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Alcohol enters the bloodstream within minutes of being drunk and is
carried to all parts of the body including the brain. The
first effect of alcohol is to change a persons mood. It is a
depressant drug - it depresses (or slows down) the way the body
works. It switches off the part of the brain which controls judgement,
making people do things they may not normally do.
How alcohol affects the body depends upon things such as;
- body weight
- male or female
- how quickly it is drunk
- length of time from last meal
- if taken with another drug
The same amount of alcohol may have different effects upon
different people. Young people especially need to be careful
because their bodies may not be fully ready to deal with alcohol in the
same way as an adults. This is partly due to the smaller
body size and partly because a young persons liver is not as good at
dealing with the toxic substances found in alcohol.
In small amounts alcohol may produce feelings of relaxation, fun
and laughter. It can make it easier for people to enjoy the
company of others, and for a short time it may help people forget
about things that are worrying them.
However, in larger amounts alcohol may make some people want to
fight and argue. People drinking alcohol may become
uncoordinated and lose control, may become sleepy, and may (if they
drink a lot) cause serious harm to themselves and possibly others.
| Short Term Effects |
Long Term Effects |
- vomiting
- headache
- accidents
- getting into fights
- losing control of one's actions
- death through alcohol poisoning
- attempted suicide
- family arguments
- dehydration
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- damage to the liver, stomach, heart and/or brain
- loss of memory
- put on weight
- changes in personality
- become dependant - need it all the time
- unable to digest food properly
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