Substance Use/Abuse
Alcohol
Alcohol is a drug that is absorbed from the stomach into the blood stream. Alcohol affects the way our body and mind works, it affects our breathing heart rate, how we think and feel and how we behave. Some young people start drinking because they think that ‘everyone is doing it’, but nearly half of school goers have never had a drink and the number of people under 15 experimenting with alcohol has dropped. Lots of young people experiment with alcohol or use it for recreation, but sometimes alcohol can cause problems. Alcohol affects us all in different ways, that is why it’s important that everyone makes their own decisions about alcohol.
Lots of things affect how alcohol will affect people, here are some of them:
How much you drink.
How quickly you drink.
How old you are.
Whether you are male or female.
What your mood is like.
Who you are drinking with.
You can feel the effects of alcohol within 5-10 minutes of drinking.
Your liver is like a car with one gear it can only work at one speed, breaking down one standard drink an hour, the rest builds up making you ’drunk’.
What is the low-risk weekly limit?
There are no safe levels of drinking among teenagers.
The low-risk weekly limits for adults are:
Up to 14 standard drinks in a week for women, and up to 21 standard drinks in a week for men.
Drinks should be spaced out over the week, not consumed in one sitting.
There is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy, pregnant women are advised not to drink alcohol.
Useful Links
Being Smoke Free
Thinking about quitting?
Top 10 tips for quitting:
Prepare yourself
Write down your reasons for stopping and keep them close at hand.
Set a date
Get rid of all cigarettes – light/low cigarettes are not an option and are just as bad.
Ask for help
Get some support from your family and friends.
Watch our for triggers
Break your routine for a while by avoiding the things that your normally associate with smoking e.g. coffee
Get some exercise
Exercise helps reduce stress and keep fit.
Reward Yourself
Open a separate account and once a month, put away what you’d normally spend on tobacco. Then treat yourself with the money you have saved.
Learn to cope with cravings
Cravings are normal and may be part of your life for a while.
Think positive
Withdrawal symptoms that may occur are temporary. Keep feeling good about yourself.
Watch what you eat
Avoid snack attacks with things like chocolate or biscuits. Try fruit or some sugar free gum instead.
Take one day at a time
Every day without cigarettes is good news for your health, your family and your pocket.
4 D’s to Deal with Cravings.
Delay at least 3 minutes.
Drink a glass of water or fruit juice.
Distract youself.
Deep breath slowly and relax yourself.
Useful Links
Please visit our health download section for health booklets and brochures.
