Email sent successfully

Message sent

Your message has been sent to Between the Lines.

Message sent

Your message has been sent to Between the Lines.

Summary

• Alcohol is a depressant drug whose active ingredient is ethanol. Ethanol comes from the fermentation of starches and is found in beer, wine and spirits.
• Alcohol is both physically and psychologically addictive.
• Research suggests that regular drinking may lead to a range of mental health problems including depression.
• An overdose of alcohol, which is also called alcohol poisoning, can lead to coma and death if immediate medical treatment is not sought.

What is alcohol?

As mentioned in the summary above, alcohol is a depressant drug with ethanol as its active ingredient. Ethanol comes from the fermentation of starches and is found in beer, wine and spirits. It is the most widely used mood-changing recreational drug in Australia.

There are three general classes of alcohol:

• Beer: Prepared by the brewing and fermenting of grains and which are then flavoured with hops. The alcohol content of beer usually ranges from 4% to 6% alcohol by volume.
• Wine: Comes from the fermentation of fruits, including grapes. There is a complete fermentation process with a long aging process leading to a alcohol content of around 9% to 16%.
• Spirits: A product of both fermentation and distillation. Spirits are stronger alcohols and can have an alcohol content of above 20%.

Classification

Alcohol is a 'depressant drug', so it  slows down the actions of the central nervous system. This means that it lowers your heart and breathing rates and slows the time it takes for a person to respond to things.

It is often falsely thought of as a ‘stimulant’ because it can cause people to feel more confident and relaxed in small doses, but as a depressant, the main results of drinking alcohol is poor coordination, judgement and slower reflexes.

How is alcohol used?

In most Australian bars, pubs and clubs, alcohol is served in 'standard drinks'. This helps people monitor their alcohol consumption and allows them to control the amount they are drinking.

A standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol and depending on what you are drinking, can mean a smaller and stronger drink or a weaker, larger one.

Here are some examples of a standard drink:

• one 425 ml schooner of light beer (2.7% alcohol)
• one 285 ml middy of regular beer (4.9% alcohol)
• one 100 ml glass of wine (12% alcohol)
• one 30 ml nip of spirits (40% alcohol)
• one 60 ml glass of port or sherry (20% alcohol).

Remember! The size of drinks served at some hotels or at home can be bigger than the standard drinks you usually drink and cocktails can have up to six standard drinks per drink.

How does alcohol work?

Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and small intestine where it enters the bloodstream and is evenly distributed throughout the body. Alcohol is not taken up by fat cells; this means  people with more fatty tissue tend to get more intoxicated from the same amount of alcohol.

The liver is the main organ responsible for removing alcohol from the bloodstream. It is important to remember that our bodies are all different so alcohol can affect us all differently.

The ease of intoxication generally depends on a variety of factors including body size, weight, gender, genetics and amounts of fatty tissue. In most cases, smaller body sizes and weights tend to be more easily intoxicated.

In addition, women tend to be more easily intoxicated by alcohol as they generally have smaller body sizes and increased fatty tissues. When drinking alcohol, take these things into account and drink comfortably.

Immediate effects of alcohol

Alcohol has immediate effects that include:

• feeling more confident
• feeling sleepy
• losing balance/feeling dizzy
• lowering of inhibitions
• confusion
• nausea/vomiting
• headache.

Effects of regular alcohol use

Alcohol may also have long-term effects if drunk over longer periods of time and affect nearly every organ and system in the body.

These effects include:

• liver damage
• hallucinations
• memory loss
• confusion
• stomach damage
• moodiness and anxiety
• cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, lips and liver
• brain injury
• high blood pressure, irregular pulse, enlarged heart and changes in red blood cells
• weakness and loss of muscle tissue
• sweating, flushing and bruising of the skin
• increased risk of lung infections
• inflamed pancreas
• tingling and loss of sensation in hands and feet
• in men: impotence, shrinking of the testicles and damaged/reduced sperm count
• in women: greater risk of various gynaecological problems.

Alcohol and mental health

People with mental health problems are at particular risk of problems with alcohol and should avoid it.

Research suggests that:

• Drinking can make symptoms worse for depression and anxiety. This is because alcohol reduces the level of the neurotransmitter GABA, which the brain produces naturally to calm you down and control anxiety.
• Heavy or regular drinking may lead to a range of mental health problems, including depression.
• If you are depressed and you drink excessively, you are at much greater risk of suicide and self-harm.
• Even low-risk drinking can worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosis. e.g. You will be  more likely to hear or see things that aren't actually happening.
• Alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness of any medications you may be taking to help manage a mental illness. It may also have harmful effects when it interacts with medication.
• The risk of dependence on alcohol is much greater if you have a mental health problem.

Is alcohol addictive?

Alcohol is both physically and psychologically addictive. Regularly drinking may lead long-term problems if you become addicted to alcohol.

A dependency on alcohol can affect your health as well as personal and social life. Alcoholics experience withdrawal symptoms in its absence; these include tremor, nausea, anxiety, depression, sweating, headache and difficulty sleeping in periods between drinks.

Alcohol and the law

The legal drinking age in all Australian states is 18 years of age. Drink-driving laws between states vary but are available on your state road authority website.  But when drinking alcohol it is always best to avoid operating any form of machinery due to its effects on judgement and coordination.

This fact sheet was prepared with assistance from the Australian Drug Foundation.