The truth about Alcohol

Tips for Teens:
Slang : booze, piss, brewskis, hooch, hard stuff, juice

Get The Facts

Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world. Alcohol is a depressant drug, which does not necessarily mean that it makes you depressed, but that it depresses the functioning of your Central Nervous System in your brain. However, it has been known to worsen depression in most cases. A drink of alcohol is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream from the stomach, and is then distributed around the body, including the brain.

Alcohol affects your brain. Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, and even blackouts.

Alcohol affects your bodyAlcohol can damage every organ in your body. It is absorbed directly into your bloodstream and can increase your risk for a variety of life−threatening diseases, including cancer. Some drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, as a result of long−term heavy drinking. Its symptoms include fever, jaundice (abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs, and urine), and abdominal pain. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause death if drinking continues. If drinking stops, this condition often is reversible. About 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. Alcoholic cirrhosis can cause death if drinking continues. Although cirrhosis is not reversible, if drinking stops, one's chances of survival improve considerably. Those with cirrhosis often feel better, and the functioning of their liver may improve, if they stop drinking. Although liver transplantation may be needed as a last resort, many people with cirrhosis who abstain from alcohol may never need liver transplantation. In addition, treatment for the complications of cirrhosis is available.

Alcohol affects your self−control. Alcohol depresses your central nervous system, lowers your inhibitions, and impairs your judgment. Drinking can lead to risky behaviours, including having unprotected sex. This may expose you to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases or cause unwanted pregnancy.

Alcohol can kill you.Drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to coma or even death. Many fatalities on the road are alcohol−related.

Alcohol can hurt you −− even if you're not the one drinking. If you're around people who are drinking, you have an increased risk of being seriously injured, involved in car crashes, or affected by violence. At the very least, you may have to deal with people who are sick, out of control, or unable to take care of themselves.

Before You Risk It

Know the law. It is illegal to buy or possess alcohol if you are under 18

Get the facts. People under the age of 21 who are found to have any amount of alcohol in their systems can lose their driver's license, be subject to a heavy fine, or have their car permanently taken away.

Stay informed. “Binge” drinking means having six or more drinks on one occasion. About 15 percent of teens are binge drinkers in any given month.

Know the risksMixing alcohol with medications or illicit drugs is extremely dangerous and can lead to accidental death. For example, alcohol−medication interactions may be a factor in at least 25 percent of emergency room admissions.

Keep your edge. Alcohol can make you gain weight and give you bad breath.

Look around you. Most teens aren't drinking alcohol. Research shows that 70 percent of people 12−20 haven't had a drink in the past month.

Know The Signs

How can you tell if a friend has a drinking problem? Sometimes it's tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may have a problem with alcohol:

• Getting drunk on a regular basis.
• Lying about how much alcohol he or she is using.
• Believing that alcohol is necessary to have fun.
• Having frequent hangovers.
• Feeling run−down, depressed, or even suicidal.
• Having “blackouts” −− forgetting what he or she did while drinking.
• Having problems at school or getting in trouble with the law.

Q & A

Question : Aren't beer and wine "safer" than spirits?
Answer : No. One 12−ounce beer has about as much alcohol as a 1.5−ounce shot of spirits, a 5−ounce glass of wine, or a wine cooler.

Question : Why can't teens drink if their parents can?
Answer : Teens' bodies are still developing and alcohol has a greater impact on their physical and mental well−being. For example, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at age 21.

Question : How can I say no to alcohol? I'm afraid I won't fit in.
Answer : Remember, you're in good company. The majority of teens don't drink alcohol. Also, it's not as hard to refuse as you might think. Try: “No thanks,” “I don't drink,” or “I'm not interested.”

Info

To learn more about alcohol or obtain referrals to program in your community, contact:

Amped4Life
PO Box 15348
Tauranga

Mobile : 021461325

The bottom line : If you know someone who has a problem with alcohol, urge him or her to stop or get help. If you drink−−stop! The longer you ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life.

It's never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counsellor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.
Do it today!