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Alcohol facts
What it is, effects, risks and law.
Street names: Booze, Bevy, Beer, wine, spirits, liquors
Chemical name: ethylalcohol (ethanol).
Drug effect: Depressant
What is it?
One of the most commonly used drugs of them all, alcoholic drinks consist chiefly of water and ethanol (ethylalcohol). Fermenting fruits, vegetables and grain produce alcohol. It is found in drinks like beer, lager, wine, alco pops, cider, and spirits such as whiskey or gin. Alcoholic drinks range in strength and are measured as a percentage (%) per volume, the higher the percentage, the stronger the effects are.
Effects
- In moderate amounts, alcohol results in light headedness, loss of inhibitions and changes in mood, including feeling of relaxation, and becoming more talkative. It is also known to increase sexual desire. The more alcohol consumed the stronger these effects are and users can quickly become nauseated, aggressive, sexually promiscuous, depressed, hyperactive and experience unpredictable mood swings. Speech, vision and physical co-ordination are also affected.
- Alcohol and sex don’t always mix. You or friends might already have experienced the effects of having sex when drunk. These can include not enjoying or even remembering the sex or not being able to get an erection. If you are planning to have sex then it’s best to stay sober so that you can get the most out of the night!
- Being drunk can also lead you to take greater personal safety risks, such as having unprotected sex, being at risk of spiked drinks or drug rape, or drunk driving. If you are going to drink, find out how to lower the risk here.
- The intensity of the effects depends on the strength of the alcoholic drink, plus the rate and amount consumed. Other factors that influence the effects of alcohol include the weight of the drinker, their mood, surroundings and how recently they ate.
Risks
• Alcohol is a depressant drug. If you're feeling down, it will make you feel worse. A regular, long term drinking habit can lead to physical as well as psychological dependency.
• Tolerance can develop, which means you need more to get the same effect.
• Long term heavy drinking habits may cause serious damage to internal organs including heart, stomach and liver. Heavy drinkers can also have impotence and fertility problems.
• Heavy drinking can cause skin problems, trembling (the shakes), obesity, brain damage, mood swings and personality changes. Getting very drunk can lead to loss of consciousness and death particularly among those who are not used to drinking.
• Excessive consumption can also lead to alcohol poisoning and this can kill.
• In addition, drinking too much can cause problems with work, family and friends.
• By spreading your drinking over the week, females can generally drink 14 standard drinks and males up to 21 standard drinks, without harming their health.
Find out more about the effects and risks of alcohol.
Law
• The 1988 Intoxicating Liquor Act brought new restrictions concerning the presence of young people under 18 years on licensed premises and also the sale of alcohol to such young people both on and off licensed premises.
• It is an offence to give alcohol to a child under five years old. Children under 15 years are allowed into a bar during permitted hours but only if a parent or guardian accompanies them. It is an offence to sell alcohol to a person under 18 either on or off the premises by either a license holder or any individual.
• It is an offence to drive under the influence of alcohol (and indeed drugs and combinations of drugs and alcohol)
• The legal limit for driving stands at 80mg per 100ml of blood, experts estimate that is about 5 units of alcohol for a man and 3 for a woman.
• The number of drinks it takes to reach this level varies from person to person. Safety experts advise people do not drink at all if they are going to drive.
Find out more about alcohol and drug legalities.
Content thanks to YouthHealthNE authors.
