Alcohol
Drug: Alcohol
Drug
type: Depressant
Street names: Booze, Drink,
Bevy
Alcohol Facts
Facts about Alcohol -
Alcohol is legal. However, it's illegal to sell it to anyone
under 18. It's illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under
five.
What
is it? Alcohol is a liquid drug. It's
physically 
addictive - your body can start to crave
it.
Recommended alcohol intake
Units are
used to show how much alcohol there is in a drink. Different drinks
have different numbers of units. For example, a single (25ml)
measure of spirits has one unit, a medium (175ml) glass of 12% wine
or a pint of normal strength lager has two units.
The
Government's recommended alcohol intake for men over
18 is no more than three to four units per day, while women
shouldn't drink more than two to three.
How does alcohol affect the body?
When you
have a drink, you can start feeling the effects within five
minutes.
The
effects of alcohol on the body can vary - a small
amount can make you feel relaxed, more sociable and less inhibited.
You could also become excited, sad or aggressive. Alcohol will slow
down your reactions too. Your speech can slur and you can fall over
more easily.
Different
people are affected by different amounts of alcohol. It depends on
your tolerance level which is affected by how often and how much
you drink. Your tolerance can also be affected by how much you've
had to eat and your weight.
The
risks: You could end up being sick, falling
over and injuring yourself or losing consciousness. Or you could
get alcohol poisoning, which can kill you. If your drink is spiked,
you could be assaulted.
Heavy or long-term drinking can cause cancer, liver
damage, memory loss and heart disease.
Alcohol image courtesy of Talk to Frank, Crown Copyright.
Take a look at a short video on You Tube about how drinking
alot can affect you and about drinking responsibly - Shaken & Slurred
Amphetamines