Alcohol

Young people are drinking more now than they used to. And like Heroin, Caffeine and Cannabis, Alcohol is a drug with both benefits and problems associated with its use. So listed below are some problems related to drinking alcohol which may be worth considering:

• Health - excessive drinking in early life if continued into adulthood, can lead to ill health such as brain or liver damage and high blood pressure as well as psychological problems.
• Injury - drinking alcohol changes our perception of the world around us and of the people in it. The likelihood of being involved in accidents is increased.
• Offending - alcohol plays a major part in crime committed by young people. Being under the influence of alcohol is not a defence in court.
• Safety - often young people drink alcohol in unsupervised environments like parks or streets which increases vulnerability. Young people can also put themselves at risk in other ways such as having unprotected sex which increases possible health risks such as HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Also you are at an increased risk if you mix alcohol with other drugs.
• Personal distress - some young people use drinking as an escape from difficulties they are experiencing in their life. Initially alcohol can make things seem better but this in itself can become problematic as an entrenched habit of drinking as a response to personal difficulties may be formed which will only add to the original problems.

Advice for safer drinking is largely common sense:

• eat a meal before going out drinking. This will help you to absorb the alcohol you drink much more slowly;
• stick to one type of drink at a time;
• don't mix drinks. It is easy to forget what you have had;
• drink slowly and discover how much is enough!
• drink with people who can be trusted in a safe place;
• do not drive; and
• try to keep a tally in your head of how much you have had.

Find out all you need to know about alcohol at Talk to Frank >>

Do you really know what the effects of drinking alcohol are? Sure it might give you a bit of a confidence boost, and can be fun, but sometimes it can make you do things you don’t want to do and put you in situations you don’t really want to be in.  Play the Spin the Bottle >>