Effects and risks of alcohol

Alcohol is a drug that slows down the central nervous system. As alcohol is consumed:

• judgements become impaired
• reactions slow down
• coordination decreases
• inhibitions are relaxed

One or two drinks can begin to affect your emotions and reasoning. As more alcohol is consumed, vision and speech may be impaired, as well as balance and reflexes. Depending on whether the person continues to drink, they may begin to feel confused, dizzy and sick.

If enough alcohol is consumed over a short period of time, the person may vomit or pass out.

In worse cases, heavy drinking can affect the brain's ability to control breathing and cause a drop in the heart rate. This can result in a complete loss of consciousness, brain damage, and even death. Death by asphyxiation can also occur if a person vomits while unconscious and air passages are blocked.

A hangover from drinking is due to the brain being deprived of water and glucose. Symptoms can include severe headache, nausea, vomiting and depression.

Drinking excessive amounts may also result in a loss of memory.

Risks of alcohol

Apart from making you physically sick (or worse), drinking can also increase your chance of:

• saying or doing something you'll regret later
• behaving in ways that annoy or offend others
• getting into a fight or suffering a sexual assault
• causing an accident and injuring yourself or your friends.
• unfortunately, schoolies celebrations in some places can attract opportunistic people who try to take advantage of schoolies (sometimes called toolies). Being drunk makes you an easy target, so the more you drink, the greater you risk your safety.

Useful links

DrugInfo Clearing House - effects of alcohol
Explains the effects of alcohol on the body.

Victorian Government Health Information - Alcohol: you and your body
Information for young people about how alcohol can affect the brain and body.

DrugInfo Clearing House - Why it's dumb to drink when you're a teenager
Fact sheet on how alcohol affects the brain and memory and can lead to dependence and depression.

Victorian Government Health Information - Alcohol and Young People: FAQs
Frequently asked questions including information about standard drinks, legal limits, harm from alcohol, effects on men and women and where to get help.