We all know about alcohol, don’t we?  After all, it’s been around for thousands of years, it’s legal, and is part of people’s celebrations and socialising.  So, what’s the big problem?  This page will help you understand alcohol a bit more and, hopefully, to make informed decisions in your life, or point you in the right direction to find out more.

Everyone drinks... don't they?
Well the short answer is ‘No’.  Not everyone does drink.  Some people don’t like the taste or the feeling it gives them.  Some people drink only very occasionally, perhaps on special occasions.  Some people drink on weekends.  For some people, though, alcohol can become a problem – perhaps they can’t get through the day without a drink.  Other people may drink now and again (perhaps every weekend) but don’t drink sensibly: they drink too much and become ill or end up doing things that they regret the next day.

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Drinking is fun... isn't it?
Well, yes, it can be fun and enjoyable – that’s why most people drink alcohol.  But it is very easy to forget the dangers of drinking alcohol, and all too easy to drink too much, too quickly or to drink constantly.  Then drinking isn’t funny. Drinking like that can ruin our health, our relationships, our work, our families, and our lives.

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How does alcohol affect us?
Alcohol is absorbed very quickly into the bloodstream from the stomach lining.  The effects can last for several hours depending on the amount and how quickly it was drunk.  Women's tolerance to alcohol is lower because they absorb alcohol more quickly into their bodies. This is because women have less water content in their bodies than men. The greatest danger from alcohol consumption is injury due to accidents while under the influence.

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What happens if we drink too much alcohol?
Too much alcohol can result in slurring your words, staggering, double vision, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting and the impression that ‘the room is spinning.’  With even larger doses, loss of memory, blindness or unconsciousness may occur.  The influence of alcohol depends on several things: how quickly it is consumed, how much food is in the stomach, body weight, the personality and the surrounding of the drinker.

Drinkers may also choke on their own vomit whilst unconscious.  Hangovers may occur characterised by nausea, a headache and sometime vomiting.  Mixing alcohol with other depressant drugs increases the danger.

Other dangers happen because drink causes people to lose their inhibitions and so it is easy to get yourself into a risky situation where you may not be able to make responsible decisions, or when you may act inappropriately and later regret it.

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Are there long-term effects from drinking?
People with Special Needs are just that – they are PEOPLE with special needs.  Everyone deserves the same respect that we expect for ourselves, and we all need to be understood and accepted for who we are.  Also, it’s important to remember that we all need help from time to time, we all need things adapted in order for us to achieve the things we need to do: whether it’s an everyday activity or a once in a lifetime activity.  We are all equal, we are all the same - we just have different abilities and different needs.

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What does the law say?
Premises which sell alcohol must hold a license.  It is generally against the law to buy alcohol under the age of 18 years, although there are some occasions when we can drink legally when we are under the age of 18 years.  Remember that there are also some towns and cities where it is illegal to drink alcohol in public places.

Under 5: It’s illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under 5 except in certain circumstances (e.g. under medical supervision).
Under 14: A person under 14 can't go into a bar or pub unless the pub has a 'children's certificate'. Without this certificate they can only go into parts that aren't licensed and where alcohol is either sold but not drunk (e.g. a sales point away from the pub), OR drunk but not sold (e.g. a beer garden or family room).
14 or 15: They can go anywhere in a pub but can't drink alcohol.
16 or 17: They can buy (or be bought) beer or cider so long as it's bought to eat with a meal, but not in a bar (i.e. only in a place specifically set aside for meals).
Under 18: With the exception of having a meal in a pub, it's against the law for anyone under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence or supermarket. It's also illegal to buy alcohol in a pub for someone who's not 18.
Anyone over 18 can buy and drink alcohol legally in licensed premises in Britain.

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Drinking and Driving
There is a legal limit to how much you are allowed to drink and drive.  However, because the effects of alcohol vary from person to person the only safe advice is not to drink and drive.

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If you do drink then
Don’t mix different types of drink.
Drink at a sensible pace and remember how much you are drinking.
Do not drink to excess.
Respect other people and don’t pressurise them to drink or to drink as much as you.
Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
Drink at your own pace – not to some else’s - try not to get involved in rounds.
Remember that it’s not ‘big’ to drink, it doesn’t make you ‘cool’.
Remember the Law – it is there for a reason, it is there to protect us.
Remember that some drinks are stronger than others.  You can check out the strength of a drink by the ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage on the container.

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Some Useful Links

www.talktofrank.com FRANK offers friendly and confidential drug advice. Profero have created a new campaign called ‘mess with your mind’ which targets 11 to 18 year olds.

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