What is it?
Flavoured water and ethyl alcohol, made by fermentation of fruits, vegetables and grains. Includes beers, lagers, wines, spirits and 'alcopops'.
Street Names
Names include bevy, booze, drink, plonk.
How is it taken
Usually swallowed as a drink.
Extent of Use
It is our second favourite drug after caffeine. Over 90% of adults drink. About one-third of 13 to 16 year olds drink at least once a week. In recent years more young people have been drinking greater quantities of alcohol.
Effects of Use
- A depressant drug - it slows down reactions.
- Small amounts make people more relaxed and less inhibited.
- Large amounts result in slurred speech and loss of balance and co-ordination.
- Very large amounts lead to loss of consciousness.
- Effects often depend on how people are feeling before they drink.
- It can make some people very aggressive and sometimes violent.
- Effects start within 5 to 10 minutes and can last for several hours, depending on the amount drunk.
Risks of Use
- Accidents are more likely - falling over, operating machinery, driving etc.
- Lowered inhibitions may make unsafe sexual activity more likely.
- Drinking too much in one go can lead to loss of consciousness and even death if people choke on their own vomit.
- Mixing alcohol with use of some other drugs can lead to fatal overdose.
- If people drink a lot on a regular basis they can become dependent (alcoholic) and find it difficult to cut down or stop.
- Regular, heavy drinking leads to tolerance, so more is needed to get the same effect.
- Heavy, long-term drinking can lead to damage of the liver, heart, stomach and brain and also mean people put on a lot of weight.
- Pregnant women who drink heavily may find that their babies experience problems before they are born.
- Between 25,000 and 35,000 people die each year in the UK from alcohol-related accidents and illnesses and from overdose.
- Some young people die from overdosing on alcohol and many more are rushed to hospital to have their stomachs pumped.
The Law
- It is illegal to give alcohol to a child aged under 5
- It is an offence to sell alcohol to an under-18
- Some towns have by-laws restricting the drinking of alcohol on the streets at any age.
- Police have powers to confiscate alcohol from under-18s who drink in public places.
- There are laws about being 'drunk and disorderly' and 'drink driving'.
For futher information on binge drinking click here.
