Éduc' Alcool

ALCOHOL AND HEALTH

The effects of moderate and regular alcohol consumption What is the impact of alcohol on heart disease and human health in general? How do we know what’s fact and what’s fiction?

The answers to these questions can be found in a study commissioned by Éduc’alcool.

Alcohol and the human body What happens in your body when you drink? Does alcohol behave like other foods? How is it absorbed and eliminated? What are its immediate effects?

The answers to these questions can be found in the Éduc’alcool study Alcohol and Health: Alcohol and the human body.

Alcohol and older people As the population ages, it becomes increasingly important to address the delicate issue of drinking over the age of 65.

Do older people react the same way to alcohol as they did when they were younger? What precautions should they take? Is there anything friends and loved ones do?

The answers to these questions can be found in the Éduc’alcool study Alcohol and Health: Alcohol and older people.

The effects of abusive drinking While the vast majority of people will never have to deal with health problems related to abusive drinking, everyone has questions. Are the effects of alcohol dependence different from the effects associated with individual incidences of heavy drinking? Can one bout of heavy drinking have an irreversible impact on the human body? What are some of the nasty effects of alcohol abuse?

You’ll find the answers to these questions in the Éduc’alcool report Alcohol and Health: The effects of abusive drinking.

Low-risk drinking 2 3 4 5 0 How much should I drink during the course of an evening if I’m a man who wants to avoid getting drunk and suffering the related complications? Would the recommended amount be the same if I were a woman? What’s the recommended number of drinks if I’m taking medication?

The numerous studies conducted regularly on the effects – both good and bad – of drinking are a good indication of how eager people are for some low-risk drinking guidelines.

The answers to these and other questions can be found in the Éduc’alcool publication Alcohol and Health: Low-risk drinking 2-3-4-5-0.

Pregnancy and Drinking The Éduc’alcool brochure called Pregnancy and Drinking: Your Questions Answered contains complete information on the meaning of “moderation” during pregnancy.

This brochure for pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant answers frequently asked questions about drinking while pregnant and nursing.

The brochure is published in cooperation with the Quebec College of Physicians and presents a summary of information gathered by a committee of eminent experts in various hospitals in Quebec.

Alcohol Combinations Given the tendency of certain individuals to combine alcohol with tobacco, drugs or energy drinks and the increasing popularity of pre-mixed alcoholic beverages, Éduc’alcool believes it essential to provide Quebecers with the inside story on a hot topic these days : alcohol cominations.

The publication Alcohol and Health : Alcohol combinations adresses the need to provide Quebecers with information on all aspects of different combinations : alcohol and food, alcohol in mixed coktails, alcohol and tobacco, alcohol and drugs, alcohol and medication, alcohol and coffee, alcohol and energy drinks and alcohol and gambling.

The effects of early alcohol use The longer adolescents wait before drinking and getting drunk for the first time, and the more their introduction to alcohol occurs under appropriate circumstances and with parental guidance, the better it will be for them. In some societies, young people learn to drink under carefully controlled circumstances and with parental supervision. That kind of initiation has a beneficial impact and reduces the frequency of intoxication. Conversely, the younger adolescents are when they begin drinking - without supervision - the more frequently they drink, and to excess.

Problems related to early drinking

The consequences of early alcohol use are the primary focus of the Éduc’alcool report. In brief, it is shown that:

– The tremendous plasticity of the adolescent brain, and the fact that it undergoes so many changes during puberty, increases the risk that young people will damage their brains more than adults who drink the same amount of alcohol.

– Difficulties with emotion control, delinquent behaviour and alcohol dependence in people in their early twenties are often associated with early alcohol consumption (age 13 or younger).

– When young people drink before the age of 21, the risk of drug problems later on increases by 70%.

– Since adolescence is associated with pronounced hormonal changes, drinking during this time is particularly likely to disturb the hormonal balance necessary for the development of organs, muscles, bones and the reproductive system.

– Because abusive drinking promotes risk-taking, a disproportionately high number of adolescents report incidents and accidents caused by excessive drinking. Research shows, in fact, that alcohol probably contributes to poor judgement with regard to sexual behaviour and facilitates the expression of violence among those who are predisposed to it.

– Prolonged excessive drinking causes a number of health problems: when adolescents get drunk, even just once, they are at risk for serious physical dysfunction. Adolescents who drink frequently and abusively suffer secondary effects, such as changes in appetite, weight loss, eczema, headaches and sleep disturbances.

– Despite the zero tolerance rule for new drivers, drinking and driving is still a disastrous combination among young people, far too many of whom are unfortunately involved in serious accidents where alcohol is a factor.