Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic drug that depresses the central nervous system.
Most of the adults in the UK drink alcohol moderately and on a social basis and derive a lot of pleasure from doing so. About one in five men and one in seven women drink regularly more than the Department of Health suggest is strictly safe for good health. This is up to two to three units of alcohol a day for women and up to three to four units of alcohol a day for men (a unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a glass of wine, or a single pub measure of spirits).
What are its effects?
The effects of alcohol are very dependent on the amount consumed, and can include:
1. slurred speech
2. a loss of co-ordination
3. unsteady when standing or walking
4. impaired attention and judgement
5. sleep
Relatively low doses relax the user, make them more talkative and animated, while increasingly larger does lead to uncoordinated movement, impaired decision making and sedation. The depressive effects of alcohol are the reason that it is always best to avoid alcohol when driving and never exceed the limit.
Symptoms of addiction
When someone become dependent or addicted to alcohol they:
1. Develop a strong sense of compulsion to drink
2. May drink shortly after waking to reduce feelings of alcohol withdrawal
3. Develop a reduced capacity to control how often and how much they use
4. Organise their lifestyle around drinking
Are you addicted to alcohol?
Here is a short questionnaire to evaluate your use of alcohol. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or AUDIT has been developed by the World Health Organisation and is used by doctors to assess the extent to which a patient is likely to need to make some changes in their drinking to avoid health problems.
The AUDIT Questionnaire
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
1. Never (0)
2. Monthly or Less (1)
3. 2-4 times a month (2)
4. 2-3 times a week (3)
5. 4 or more times a week (4)
2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
1. 1 or 2 (0)
2. 3 or 4 (1)
3. 5 or 6 (2)
4. 7-9 (3)
5. 10 or more (4)
3. How often do you have 6 or more drinks on an occasion when you are drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
4. How often during the past year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
5. How often during the past year have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
6. How often during the past year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
7. How often during the past year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
8. How often during the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
9. Have you or has someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
1. No (0)
2. Yes, but not in the past year (2)
3. Yes, during the past year (4)
10. Has a relative, friend, or a doctor or other health care worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?
1. No (0)
2. Yes, but not in the past year (2)
3. Yes, during the past year (4)
How did you do?
If you scored between 8-10 or more, it may be worth consulting your doctor or an alcohol advice and information service to talk about your drinking.
Most of the adults in the UK drink alcohol moderately and on a social basis and derive a lot of pleasure from doing so. About one in five men and one in seven women drink regularly more than the Department of Health suggest is strictly safe for good health. This is up to two to three units of alcohol a day for women and up to three to four units of alcohol a day for men (a unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a glass of wine, or a single pub measure of spirits).
What are its effects?
The effects of alcohol are very dependent on the amount consumed, and can include:
1. slurred speech
2. a loss of co-ordination
3. unsteady when standing or walking
4. impaired attention and judgement
5. sleep
Relatively low doses relax the user, make them more talkative and animated, while increasingly larger does lead to uncoordinated movement, impaired decision making and sedation. The depressive effects of alcohol are the reason that it is always best to avoid alcohol when driving and never exceed the limit.
Symptoms of addiction
When someone become dependent or addicted to alcohol they:
1. Develop a strong sense of compulsion to drink
2. May drink shortly after waking to reduce feelings of alcohol withdrawal
3. Develop a reduced capacity to control how often and how much they use
4. Organise their lifestyle around drinking
Are you addicted to alcohol?
Here is a short questionnaire to evaluate your use of alcohol. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or AUDIT has been developed by the World Health Organisation and is used by doctors to assess the extent to which a patient is likely to need to make some changes in their drinking to avoid health problems.
The AUDIT Questionnaire
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
1. Never (0)
2. Monthly or Less (1)
3. 2-4 times a month (2)
4. 2-3 times a week (3)
5. 4 or more times a week (4)
2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
1. 1 or 2 (0)
2. 3 or 4 (1)
3. 5 or 6 (2)
4. 7-9 (3)
5. 10 or more (4)
3. How often do you have 6 or more drinks on an occasion when you are drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
4. How often during the past year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
5. How often during the past year have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
6. How often during the past year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
7. How often during the past year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
8. How often during the past year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
1. Never (0)
2. Less than monthly (1)
3. Monthly (2)
4. Weekly (3)
5. Daily or almost daily (4)
9. Have you or has someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
1. No (0)
2. Yes, but not in the past year (2)
3. Yes, during the past year (4)
10. Has a relative, friend, or a doctor or other health care worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?
1. No (0)
2. Yes, but not in the past year (2)
3. Yes, during the past year (4)
How did you do?
If you scored between 8-10 or more, it may be worth consulting your doctor or an alcohol advice and information service to talk about your drinking.
