Alcohol

Page contents

• Other Names
• How's it taken?
• Effects
• Legal Status

Related links

• Government drugs website

Summary

• alcohol is a depressant drug and is found in drinks like beer, lager, alcopops, wine and spirits.
• alcoholic drinks come in different strengths, measured as a % by volume
• the higher the %, the stronger the drink will be
• alcopops for example, can contain more alcohol than many beers, lagers or ciders

Other names include

• booze, bevy, sauce, tipple

How is it taken?

• commonly drunk

Effects

• in small amounts it can make a person feel relaxed and more able to talk and mix with other people
• the effects vary, depending on how strong the drink is, how fast it is consumed, when the person last ate, their weight, mood and surroundings
• speech may become slurred, co-ordination affected and emotions more intense
• the same amount of alcohol can affect women more than men. This is not to do with body weight, but the fact that men have a higher body water content which dilutes the alcohol more in their bodies
• drinking too much can lead to loss of consciousness (passing out) with a risk of choking if the person vomits , suffocation or other injuries
• drinking too much can also lead to alcoholic poisoning, which can be very serious and even cause death in some cases
• long-term over-use of alcohol can cause serious liver, heart and stomach problems
• combining alcohol with other drugs increases the risks of overdose
• alcohol can cause damage to an unborn baby

Legal status

• alcohol is not a controlled or banned substance, but there are laws relating to age, where it may be consumed and how it can be sold
• it is illegal to give alcohol to a child under 5 years old, unless under medical supervision. It is not illegal however, to give alcohol to a child over 5 years old if you are on private premises, e.g. at home
• young people under the age of 14 can only go in to pubs which have a 'children's certificate'. If the pub does not have a certificate, the young person may be able to go to certain areas of the pub where alcohol is either sold but not consumed or consumed but not sold, e.g. a family room or garden area
• 14 and 15 year olds can go anywhere in a pub, but cannot drink alcohol, whilst 16 or 17 year olds can buy or be bought beer or cider as an accompaniment to a meal, but not the bar area
• apart from the exceptions above, it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence, supermarket or any other outlet; or for someone else to buy alcohol for anyone under 18