Alcohol

Sooner or later, most people have to make a decision about whether or not they are going to drink alcohol and it is important for you to be aware of the dangers associated with alcohol consumption.

Some young people drink because it makes them feel older or because they are curious. Some drink when they go out with their friends because they want to fit in or they want to be more confident. But drinking lots can make you ill, put you in dangerous situations and affect your mood and judgement.

BINGE DRINKING

Many young people (and even adults) drink far too much in one go over a short period of time. This leads to drunkenness which can make you vulnerable as your behaviour changes and your judgement is effected. You could easily find yourself in dangerous situations that you are unable to deal with sensibly.

The feeling of a hangover the next day is bad enough but that is nothing compared to the long term damage that could done if this is regularly repeated.

Large amounts of alcohol can:

make your movements clumsy
slow your reflexes
slur your speech
affect your judgement
make you violent or depressed
make you ill
make you excitable, reckless or sleepy
memory loss
affect your long term health
in extreme cases, can lead to death (i.e. liver failure/ alcohol poisoning/ drink related accidents)

HANGOVERS

Experimenting with alcohol is a natural part of growing up, but you must remember that it is against the law until you are 18. If that is not enough, consider how you will feel the day after - a hangover is part of the package when drinking alcohol.

Some of the symptoms can include:

Trouble concentrating
Headache
Tiredness
Dry mouth
Extreme thirst
Feeling sick
Diarrhoea
Loss of appetite