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Alcohol
is seen by many as a more socially acceptable drug,
but that’s not to say it’s any less powerful
than other drugs.
Technically speaking, it's a nervous system
depressant, which means it slows down your body's
responses in all kinds of ways.
Just enough can make you feel great, too much and
you’ll have a hangover the next day.
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Booze, bevvy
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Alcohol
will often exaggerate whatever mood you're in when you
start drinking.
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Alcohol
is a relaxant so, in moderation, it can reduce feelings
of anxiety and inhibitions, making you feel more
sociable.
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It
takes your body an hour to process one unit of alcohol.
But
there is a flip side:
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For
most people, if you drink within the sensible limits for
regular drinking, that's OK. But for some people
drinking gradually gets out of control and results
either in regular binge-drinking, heavy harmful drinking
or alcoholism (alcohol dependence).
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- One
drink too many can leave you feeling out of control –
like slurring your words, losing your balance and
vomiting.
- Official
guidelines recommend that men shouldn’t regularly
drink more than 3-4 units a day and women shouldn’t
regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day because of the
harm this may cause. The guidelines also recommend that
after an episode of heavy drinking, it’s advisable to
refrain from drinking for 48 hours to allow the tissues
to recover.
- Psychological
and physical dependence on alcohol can creep up on you.
Tolerance gradually increases the more you drink
excessively on a regular basis, so you may find you'll
need more alcohol to reach the same state. In other
words, you may seem to be getting better at holding your
drink when that’s really a sign of a developing
problem.
- Alcohol
can make you mouthy, argumentative and aggressive.
There’s no way of knowing beforehand if you’re going
to turn into a nasty drunk.
- Serious
overindulgence can lead to alcohol poisoning which could
put you in a coma or even kill you.
- Alcohol
is blamed for contributing to all kinds of problems in
Britain, from violent crime to domestic violence and to
car-related deaths.
- Long-term
excessive use of alcohol causes illnesses such as liver
damage, stomach cancer and heart disease.
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Sex
and Alcohol
Alcohol can lower your inhibitions and make you feel horny
and sexually confident. It can also make people less
uptight, more affectionate or sexually assertive and
experimental.
The numbing effect of booze can make it harder to come and
drinking can stop you getting a hard-on. Heavy drinkers can
lose both their sex drive and ability to get erections.
As drink affects people’s judgement it might make them
more likely to take risks during sex, including getting or
passing on HIV. Booze can stop you being in control of what
you do sexually – or mean you can’t remember afterwards
what sex you had.
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To buy alcohol you must be 18 or over. If 16-17 you can have
it bought for you if ordering food and with an adult.
It’s against the law to sell alcohol to someone who’s
drunk.
The UK legal limit for drinking and driving is 80 milligrams
of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The penalty for
driving over the limit can be a one year driving ban, fine
of up to £5,000 or a prison sentence of up to six months.
Causing death by dangerous driving can lead to 14 years in
prison and a two year driving ban. A drink driving
endorsement will stay on your drivers licence for 11 years.
Two pints of normal strength lager or one large glass of
wine are enough to put someone over the limit.
Government guidelines for men are 3-4 ‘units’ (not
drinks) a day (21 units a week)
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Drinkline
A free, confidential helpline offering help and support
around your drinking or someone else’s
0800 917 8282
(9am-11pm weekdays).
Talk To Frank
Drugs information web site
www.talktofrank.co.uk
Antidote
A London service for gay and bisexual men concerned
about their alcohol or drug use. Weekly drop-in,
one-to-one counselling, support groups and more.
Call 020 7287 8743 or go to www.thehungerford.org/antidote.asp
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All content within the OUTinLondon Health section is provided
for general information only, and should not be treated as a
substitute for obtaining professional medical advice. OUTinLondon is not
responsible for the content of external internet sites listed,
nor does it endorse any commercial product or service
mentioned or advised on any of the sites.
Always
consult your own GP if you are in any way concerned about your
health.
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