Remote Alcohol & Other Drugs Workforce Northern Territory Alcohol

Why do People Drink? There are lots reasons why people use alcohol. Can participants name some of the reasons people drink alcohol. Many people drink at low risk levels and this does not cause them or those around them any harms. To understand why alcohol can be a problem you need to know how alcohol works and some of the risks of using alcohol.

The effects of Alcohol Good Not so good Feel relaxed Feel less self conscious More confident Sleep better Less shame when dancing Drunk Hard to concentrate Slowed time to react Poor muscle control Confusion Less co-ordination Blurred vision Feeling sick & vomiting Aggression or sadness

What is Alcohol

Understanding Alcohol as a Drug A ‘Drug’ is anything except food & water which when taken alters the way the body functions physically and/or mentally.* Source - *WHO, 1981 www.who.int

Alcohol is ……. A poison – it can poison the heart muscle and other organs of the body Pure alcohol is called ethyl alcohol It is tasteless, colourless and odourless Very poisonous and a spoonful would kill a child

Where the effect is

Alcohol and Health Drinking alcohol increases the risk factors of short and long term health and wellbeing problems for Men, Women and Young People.

Other risk factors People not eating properly or drinking enough water No money left for essentials (power card, clothes, rent) Grog-related dementia (people can’t remember who their family and friends are) Trouble with the law (lose driver’s licence) Can lead to more serious chronic disease like diabetes, and liver damage

Risk factors for the community Domestic Violence Babies being born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Car accidents resulting in serious injury and grief and loss issues for family Children not being looked after and not going to school People not engaged with community and culture

The risk of Withdrawal When people have been drinking a lot of alcohol for a long time they feel bad when they stop drinking This is called having withdrawals - this is also known as being ‘Grog Sick’ Grog sickness makes people feel bad so sometimes people keep drinking to make the feelings of withdrawal or grog sickness go away or to stop them happening Withdrawal without medical supervision is dangerous

The risk of Withdrawal It is important for people who drink a lot of alcohol to go and see their health worker, nurse or doctor before they stop drinking For people who do drink a lot it is sometimes better to cut back how much they are drinking slowly before they try to stop Having withdrawals can make it hard to stop drinking but there are things that can be done to help

Standard drink guidelines

The guidelines say, a standard drink is… Any drink that contains 10 grams of alcohol 30 ml vodka shooter has 10 grams of alcohol in it and is a “Standard Drink” A swimming pool with that same vodka shooter poured into it is also a “Standard Drink” It is not about volume, its about how much alcohol. Look on the side of a container – all commercial alcohol sold in Australia must have the number of standard drinks in it

A standard drink It takes one hour for a healthy body to get rid of a standard drink. So if you have one standard drink at 5pm, your body has absorbed it around 6pm, and gone by 7pm. This varies widely due to factors like age, gender, weight, other health issues i.e. renal, diabetes, food consumed, poly drug use (taking more than one drug).

Guidelines for Men Having no more than 2 standard drinks a day reduces the risk of harm from alcohol-related diseases and injury. Drinking more than this increases the risk. Having no more than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury.

Guidelines for Women Having no more than 2 standard drinks a day reduces the risk of harm from alcohol-related diseases and injury. Drinking more than this increases the risk. Having no more than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury.

Why are the guidelines the same Because it’s not about being a Man or a Women it’s about the factors which cause someone to be more or less affected by alcohol. Weight (a bigger person may be less affected than a smaller person) If someone has eaten food before or while they drink If someone is taking medication (alcohol is not good when people are taking medication) If someone has an underlying health problems (like diabetes and liver problems) Someone with good health may be less affected than someone with poor health

Guidelines for pregnant & breastfeeding Women Women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink. Women who are breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest way.

Why are these guidelines different No study has found a safe level of drinking for pregnant and breastfeeding women Alcohol can stay in breast milk for several hours Drinking alcohol when you are pregnant can increase the risk of miscarriage, lower birth weight, premature birth and still birth Drinking can cause Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which causes brain damage to the baby, emotional and developmental delays, behaviour problems and learning difficulties for life

Guidelines for young people Persons under 15 years are at greatest risk of harm from drinking. People aged 15 – 17 years should delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible because the brain is still developing.

Why are these guidelines different Research has found that a young person’s brain is still growing and developing and they are more likely to take risks than older people. Drinking alcohol when you’re young may cause brain damage like remembering, solving problems and cause mental health problems like depression. When young people start drinking early they are likely to drink more and drink more often as they get older

Who can help If you are worried about a family member or your own alcohol use, you can see a: Remote AOD Worker (RAODW) Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) Clinic Nurse Clinic Doctor

How can people access these services Call the community health centre in your town and make an appointment Come and see us at the health centre to make an appointment Your Doctor or Nurse can refer you to the AOD worker Ngurra Tjutaku Palyapayi: everyone’s home, working together for good.

The End Any Questions Thank you for listening If you would like to know about Remote AOD Workforce Program and our resources Please call us on (08) 8958 2503 Or visit the website www.remoteaod.com.au

References & acknowledgements Sources Information Alcohol - produced by Australian Drug Foundation (ADF), 2011 Strong Mind Strong Spirit – Aboriginal Ways of Reducing Harm From Alcohol and Other Drugs – Government of WA Drug and Alcohol Office, 2010 Graphics Slides 8, 9, 10 - Strong Mind Strong Spirit Aboriginal Alcohol & Other Drugs Program (2010) Slide 17 – What is a standard drink – www.druginfo.adf.org.au Slide 20 – Talking about Alcohol with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Patients – Illustrations Julie Haysom Slide 22 & 24 – Strong Mind Strong Spirit Aboriginal Alcohol & Other Drugs Program (2010) Slide 26 - Illustrations by Patrick Bayly from National Cannabis Prevention & Information Centre (ncpic) Artwork Slide 20 – Ngurra Tjutaki Palyapayi – by Alison Multa Napurrula