Having a drink now and then does not harm
your body. However, social drinking can, for
some people, lead to heavier drinking which
can cause serious health problems.It is often
very difficult to tell the difference between
alcoholism, alcohol abuse and alcohol problems.
A person who has abused alcohol in the past
does not necessarily have alcoholism, for
example.
Facts
Research has shown
that a very high percentage of adults in
the UK (over 90% of men and 86% of women
aged 16 years or over) drink alcohol. Sensible
drinking limits are defined as no more than
21 units a week for adult males and 14 units
a week for adult females. To reduce health
risks from drinking, this should be spread
over the week, 3-4 units per day for men
and 2-3 units a day for women. A review
in 1995 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists,
Physicians and GP’s, recommended that
these limits remain unchanged.
A unit is 8mg of pure
alcohol. This is roughly equivalent to half
a pint of beer, cider or lager, a 25ml (pub)
measure of spirit such as vodka, whisky
or gin, a 50ml (pub) measure of fortified
wine such as port or sherry, or a small
(125ml) glass of wine.
Women have a lower
tolerance of alcohol than men. This is because
they are often smaller and lighter, their
bodies contain less water and their
metabolisms are different.
Risks
Excessive drinking
can affect your physical and mental health,
and your work, social and personal relationships.
You are also more likely to find yourself
in dangerous situations if you have been
drinking a lot, as alcohol affects your
judgement and you may do things that you
would not consider doing when sober. A recent
report showed that a quarter of all young
prisoners had been drinking when they committed
their crime.
Health risks associated with heavy drinking
include:
- liver disease (cirrhosis
of the liver),
- alcohol-related
anaemia and nutritional disease,
- chronic calcifying
pancreatitis,
- heart muscle damage
(cardiomyopathy), and
- alcoholic dementia.
Heavy drinking also
increases the risk of high blood pressure,
cerebral haemorrhage (stroke), coronary
heart disease and heartbeat irregularities.
People who drink large
amounts of alcohol over long periods of
time are also at much greater risk of liver
damage. This may lead to alcoholic hepatitis
and cirrhosis.
Psychiatric disorders
are also more common in people who drink
more than 10 units a day. They include:
- depression,
- suicide and attempted
suicide,
- personality deterioration,
- sexual problems,
- hallucinations
without the other symptoms of delirium
tremens,
- memory loss, and
- delirium tremens.
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Alcohol Misuse
