Effects and Risks

Alcohol is a depressant, which works by slowing down parts of the brain. Although it enters the bloodstream within a few minutes, its effects last for several hours.

As the alcohol begins to depress different parts of the brain, you might experience blurred vision, slurred speech, and a loss of balance and coordination.

Alcohol can act as both a relaxant - making you feel drowsy - and a disinhibitor, reducing self-consciousness and making you talkative and liable to do things you wouldn't consider while sober.

Health Risks

Many people are able to drink casually without serious damage to their health - but many others may find themselves facing physical, emotional and financial problems as a result of a drinking habit they can't control.

Even casual users are subject to the pain of hangovers - a result of irritation to your central nervous system from the night before.

Other health risks include:

• Mixing alcohol with other prescription and illegal drugs is very dangerous and seriously increases the risk of a drug overdose.
• Regular consumption of large amounts of alcohol can lead to liver disease, ulcers and brain damage. The amount of people who die as a result of alcohol is 50 times greater than the amount of deaths from all illegal drugs put together.
• The effect of alcohol in your body depends on many factors including how much you have drunk, whether you have eaten, and what you have been drinking.
• Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of raised blood pressure, weight gain, accidents, liver damage, cancers of the mouth and throat, digestive problems, problems in pregnancy, psychological and emotional problems.

Drinking might make people feel attractive. Unfortunately, it can have the opposite effect. Physical effects might include:

Weight gain
Alcohol is high in calories (a pint of beer or a couple of glasses of wine are about the same as a bar of chocolate.)

Dry skin
Alcohol dehydrates your body and skin, because it blocks the release of anti-diuretic hormones, so the kidneys get rid of too much water.

Broken veins
Alcohol dilates blood vessels near the surface of the skin, causing ugly red capillaries or veins, especially around the nose and cheeks.

Bloodshot eyes
Alcohol can inflame and enlarge the small blood vessels on the surface of the eyes.

Smell
The liver metabolises most alcohol, but 5-10% is excreted straight through the urine, breath and sweat.

Bruises and scarring
Serious drinkers are more likely to have accidents or fights, leading to cuts, bruises and broken bones.

Other Risks

Even getting drunk occasionally can have serious consequences. It impairs your judgement and can increase risky behaviour, which could result in:

• Injuries and accidents
• Unsafe sex, which could result in sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies
• Fights, arguments and relationship problems
• Getting into trouble with the police
• Reduce your ability to act quickly and effectively in an emergency

Even relatively moderate amounts of alcohol can be harmful sometimes, for instance, when you're pregnant, driving, taking some medications, or doing sports or activities that need judgement and coordination.