How will alcohol affect me?

Moderate Use: After one or two drinks over one hour, you most likely will feel relaxed, sociable and find it easy to talk to others.

Heavier Use: At three or more drinks over one hour, your face may become red and your balance might begin to feel off. Your won't be seeing clearly and your other senses will be distorted as well. You won't remember things, and your coordination will be affected, making you clumsy. You won't feel as inhibited, meaning you might say and do things that you could regret in the morning.

Very Heavy Use: If you drink even more heavily, your speech will start to slur and you will not be able to walk without staggering. You may also begin to see double. This is also when people's mood shifts from one extreme to the other. You may "pass out" at this stage.

Extreme Use: If you drink beyond this stage, your breathing and heartbeat might stop. You are also at risk of asphyxiation or choking to death on your own vomit while passed out.

Risks of Drinking Alcohol

·        Alcohol slows down your brain’s ability to think clearly and impairs decision-making, coordination and reaction time which can be unsafe to yourself and others.

·       Drinking too much alcohol at one time can lead to Alcohol Poisoning.

·        Your body has a hard time regulating your temperature while drinking, which can lead to hypothermia.

·        Alcohol make you less inhibited. This can lead to fights, unplanned and unprotected sex, and impaired driving.

·        Long-term problem drinking can lead to brain damage, ulcers, liver disease, malnutrition, heart disease, various cancers and family and social problems.

You can use alcohol while staying healthy.

Following these guidelines will help you stay healthy and avoid social problems. Of course not drinking at all is the way to completely prevent alcohol-related problems.

·        Have no more than 2 standard drinks in one day.

·        Women can have up to 9 standard drinks in a week.

·        Men can have up to 14 standard drinks in a week.

One Standard Drink contains 13.6 grams of alcohol. This means that a 5oz glass of wine, 1.5 oz of spirits and a 12 oz beer all contain the same amount of alcohol.

·        If you drink, stop before you get drunk.

·        Wait at least one hour between drinks.

·        Never drink on an empty stomach. Eat unsalted foods when you are drinking and make every other drink a non-alcoholic one.

·        Never drink and drive.

·        Be a Responsible Host. Encourage your guests to follow these guidelines.

·         Don't mix alcohol with other drugs. Some drugs interact with alcohol in a very bad way, and can lead to death. If you are unsure about how your medication interacts with alcohol, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Some People Should Avoid Alcohol.

To keep themselves and others around them safe and healthy, some people should avoid alcohol. Individuals who should not drink include:

·        People with health problems such as liver disease or mental illness

·        People taking medications such as sedatives, painkillers or sleeping pills

·        People with a personal or family history of drinking problems

·        Women trying to get pregnant, who are pregnant, or who are breastfeeding. If a woman drinks when she is pregnant, the baby could be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect.

·        People operating vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, ATV’s and bicycles

·        People who need to be alert to operate machinery or dangerous equipment

·        People playing sports or other activities where they need to be in control

·        People who are responsible for the safety of others at work or home

·        People who have been advised not to drink for legal, medical or other reasons

 [Information adapted from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health]