Alcohol

Also known As:

Liquor, booze, and juice.

What is it?

Alcohol is a depressant drug that is legal in Canada. Alcohol can slow down the parts of the brain that affect thinking, behaviour, breathing and heart rate. For this reason, it should be consumed moderately.

Alcoholic drinks are created by fermenting or distilling different grains, fruits, or beverages. Beer or wine, for instance, are produced through a fermentation process. Drinks such as rum, whisky or vodka (also known as hard liquor or spirits) are created by a distillation process and usually have a higher alcohol content (CAMH, 2012).

Effects      

The way alcohol affects you depends on many factors, including (CAMH, 2019):

• your age, sex and body weight

• how sensitive you are to alcohol

• the type and amount of food in your stomach

• how much and how often you drink

• how long you've been drinking

• the environment you're in

• how you expect the alcohol to make you feel

• whether you've taken any other drugs (illegal, prescription, over-the-counter or herbal).

For many people, a single drink of alcohol releases tension and reduces inhibition, making them feel more at ease and outgoing. Some people feel happy or excited when they drink, while others become depressed or hostile. Suicide and violent crimes often involve alcohol.

Women are generally more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than men, and all adults become increasingly sensitive to alcohol’s effects as they age. When someone is more sensitive, it takes less alcohol to cause intoxication and more time for the body to eliminate the alcohol consumed.

Intoxication:

Early signs of alcohol intoxication include:

• flushed skin

• impaired judgment

• reduced inhibition.

Continued drinking increases these effects and causes other effects, such as:

• impaired attention

• reduced muscle control

• slowed reflexes

• staggering gait

• slurred speech

• double or blurred vision.

A severely intoxicated person may “black out,” and have no memory of what was said or done while drinking. Effects of extreme intoxication include inability to stand, vomiting, stupor, coma and death.

Death may result when a person “passes out,” vomits and chokes. A person who has been drinking heavily and is unconscious should be laid on his or her side and watched closely. Clammy skin, low body temperature, slow and laboured breathing and incontinence are signs of acute alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. Call 911 if you're concerned (CAMH, 2019).

How long does the feeling last?

It takes about one hour for the liver of a person weighing 70 kilograms (154 lbs.) to process and eliminate eight to 10 grams of alcohol, or about two-thirds of the alcohol contained in a standard drink (i.e., 13.6 grams of alcohol). This rate is constant, no matter how much alcohol has been consumed or what food or non-alcoholic beverages are consumed.

Hangover

Drinking heavily usually results in a “hangover,” beginning eight to 12 hours after the last drink. A hangover is caused in part by acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that is created as alcohol is processed by your liver. Other causes include dehydration and changes in hormone levels. Symptoms can include (CAMH, 2019):

• headache

• nausea

• diarrhea

• shakiness

• vomiting.

Is it addictive?

Most alcohol-related illnesses, social problems, accidents and deaths are caused by “problem drinking.” This term describes alcohol use that causes problems in a person’s life, but does not include physical dependence, one indicator of addiction. Problem drinking is four times as common as severe alcohol dependence.

Physical dependence involves tolerance to alcohol’s effects, which means people need more alcohol to produce the desired effect. Physical dependence also includes withdrawal symptoms when regular alcohol use is abruptly stopped.

Withdrawal symptoms can include sleeplessness, tremors, nausea and seizures within a few hours after a person's last drink. These symptoms can last from two to seven days and range from mild to severe, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and the period of time over which it was used. Some people experience delirium tremens, or “the DTs,” five to six days after they stop drinking. This dangerous syndrome consists of hallucinations, confusion, fever and racing heart. If left untreated, severe alcohol withdrawal can result in death (CAMH, 2019).

Is it dangerous?

Alcohol can be dangerous in a number of ways.

The impact of alcohol’s effect on judgment, behaviour, attitude and reflexes can range from embarrassment, to unwanted or high-risk sexual contact, to violence, injury or death. Alcohol is involved in more regrettable moments, crimes and traffic fatalities than all other drugs of abuse combined.

Women who drink during pregnancy risk giving birth to a baby with behaviour problems, growth deficiency, developmental disability, head and facial deformities, joint and limb abnormalities and heart defects. The risk of bearing a child with these birth defects increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. The first trimester may be the time of greatest risk, although there is no time during pregnancy when it is known to be safe to drink alcohol.

Mixing alcohol with other drugs can have unpredictable results. Alcohol may either block the absorption of the other drug, making it less effective, or it may increase the effect of the other drug, to the point of danger. The general rule is never to mix alcohol with any other drugs—whether the other drug is a medication or an illegal substance. If you are taking a medication and you want to drink, check first with your doctor or pharmacist (CAMH, 2019).

What are the long-term effects of using it?

How alcohol affects you in the long term depends on how much and how often you drink.

Research studies have shown that having one to two drinks a day can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, and three or more drinks a day increases your risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart problems.

Heavy alcohol use can result in trouble getting and keeping an erection for men or menstrual irregularities for women. Alcohol may cause appetite loss, vitamin deficiencies and infections. It also irritates the lining of the stomach, which can be painful and is potentially fatal. Alcohol increases the risk of liver, throat, breast and other cancers. Alcoholic liver disease is a major cause of illness and death in North America.

Psychologically, long-term use of alcohol can damage the brain, which can lead to dementia, difficulties with co-ordination and motor control, and loss of feeling or painful burning in the feet. Alcohol dependence often results in clinical depression, and the rate of suicide among people who are dependent on alcohol is six times that of the general population (CAMH, 2019).

Harm Reduction Tips

In order to reduce the possible harms of alcohol, the following is suggested (CAMH, 2019):

• Plan your drinking. Ensure you are in a safe environment and that you have a designated driver or an alternative option for transportation. Don’t drive and don’t ride with a driver who has been drinking

• Set limits for yourself. For example, you can plan to have a set amount of alcohol for pre-drinking occasions or bring a specific amount of money to a bar or club

• Start with a non-alcoholic drink or water to satisfy your thirst before drinking

• Drink slowly, no more than 2 drinks in 3 hours and alternate with a non-alcoholic drink

• Eat before or while drinking. This will slow down alcohol absorption, although it will not prevent intoxication

• Avoid shots or rounds, try to drink at your own pace

• Keep track of your drink. You can ask a friend to help you or keep your bottle caps in your pocket. Avoid topping up, because it makes it harder to keep track.

• Prepare for possible sexual encounters and practice safe sex

• If you are trying to avoid peer-pressure, you could drink a non-alcoholic drink that could mask as alcohol.

Planning a safer party & Looking after others

• Make sure that people have a safe way to get home and don’t let anyone drive drunk. Consider collecting people’s car keys when they come to your home, staying sober and driving guests home, offering to pay for their transit or taxi, or encouraging people to sleep at your place

• Provide food and non-alcoholic drinks

• Have a naloxone kit on hand in case someone experiences an opioid overdose - alcohol is a depressant and can interact with opioids to increase chances of respiratory depression

• If a person “passes out” from drinking, gently roll the person into the recovery position on their side, tilting the head back and tucking the top hand under the chin to keep the mouth open and the airway clear and monitor closely (CAMH, 2019). People can choke on their vomit so must be monitored if they are heavily intoxicated.

• Call 911 if you detect signs of acute alcohol poisoning: clammy skin, low body temperature, slow and laboured breathing and incontinence (CAMH, 2012).

References

Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. (2013). Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. [brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/2012-Guidelines-For-Healthcare-Providers-to-Promote-Low-Risk-Drinking-Among-Patients-en.pdf

Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Scientific Writing Group. (2018). Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (2007-2014). Retrieved from https://www.csuch.ca

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). (2019). Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/alcohol

CAMH. (2012). Do You Know… Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/guides-and-publications/dyk-alcohol.pdf?la=en&hash=7E6F38BC94FB9A7D2C689F0DE7257B2D88A35C0E

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2019). Partying and Getting Drunk. Retrieved from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/partying-and-getting-drunk

Harvard College. (2019). Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/drinks-to-consume-in-moderation/alcohol-full-story/#possible_health_benefits

Patra, J., Taylor, B., Rehm, J. T., Baliunas, D., & Popova, S. (2007). Substance-attributable morbidity and mortality changes to Canada’s epidemiological profile: Measurable differences over a ten-year period. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 98(3), 228–234.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). (2019). Alcohol. Retrieved from http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/dr-al/al-eng.htm