Alcohol

• Alcohol and the family
• Alcohol in the mind and body
• Alchohol and pregnancy
• Alcohol on the road
• Alcohol on the streets
• Alcohol and women
• Alcohol and the workplace
• Alcohol and the young
• Binge drinking and you
• An Alcohol-Free Me
• Stories

Alcohol in the mind and body

Before you risk it, get the facts

Alcohol is a chemical that affects the way the brain can do its job. Alcohol can have serious consequences such as:

• Panic attacks
• Mood swings
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts

If you drink alcohol it can also affect the psychological and emotional well being of the people around you. A hangover is the consequence of drinking too much. As well as the physical effects, it can cause headaches, and noise and light sensitivity. You can become dependent on alcohol very easily and it might take years to see the effects that drinking has had some.

Results of constant drinking include:

• Permanent personality changes
• Permanently impaired coordination
• Permanent memory loss
• Permanent problems with language

Alcohol is a depressant

Initially alcohol seems to lift people's moods, but it is in actual fact a depressant. After a few drinks alcohol acts on the areas of the brain that are involved in dealing with reasoning and logic. Alcohol will then make the drinker feel tired and start to affect the more basic functions of the brain such as breathing, heart rhythm and reflexes. Continued drinking can lead to unconsciousness, coma and possibly death.

Adverse effects of a few drinks

• Loss of control
• Lower inhibitions
• Misjudging situations
• Confusion
• Saying or doing something out of the ordinary
• Slurred speak
• Effected co-ordination and movement

Think of the risks and consider the consequences!