ALL about alcohol and safe drinking
What is Alcohol? Alcohol is a drug that you can drink. The drug makes your body and mind work in a different way. You may feel like a different person. Other names for drinks with alcohol are booze ( bo-oz ) or liquor ( lick-ere) (be-er) , (wi-ne) cock-tails ( cock-tail-s ).
What can alcohol do to my mind ? Alcohol may first give you a good feeling, but if you drink too much you can feel sick may feel angry or in a bad mood. You can feel dizzy You have less control over what your are saying or doing. You may not make a good choice
When is it ok to use alcohol ? The law says you have to be 18 years old to buy or drink alcohol Many people have a social drink at a party. With a social drink you don’t get drunk You need to know how much you can drink and be safe
When is it NOT ok to drink alcohol When you have an illness ( ill-ness ) such as diabetes ( dia-bet-es) heart problems, or epilepsy( epil-lep-sy) Alcohol may make your illness worse. Ask your Doctor if you can use alcohol When you take prescribed medication or medicine that you take for a headache or a cold. To use alcohol when you take meds can put you in danger Talk to your doctor ,to see if you can drink alcohol with your medication. You can’t drink more than two standard drinks in an hour and then drive a car.
What happens when a person gets drunk! Too much alcohol will make you drunk When you have too much to drink It can be hard to walk, talk or think in a normal way. You may feel sick Why do people drink too much? To drink alcohol can become a part of your life (its called habit [hab- it ] .) Some people meet with friends at a bar and then drink too much. Other people may feel sad and drink alcohol to feel better.
When does alcohol become a problem? Some people have problems with drinking alcohol . They get drunk and don’t keep safe. They become an alcoholic [ al- col – hol-ik]. An alcoholic is a person who has a problem and can’t help but drink to much. Some alcoholic’s drink everyday. Others drink once in a while but drink too much.
What can happen if a person has a problem with alcohol? Alcohol can hurt parts of your body like your liver or heart Your family and friends may become concerned about you. If you think alcohol is becoming a problem for you or someone you know, you can seek help from carers, family , friends or professionals such as your doctor.
Making a good decision about drinking alcohol! Ask your Doctor about what's a safe amount of alcohol for you to drink. Your support staff can help you to following Doctors instructions on drinking alcohol so you are safe.
Do you use alcohol for the wrong reasons? What can you do ? Find out why you think you are drinking alcohol. Do you drink to be cool ? Its ok to say no thanks I don’t need a drink! Do you drink when you meet your friends? You can meet at the movies or café instead! Do you drink because you feel sad or alone? You could always call or meet a friends to chat!