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5 July, 2009

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Alcohol

New Australian alcohol guidelines for drinking to avoid health risks have been released by the NHMRC in collaboration with the Department of Health and Ageing. These are available on www.nhmrc.gov.au. Better Health Channel information will be updated shortly.

Alcohol is the most widely used social drug in Australia. Its use affects different people in different ways. While a small amount of alcohol may be beneficial to the heart for some older people, ‘risky’ drinking can cause serious health, personal and social problems. Heavy drinkers, binge drinkers and very young drinkers are particularly at risk.

Recommended limits for ‘low-risk’ drinking vary according to age, gender and other factors. Binge drinking is a particular problem among younger people, but anyone who binge drinks is at risk. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may also affect your baby.

If you plan to drive, it is better not to drink at all.

Standard drinks
A standard drink contains 10g of alcohol. However, the size of a ‘standard’ drink can vary according to the type of alcohol. The size of a drink served in some hotels, restaurants or even at home may be much bigger than a ‘standard’ drink. Understanding how to count standard drinks can help you keep track of how much alcohol you consume.

One standard drink equals:

285ml or approximately one pot of regular beer (4.9% alcohol content)
375ml or one stubbie of mid-strength beer (3.5% alcohol content)
100ml or one small glass of table wine (12% alcohol content)
30ml of spirits plus mixer (40% alcohol content).

Cocktails can contain as much alcohol as five or six standard drinks, depending on the recipe.

Alcohol intake guidelines
The following guidelines can help you determine if your alcohol intake is harmful.

Men – drinking up to four standard drinks a day puts you at low risk for health problems. Five to six standard drinks a day puts you at considerable risk, while seven or more standard drinks a day is considered high risk for developing health problems.
Women – drinking up to two standard drinks a day puts you at low risk for health problems. Three to four standard drinks a day puts you at considerable risk, while five or more standard drinks a day is considered high risk for developing health problems.
Men and women – should have one or two days free of alcohol a week.

How the body processes alcohol
Alcohol gets into the bloodstream through the stomach and the small intestine. If a person has food in their stomach, it will slow down the rate at which the alcohol is absorbed but it will not stop a person becoming drunk. Eventually all the alcohol that was consumed will reach the bloodstream.

Most of the alcohol in the body (about 91%) is broken down by the liver. A small amount also leaves the body in urine, sweat and the breath. Since the liver can only break down about three-quarters of a standard drink an hour, sobering up takes time. Cold showers, exercise, black coffee, fresh air or vomiting will not speed up the process.

Effects of alcohol on your health
Alcohol can affect a number of body systems, including:

Cardiovascular system – raised blood pressure and triglycerides (especially after binge drinking), damage to the heart muscle and stroke.
Nervous system – brain damage, tremors, dementia and nerve damage. Alcohol is a depressant drug and affects your coordination, self-control, judgement and reaction times.
Gastrointestinal system – stomach inflammation (gastritis) and bleeding.
Liver – cancer, hepatitis (inflammation), fatty changes, cirrhosis and liver failure.
Endocrine system – problems controlling blood sugar, loss of libido and reduced fertility.
Nutrition – malnutrition (alcohol displaces nutrients from your body) and obesity.
Breast cancer and other gynaecological problems – women who drink alcohol are at a higher risk than non-drinking women.

Binge drinking can be dangerous
‘Binge drinking’ is drinking heavily over a short period of time with the intention of becoming intoxicated, resulting in immediate and severe intoxication. This can be very harmful to a person’s health and wellbeing. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can result in confusion, blurred vision, poor muscle control, nausea, vomiting, sleep, coma or even death. It can also impair a person’s judgement and decision-making capacity, which can increase the risk that they may do silly things and put themselves in dangerous situations.

Health benefits of alcohol
Very moderate amounts of alcohol may contain health benefits for older people by reducing the risk of some types of cardiovascular disease. Research suggests the benefits are limited to men over the age of 40 who consume no more than two standard drinks daily and women over the age of 50 who drink one standard drink daily or less. However, the risk of cirrhosis, some cancers and other diseases becomes greater with increased alcohol consumption.

The same benefits do not extend to younger people. Alcohol may severely impair development in young people.

Drinking alcohol could affect your unborn baby
Women who drink alcohol while pregnant are more likely to give birth to babies who are:

Smaller
Premature
Born with a range of developmental, behavioural and physical effects – known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

It may be that even a low intake of alcohol – up to two standard drinks per day – is harmful to your unborn baby. For this reason, pregnant women are advised to drink no alcohol.

Alcohol and breastfeeding
Alcohol is excreted into breast milk and can reduce milk supply. During the first 12 months of a baby’s life, alcohol can cause damage to the developing brain. Women who are breastfeeding are advised to avoid consumption of alcohol.

If you choose to drink alcohol while breastfeeding, it is suggested that you wait up to two hours before breastfeeding your baby for each standard drink. For example, if you have two standard drinks you should wait four hours before you breastfeed.

Alcohol and driving
Alcohol can impair coordination and judgement and is a major cause of road injury in Australia. It is safest to avoid drinking alcohol if you need to drive or operate heavy machinery. Remember that alcohol takes time to leave the body. You may still have alcohol in your body several hours or even the day after drinking.

If you do drink, the following is a general guide for staying under 0.05 BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration):

Men – no more than two standard drinks in the first hour. After that, one standard drink per hour for a maximum of three hours.
Women – no more than one standard drink in the first hour. After that, one standard drink per hour for a maximum of three hours.

These are guidelines only. The rate of alcohol absorption in the body varies depending on several factors including body size, gender, body fat and amount of food in the stomach. If in doubt, don’t drink if you are going to drive or operate heavy machinery.

Learner and probationary drivers and drivers of trucks, buses, trams and trains must maintain a zero blood alcohol limit.

How to drink responsibly
You can monitor your drinking if you:

Start with a non-alcoholic drink.
Eat before and while drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Avoid salty snacks that make you thirsty and make you drink more.
Make every second or third drink non-alcoholic.
Try low alcohol drinks.
Always keep your drink with you to minimise the risk of drink spiking.

Where to get help

Your doctor
DrugInfo Clearinghouse Tel. 1300 858 584 – for information www.druginfo.adf.org.au
DirectLine Tel. 1800 888 236 – for counselling and referral
Counselling Online – for online counselling and referral www.counsellingonline.org.au
Family Drug Help – for information and support for people concerned about a relative or friend using drugs Tel. 1300 660 068 www.familydrughelp.org.au/

Things to remember

Alcohol affects different people in different ways.
Moderate alcohol intake can be beneficial for the heart for some older people but the same benefits do not apply to young people.
Heavy and binge drinking can cause serious health effects.
Drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding may affect your baby.

You might also be interested in:
Alcohol - teenagers.
Alcohol related brain impairment.
Drink driving.
Drink spiking.
Drugs - some facts.
Early death - how to reduce your risk.
Early death in Victoria - causes.
Foetal alcohol syndrome.
Partying safely - tips for teenagers.
Teenage health.

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