Alcohol is measured in units. Different drinks contain
different amounts of alcohol. Consumption guidelines for alcohol are: • Men: Not more than 17 units per week.
• Women: Not more than 11 units per week.
1 unit =
100 ml glass of wine
Reasons why young people abuse alcohol
The dangers of drinking early in life
• Curiosity • Peer pressure and image • Bad example • Easily available and reasonably cheap • Acts as a relaxant and gives people confidence
• Interferes with the ongoing physical, intellectual and emotional development of teenagers
• Teenagers who drink can develop drinking problems more easily
• Alcohol hits young drinkers more quickly – they may lose self-control or become involved in antisocial behaviour
• Negatively affects school or college work • Can lead to taking sexual risks, which can cause pregnancy or the spread of disease
A person’s reaction to alcohol is affected by …
Immediate effects of drinking alcohol
Half a pint of beer
Long-term effects of alcohol abuse
A small spirit or alcopop
• How much they drink • How quickly they drink • Their body size • Their gender • Whether or not the person has recently eaten
• Face turns red • Loss of co-ordination, slurred speech and staggering • Mood alters – a person can become sad or aggressive • Brain slows down so powers of reasoning and judgement are decreased
• Poor driving skills • Excessive drinking can cause vomiting or loss of consciousness
• Alcohol is poisonous – binge-drinking can result in death
On the individual • Addiction • Brain damage resulting in loss of judgement and co- ordination
• Mental illness, e.g. depression • Cirrhosis of the liver (scarring) • Damage to unborn baby during pregnancy (foetal alcohol syndrome)
• Cancer of mouth, throat or stomach • Heart disease, stomach ulcers and obesity • Death
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Strand 1: Food, Health and Culinary Skills Section 1: Good Health
