Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol is so commonplace in some communities that a lot of people don’t realise that it is a drug at all!  It’s important to remember that alcohol is a very powerful drug and is the number one drug problem amongst young people.

 

            

 

Alcohol: Just The Facts

Here are a number of common questions about alcohol:

 

 

What Does Alcohol Do To You?

Like all drugs, alcohol affects your body and you mind

 

Short Term Effects:   

Alcohol is known as a depressant.  This means that your mind is dulled and your brain slows down, giving a feeling of relaxation.  Your judgement becomes impaired, you make choices that you wouldn’t normally make and you lose control over how you act.  You also lose control over your movements and balance.  This is why people who are drunk often make fools of themselves and can put themselves in dangerous situations.  They’re just not thinking properly.  A lot of alcohol can make you sick.  Too much alcohol at one time can put you in a coma or even kill you.

 

When the effects of alcohol wear off you often end up with a hangover.  This lasts for several hours and includes headaches, feeling sick in the stomach and vomiting.

 

 

         

 

Long Term Effects:    

Alcohol and young people simply don’t mix! 

Drinking over a long time from a young age…

•           causes you to gain weight and develop bad breath.

•           lowers your body’s ability to stop disease.

•           stops your muscles and bones from growing and developing properly. 

•           reduces your ability to learn and remember things.

•           can greatly increase the risk of you becoming an alcoholic.

 

What Is An Alcoholic?

Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol.  If you are an alcoholic you constantly crave a drink and have lost the control to stop drinking without help from someone else. 

Alcoholism is an illness and it can happen at any age.  It doesn't matter how long you've been drinking or what you've been drinking. It's what drinking does to you that is the important thing.

 

What Someone With An Alcohol Problem Is Like

Here are some signs that a person may have an alcohol problem:

•           They drink a lot and seem to always need a drink to relax.

•           They often resort to alcohol when they’ve been upset with people.

•           They tend to drink alone, rather than with other people.

•           They forget things a lot and often break promises.

•           They have a drink at the start of the day, before school or work.

•           They often lie about drinking, and hide bottles around the house.

•           They deny things that they do when they are drunk.

 

               

 

What Can I Do?

It’s very hard to know what to do when you think that someone is an alcoholic.  The most important thing to realise is that you can’t force someone to get help, they have to want it. However, there are still things you can do.  Here are some suggestions:

•           Don’t confront them on your own: talk to an adult that you know and trust.

•           Talk to them when they are sober. Let them know that you are concerned and that  their drinking problem is hurting your friendship.

•           Be prepared and ready. They may not want to admit there’s a problem.  The best thing you can do is to let them know of any organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous in your local area and be there for them and support them if they do want to change.

 

Is There A Cure For Alcoholism?

The quick answer for this is ‘not yet’.

Alcoholism is an illness and unfortunately there is no way an alcoholic can even drink a little without going back to old habits.  An alcoholic has to learn how to stay away from alcohol for life.

 

Organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous provide programs to help people who are alcoholics.  If there is a branch of A.A. in your local area, they can give you more information on the topic of alcoholism.