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Alcohol
Alcohol is a colourless, odourless liquid produced by
the process of fermentation. The colours and flavours of
alcoholic drinks varies according to the ingredients used in
the fermentation process and other additives.
Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in Australia and
is legally used by people over 18 years. Whilst many
people drink moderately and enjoy the effects of alcohol,
its widespread use does contribute to a range of physical,
social and economic harms.
Many people feel that drinking alcohol makes them more
sociable as it reduces your inhibitions. However alcohol is a
depressant drug that slows down the activity of the central
nervous system and reduces the rate at which messages
are sent between the brain and the body. In combination with
other depressants (e.g. benzodiazepines, GHB, opiates)
it can directly contribute to overdoses. Mixing alcohol with
stimulants like amphetamines or ecstasy can also produce
unpredictable results for the user.
Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream directly through the
stomach wall and the small intestine. The rate of absorption
depends on the type of alcohol consumed and individual
factors such as age, gender, weight, and whether or not the
person has eaten food before drinking.
Once alcohol is in the bloodstream, it is broken down by
the liver at a fixed rate of approximately one standard drink
(ten grams of pure alcohol) per hour. This rate is calculated
based on a healthy male liver, and varies from person
to person. There is nothing you can do to speed up the
process. A small percentage leaves the body through urine,
breath and sweat but it’s your liver that does most of the
work. Caffeine (or other stimulants), cold showers, exercise
etc. may make you feel more alert but will not change
your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). This is what is
measured during Drink Driving tests.
It is important to remember that how drunk you feel is not
necessarily a reliable indicator of your BAC. Regular drinkers
will develop a tolerance for alcohol – they need to drink more
before feeling intoxicated. If you have a high tolerance, you
may not feel drunk, but you will still have a high BAC.
Psychological effects
Physical effects
(Depending on how much is consumed)
(Depending on how much is consumed)
Immediate effects the person drinking may be seeking
include:
• Feeling relaxed and confident
• Feelings of happiness and wellbeing
• Decreased inhibitions
Any consumption of alcohol is likely to impair muscle control
and coordination to some degree. This impairment will
become more significant as your BAC increases. This is the
reason we have drink driving laws.
Reducing your inhibitions can cause a range of possible
behaviours, depending on factors such as your personality,
the mood you’re in or the behaviour of the people around
you.
The effects of disinhibition can lead to changes in your
behaviour such as:
• Being more flirtatious
• Less capacity to control your anger
• Being louder or more talkative
• Feeling & expressing stronger emotions
• Taking risks you usually wouldn’t (leaving you more
vulnerable to potential harm)
Less desirable effects associated with heavier use include:
• Impaired judgement and decision making
• Memory loss and confusion
• Potential for irritability and aggression
• Depression and anxiety
Frequent or heavy (binge) use increases the chance of
you experiencing these effects. As they become more
pronounced, they are more likely to affect your daily
functioning and affect your family and social relationships.
Regular heavy drinking also increases the risk of other
problems such as:
• Drink driving (injury and/or loss of licence)
• Poor work performance (taking extra sick days or
attending work while hung over/intoxicated)
• More persistent symptoms of depression or anxiety
Other possible short term effects from individual episodes of
drinking include:
• Blurred vision
• Slurred speech
• Nausea and vomiting
• Respiratory failure (you stop breathing), particularly if
using other depressant drugs
• Coma and possible death
A ‘hang over’ is typically experienced after an episode of
heavy drinking. It’s caused by the swelling of the brain due
to dehydration. The effects of a hangover can be reduced
by drinking water regularly throughout the night and before
going to bed.
Possible effects from long term heavy use:
• Swelling or cirrhosis of liver
• Stomach ulcers and malnutrition
• Brain injury (loss of some brain function)
• Cancer of the mouth, throat, breast and liver
• High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease
• Damage to reproductive organs (e.g. impotence,
menstrual irregularities and infertility)
Alcohol consumption can be risky. The best
way to avoid the risks is not to drink at all. If
you do drink, there are many things you can do
to reduce the risk to yourself and others (see
‘Reducing the harms’ over the page).