Health Problems with Alcohol

Alcohol - a blessing or a curse?

Alcohol has been around for centuries. It has been enjoyed by many, many people and abused by many, many people! So how much is too much?
A low level of alcohol in wine, typically 2% to 4%, would have been a safe drink in many societies. Water could not have been guaranteed to be safe to drink. The wine would have been sterilised by the alcohol.

So how much is too much?

Gender makes a difference, men tend to be larger than women and can drink more. But gender makes an additional difference in that women get drunk faster than men of a similar build. UK guidelines suggest that men drink no more than four units of alcohol a day. Women should drink no more than three units a day. It is suggested that these figures should be treated as daily maximums and it is not acceptable for these totals to be consumed seven days a week!

So what is a unit of alcohol?

A unit if alcohol is a quantity of 10ml of pure alcohol. Gender makes a difference, men tend to be larger than women and can drink more. UK guidelines suggest that men Strength and units One unit is 8 grams, or about 10ml, of pure alcohol - regardless of how diluted it is.

What are the dangers of alcohol?

Like smoking, when alcohol consumption is abused, there is a long list of potential problems. Indeed many people who drink excessively also smoke so the potential of health problems is increased.
We all have grandfathers or have heard of other peoples relatives, who have got drunk every day of their life and lived to be over 100! But this is always misinterpreted! For every one of these people who lives to be 100, there are many thousands who died at a much earlier age. Many more of these people would have lived to be a hundred if they had not abused alcohol and cigarettes!

The risks of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol include:

• Hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver
• High blood pressure which is associated with strokes, heart problems etc
• Various cancers
• Brain damage, epilepsy
• Obesity
• Sexual problems , infertility
• Around 40 per cent of people who drink heavily have the symptoms of a depressive illness.
  However, when these same people are not drinking heavily, the percentage of men and women who have these symptoms is the same as the national average for those with a depressive illness

Behavioural and social problems of alcohol

Alcohol reduces inhibitions. It means that people may behave in a way that they would not have done if they were sober. There are potential serious consequences.
People may be caught driving when drunk. Worse they may have an accident resulting in people being injured or killed. The driver could end up dead, injured, paralysed or in jail! The driver could kill or maim their spouse, children and other relatives.
Women could be too drunk to stop a sexual attack. They may get pregnant or pick up some disease from their attacker.
Violence at home seems to happen far too often. A parent gets drunk and violently attacks their spouse or children. They may be full of remorse in the morning but that is too late!

So why allow alcohol?

It is a social drug. People like it. It has been around for centuries. etc. etc.
There is nothing wrong with alcohol if it is not drunk to excess.