Alcohol
Find out about drinking health risks and how much alcohol is TOO much
Article by : SpunOut.ie
We all know that Ireland has a drinking culture and most of us know that we probably drink more than we should. However, when everyone else is doing the same, it's easy to forget how bad alcohol can be for our health.
When you drink, alcohol passes into your bloodstream and travels merrily around your body. You probably notice this firstly by feeling relaxed. As you drink more, you might start to slur your words, stumble, spill your drink and maybe even pass out or vomit all over yourself. Lovely eh! This is all thanks to the alcohol slowing down your body’s reactions and the workings of your brain.
Here are just some of the health risks from drinking too much:
- Drinking a lot can lead to feelings of sadness. Many people who are alcohol dependant suffer from depression and heavy drinkers have a much higher risk of suicide or attempted suicide than others.
- Binge drinking, when you have six or more drinks at one time, is a serious problem in Ireland. Binge drinking (when you drink too much, too fast) is the term used when we have six or more standard drinks. A standard drink (also called one standard drink) is about 10 grams of pure alcohol in Ireland and one standard drink is a half pint of beer OR a small glass of wine OR one pub measure of spirits. Click here to see pictures and more detail on standard drinks and binge drinking.
- If you drink a lot you can suffer from alcohol poisoning. This is when there’s too much alcohol in your body for you to deal with. You might pass out, lose control or need to be taken to hospital. Alcohol poisoning can cause death in some cases.
- Hangovers aren’t just there to make life miserable. They’re your body’s way of trying to get rid of all the crap you drank the night before. So headaches, sick stomachs and depression are just some of the possible hangover symptoms. We’ll not go into what happens when you visit the toilet.
- Alcohol is full of calories. It makes us fat and gives us those ohhhhh so sexy beer bellies.
- In the long term (this goes for most of us who regularly drink more than the recommended amounts) alcohol can damage your brain, heart, stomach, reproductive organs and nerves.
- Regularly drinking too much can lead to dependency or addiction. Alcoholism is terrible for your health and can also ruin relationships, families, your finances and your enjoyment of life. Don’t let alcohol control you.
- Drinking heavily might be common in Ireland but it is selfish behaviour. You’re probably pissing off your friends and family, people working in the local pub and anyone you drool over when you’re drunk.
- Drunken horniness can lead to serious risks. You might have unprotected sex (risking STIs or unplanned pregnancy) or you might wake up in a stranger’s bed and not remember if you had sex or not. If you are planning to go on the pull, always take protection, such as condoms with you.
- If you drunk drive then you put others at risk as well as yourself. If someone else is drunk and offers you a lift home, take a taxi instead.
- When you’re drunk and craving your bed, it’s easy to make bad judgements such as walking home alone. You risk being mugged, attacked, raped or sexually assaulted.
Low risk drinking
- Low risk drinking recommendations are measured in alcohol standard drinks or standard drinks.
A standard drink is about 10 grams of pure alcohol in Ireland and one standard drink is a half pint of beer OR a small glass of wine OR one pub measure of spirits. Click here to see pictures and more detail on standard drinks and binge drinking.
- Men shouldn’t drink more that 21 standard drinks a week and women shouldn’t drink more than 14 standard drinks a week. Your drinking should be spread over the week.It’s not healthy to drink all your standard drinks in one night and it’s best to aim to have some alcohol free days every week.
- Beer has the lowest percentage of alcohol (around 4-5%), then wine at about 12% and finally spirits (whiskey, vodka, gin, etc.) have the highest alcohol content at about 40%.
- Size matters. If you’re small then alcohol is going to affect you more. So, if you’re drinking with someone who’s bigger than you, don’t try to drink the same amount. Also, it’s bad luck for women but alcohol affects them faster than men.
- If you think you always drink more than the safe recommendations, if you ever feel like you NEED a drink or if others are concerned about how much you drink then you might be dependant on alcohol and you need to get help right away.
If you are worried about alcohol and your health, check out the help section for supportive information and links to support organisations.
