The Effects of Alcohol

The effects of alcohol are normally well known. Alcohol is the commonly-used name for ethyl alcohol or ethanol.

Alcoholic beverages are produced by the fermentation of fruits, vege-tables and grains. Stronger alcoholic beverages are produced by distilling the fermented materials.

Methods of Use
Alcohol is usually taken as a drink in one form or another. However it has been known for some to inject it, a dangerous practice for many reasons. Alcoholic drinks predominantly consist of water, colouring and flavouring. The strength of drinks ranges from:

3 - 4% by volume, eg, beers and ciders,

4 - 8% by volume, eg, strong beers and ciders, and the so-called alcopops,

8 - 14% by volume, eg, table wines,

14 - 20% by volume, eg, fortified wines,

20 - 50% by volume, eg, liquors and spirits.

Effects of Alcohol
The short-term effects of alcohol vary considerably from individual to individual, depending on gender, age, tolerance and even the amount of food recently eaten. Alcohol is a depressant
and individuals experi-ence feelings of calmness and relaxation. At higher levels of consumption, there is a reduction in reaction time, poorer co-ordination, judgement and the individual will have difficulty walking and speaking coherently. Most of these are reported as positive ef-fects of alcohol. Alcohol intoxication is related to but does not cause aggression, violence and other negative behaviours associated with drunkenness.

In the longer-term, modest consumption of alcohol is associated with health benefits. Modest consumption involves drinking no more than 1-2 units of alcohol daily, and is associated with reductions in coronary heart disease amongst middle age men and post-menopausal women.

Adverse Effects of Alcohol
Heavy consumption of alcohol (in excess of 21 units for men and 14 units for women) is associated with chronic health problems. Heavy drinking has a major impact on:

the gastrointestinal tract (oesophageal varices, ulcers),

the liver,

the central nervous system (memory impairment, peripheral neuropathy).

Alcohol contains no dietary requirement (substances such as proteins and vitamins) other than calories, so heavy drinking is associated with dietary deficiencies. Where pregnant women consume 6 or more units of alcohol, the baby may experience withdrawal symptoms when new born. Learning difficulties, facial abnormalities and lower birth weight may also occur as a result of what is called foetal alcohol syndrome.

Heavy consumption of alcohol over a number of years may result in dependence for both men and women, while the abrupt cessation of alcohol may result in a wide range of withdrawal symptoms, including sweats, tremors, nausea and delirium tremens (DTs) which will sub-side after 10 to 14 days. DTs, however, must be treated directly to avoid Wernicke/Korsakoff syndrome. In England and Wales, alcohol is related to between 28 000 and 33 000 deaths per year (ISDD, 1999).

For statistics on alcohol use in the USA click here.

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