Alcohol

The presence and abuse of alcohol at various campus activities is a great cause of alarm for us as health professionals. We aim to provide you with information, and a friendly request to convey this message to others. Through this we hope to minimize the abuse of alcohol.

Did you know?

90% of people use alcohol at some or other stage during their life span
Most people can take moderate amounts on a daily basis without ever becoming alcoholics
That as little as one drink may be harmful to your unborn baby
Most medications interact with alcohol and may cause added health problems

Why do we use alcohol?

for social occasions
to be happy
to stimulate conversation
for religious and cultural reasons
medical reasons

How does alcohol affect us?

Mood effects:
jolly, friendly, chatty
over-emotional/tearful
brutal or callous
irritable
belligerent
uncouth
quick to take offence

Irresponsible behaviour:

dangerous driving
loss of inhibitions
fights / crime
rape/prostitution

Effects in pregnancy/childhood:

important because in the first 8 to 12 weeks people are often not aware that they are pregnant
congenital defects eg joint defects and cardiac abnormalities
mental retardation
hyperactivity
learning and behavioural problems

Effects on the body:

When consumed in large amounts over time, alcohol can cause widespread damage to the body. It can harm virtually every organ; many of these effects are reversible with abstinence, some not.

oesophagus: cancer of oesophagus, mouth, larynx. Tears in oesophagus due to profuse vomiting.
brain: Alcohol depresses central nervous system. Contracts brain, destroys brain cells. Large amounts over a long time may cause memory loss and change the cognitive function. Thiamine deficiency which leads to short-term memory loss.
heart: Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure. Even social drinkers who binge on special occasions get bouts of irregular heartbeats, known as "holiday heart".
liver: Fatty liver, may progress to alcoholic hepatitis. Scar tissue known as cirrhosis. Structure of liver changes and chokes the bloodflow. Varicose veins 'in liver, may rupture and cause catastrophic bleeding.
lungs: Chronic pulmonary infections, pneumonia and lung collapse. Inability to clear lungs when vomiting.
stomach: irritates stomach, causes gastritis, ulcers, acid reflux, erosion of inner lining leading to bleeding.
kidneys: alcohol is a diuretic, thus increasing urine output; prolonged drinking can cause kidney failure.
small intestines and pancreas: alcohol blocks absorption and breakdown of nutrients, changes cells lining the stomach, decreases amount of digestive enzymes secreted by pancreas. May develop pancreatitis.
reproductive system: changes balance of hormones, in men - impairs production of sperm and testosterone, can lead to infertility / impotence, in women - oestrogen poorly metabolized in liver, increases amount of oestrogen in body = menstrual irregularities and infertility.
blood: Anemias, abnormal blood clotting, easy bruising, impaired function of white blood cells, thus more infections.
joints and muscles: may cause osteoporosis, arthritis, deformed joints, atrophy of muscles.

Thus to prevent the above mentioned it is important to keep the following in mind:

know your limit!
eat before consuming alcohol
thin people become intoxicated sooner than overweight people
females are more easily affected prior to menstruation
when taking birth control tablets you will remain intoxicated for longer
your environment will influence the effect of the alcohol
the more you have to drink to become intoxicated, the closer to addiction you are

!!!!! use alcohol with care !!!!