Alcohol
A lot of young people drink alcohol but don’t know a lot about it. Alcohol is a depressant. This means that it slows down your brain functioning. Alcohol can affect your health and cause health problems straight away and way into the future. Small amounts of alcohol can make you feel chilled out and relaxed, however bigger amounts make you drunk.
Some people are nice, friendly and talkative drunks but others are nasty, aggressive and violent drunks. Being drunk affects your personality and actions no matter whether you are a nice or nasty drunk.
10 reasons to watch how much you drink…
- It can lead to heart disease and give you high blood pressure and it can also cause liver disease. .
- You can look really stupid
- It is bad for you. Too much alcohol can make you fat, cause brain damage. People die from the effects of too much alcohol.
- It makes you more likely to do things you’ll regret in the morning.
- It makes you forget stuff and It makes you really vulnerable.
- People might take really bad embarrassing photos of you
- You might phone someone you really didn’t want to
- You can’t drive if you drink too much. Drinking slows your reflexes done so if a child ran out in front of you, you might not be able to stop in time.
- It is possible to have fun without being hammered.
- The hangover sucks and ruins the next day.
How much is too much?
In the UK, the recommendation is no more than two to three units of alcohol a day for women and three to four units for men, with at least two or three alcohol-free days each week.
You can die from alcohol poisoning if you drink too much alcohol
Ring 999 if someone loses counsciousness and don't leave friends who are very drunk alone
Questions |
Score 0 |
Score 1 |
Score 2 |
Score 3 |
Score 4 |
Your Score |
How often do you have a drink containing alcohol? |
Never |
Monthly or less |
2 - 4 times per month |
2 - 3 times per week |
4+ times per week |
|
How many units of alcohol do you drink on a typical day when you are drinking? |
1 -2 |
3-4 |
5-6 |
7-9 |
10+ |
|
How often have you had 6 or more units if female, or 8 or more if male, on a single occasion in the last year? |
Never |
Less than monthly |
Monthly |
Weekly |
Daily or almost daily |
|
Add up the scores in the your score box and ….
A total of 4 and above indicates that you might have problem or are likely to develop a problem with drinking...
please try to limit the amount you are drinking or go and talk to someone.
Alcohol and Sex
Research shows that young people are less likely to use contraception and more likely to regret having sex if they have been drinking.
Alcohol can affect your judgement and ability to assess what you do and don't feel comfortable with. This can make you more vulnerable to sexual health risks like unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections or having sex that you didn't really want to have.
But don't let alcohol or drugs make up your mind for you. If you go out and are drinking or are taking drugs then make sure that you are still able to think straight so that you don't put yourself in a risky position.
If you are able to stand up for what you want and feel ready for, you won't end up with a head full of regrets in the morning
If you are planning a night out and think that it might include having sex with someone you fancy, then make sure that you are ready. Firstly, think about whether you definintely want to have sex with the person and whether it might be something you regret in the morning. And of course remember to plan your contraception in advance and always use a condom to protect yourself from unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.