Alcohol

• Alcohol is produced by fermentation of sugars, it is absorbed through stomach walls and small intestines, it affects the brain causing slurred speech and loss of coordination, long term use leads to liver damage and cancer.
• Low risk drinking is up to 2-3 units per day for men and women
• A unit of alcohol is equal to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol
• The effects of alcohol are different depending on how much has been consumed
• High risk drinking is more than 14 units per week for men or 9 units per week for women
• The effects of alcohol are different depending on how much has been consumed, age, gender, ethnicity, body weight, metabolism, tolerance, mood, environment and food consumption
• The effects of binge drinking include impaired judgement, memory problems, blackouts, vomiting and dehydration,
• Alcohol can cause damage to the liver, pancreas, brain, heart and stomach lining
• Long term heavy drinkers may develop cirrhosis which causes scarring of the liver and liver failure
• Drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)