. These include body weight, age gender physical condition , amount of food eaten and the effect of other drugs or medicines taken.
Alcohol is poisionous to the human tissues. To counteract this the body produces at least nine different forms of an enzyme known as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) which metabolizes the alcohol and allows it to be safely processed and excreted in the body. The liver is the main organ that breaks down alcohol. A healthy liver can process about one unit of alcohol each hour, so if you have two pints of lager average strength,( 4 units) at lunchtime and go back to work three hours later, you would still have alcohol left in your blood. Whatever alcohol you drink in the afternoon will be added to the alcohol already left in your body. You would not have been sober since before your lunchtime break! By the way- drinking black coffee and having a cold shower will have no effect on becoming sober!
Alcohol causes dehydration. What happens is that when you drink, your body recognizes the toxins (poisions) in the alcohol and it tries to remove these toxins by using the water form your body cells to flush it out of your system. So, the more you drink, the more water you need to flush it out of the system. Hangovers are a result of too much water being taken out of your body because you have drunk excessively, not by mixing drinks. Drinking water during and after alcoholic drinking sessions will help prevent dehydration of your cells and hangover symptoms. Its best to avoid drinking altogether and go for fruit juices and alcohol free cocktails!
The body starts to absorb alcohol within five to ten minutes by absorbing it into the bloodstream through the wall of the small intestine. How much alcohol you have in your blood will depend on what you are drinking and how quickly you drink it. The amount of food in you stomach will also influence how quickly the alcohol gets into your body. Consuming a glass of wine with a meal will take more time to get into your bloodstream and consequently produce effects, than a straight glass of brandy on an empty stomach.
Alcohol Dependence
If you have a strong dependence on alcohol every day and not in a position to control your drinking and so reducing it, you may have serious problems ahead in your early twenties such as alcoholic poisioning.This means you are psychologically and physically dependent on the drug (alcohol). To add to the problem, your body has become dependent on alcohol so you will begin to develop withdrawal symptoms three to eight hours after your last drink as the effects of alcohol wear off. The withdrawal symptoms are: dizziness feeling sick,trembling, sweating, craving for alcohol and feeling unwell. You have to keep drinking to prevent these symptoms which makes our lives difficult How do you know if you are psychologically dependent on Alcohol? Here are the signs:
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Need a drink every day, maybe two or four.
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Drink alone often
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Need a drink to stop trembling
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Drink early or first thing on the morning.( to avoid withdrawal symptoms)
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Often have a strong desire to drink alcohol
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Spending lots of time in activities where alcohol is easily acsessible.
Underage drinking is a crime against the law in Northern Ireland and if caught you will be up before the local magistrate courts with a heavy fine. Your school career will be in tatters and you will have a criminal record. Is it worth it? A lifetime of misery because you were chilling out with your mates and were caught by the police drinking in public. If you see you parents drinking at home, try very hard to see that this will destroy your brain and behaviour and cause major problems in your personal life. Alcohol is NOT the way to happiness.Teenagers who have drinking parents usually suffer from deep rooted emotional and psychological problems. Choose positive role models to measure your behaviour against, and try to see the positive outcomes by not drinking: improved all round health !
UNITS
A unit is a term we use to describe a measure of alcohol. One unit is the amount of alcohol the lover can process in one hour and it contains 10 mls of pure alcohol. Its a useful way to count the amount of alcohol you are drinking each day. Alcohol drinks vary in strength and are measured as a % of alcohol by volume (%ABV). The higher the % the stronger the drink(and the more toxins you consume)..
You can work it out like this :
No. of Units = amount of the drink x alcohol % ( %ABV)
1000
For example: a 275 ml bottle of Bacardi Breezer (alcopops) with 5.2% alcohol content :
275 x 5.2
1000 = 1.4 units
BINGE DRINKING
Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more alcoholic drinks in a single session. Of people aged 16-74, 15% of men drank more than 35 units per week and six% of women drank more than 21 units a week. Scottish Health Survey 1998)+ Binge drinking is on the increase in UK and also here in Northern Ireland. It has long term health consequences and immediate behavioural costs such as sexual health practices. It deteriorates your mental health and will cause major liver an kidney functions in the early twenties. Is it worth it? Alcohol abuse Like drug abuse causes death in young people and also causes amnesia, hallucinations psychotic illness such as schizophrenia,and morbid jealously.Whilst these are serious health hazards, we have scientific evidence in Britain that many binge drinkers try to kill themselves whilst under the influence of heavy drinking session as this is associated with Impulsive acts of behaviour. Death is a final act. You do not come back!
Remember drinking is NOT a coping mechanism, it is destructive and immature behaviour and grossly irresponsible to your mates and parents and to the community in which you live. Always talk to your teacher, parents youth leaders or someone you can trust if you have this situation or call Childline / kidscape ( see the telephone numbers on this website).