Alcohol

Alcohol is a drug found in all alcoholic drinks like beer, wine and spirits such as vodka and whiskey. Alcohol slows down various sections of the brain and the central nervous system.

This affects your ability to control your behavior and your bodily functions, like thinking, talking, walking and even breathing. Alcohol is also described as a psychoactive drug. This means a drug that affects the mind or mental processes.

While some drinks have more alcohol than others, the type of alcohol in all alcoholic drinks is the same – it’s a type of alcohol called Ethanol. Alcohol is a colourless, odourless and inflammable fluid.

Alcohol & The Teenage Brain

Alcohol can disrupt important development in the brain

Teenage drinking can result in significant changes in certain parts of the brain & the regions most affected are responsible for learning, memory & decision making.

The earlier a young person starts drinking, the greater their risk of becoming dependent on alcohol.

A person is 4x more likely to become dependent on alcohol if they start drinking before the age of 15 as opposed to those who wait until the legal drinking age.

How It Can Affect You

Alcohol use can harm young persons mental health. Rates of depression and anxiety in young people are significantly higher when they are drinking to harmful or dependent levels. Drinking alcohol can cause young people to make poor decisions or lead them into harmful situations including:

  • Getting in trouble with the law
  • Using other drugs
  • STI’s or unplanned pregnancies
  • Accidents or injuries
  • Victim of Assaults or other crimes
  • Unwanted sexual activity

Side Effects of
Alcohol

There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries risk.

The effects of using Alcohol with other drugs including over-the-counter or prescribed medications can be unpredictable and dangerous.

ALCOHOL + ANTIBIOTICS

There are many different types of antibiotics, each of which will interact with alcohol differently. It is very important to consult with a physician and carefully read all labels. The biggest risk to mixing alcohol and antibiotics is liver damage, as both are metabolized in the liver. Other common reactions including nausea, dizziness, vomiting, tiredness, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath. Additionally, many antibiotics will not work effectively in the body if you consume alcohol while taking them.

Mixing Alcohol with other substances

Mixing your drinkings will not make you more drunk
but it will increase the likelihood of vomiting.