Alcohol

Just Say Know!

Name(s): Booze, Brew, Grog, Cold One, Dutch Courage, Sauce, Moonshine, Plonk, Goon, Piss, Drinks
Chemical Compound: Ethyl alcohol (ethanol)

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant which means it slows your normal brain function and nervous system activity. In higher doses it can slow down breathing and heart rate, which can be dangerous. Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive drug in Australia, and the main active ingredient is ethanol. It is absorbed through the intestine and stomach, and it’s the amount of alcohol (ethanol) you drink, not the overall volume of beverage consumed, which affects you. Beer usually has 3-5% ethanol and wine can have 11-15%, whereas spirits can have up to 40-50%. Alcohol is often used in combination with other drugs. This can be risky as it interacts with the other drugs to create more intense, or unintended, effects. In Australia, the legal age for drinking and buying alcohol is 18 years old. Tolerance can vary greatly from one person to another, based on body weight, age, recent meals, general health, and other factors including medications.

General Information

How it’s Taken: Swallowed
Duration of Effects:
Total duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Onset: 15-30 minutes
Peak: 15-90 minutes
Coming down: 45-60 minutes
Hangover/after effects: 1-36 hours dependent on dosage

Most Common Effects:

Call 000 if experiencing an adverse effects, feel unwell or concerned in any way

• Giddiness / Dizziness

• Flushing of the face

• Warming sensations

• Pain relief

• Reduced impulse control

• Lowered inhibitions, impaired judgement

• Decreased coordination

• Difficulty focusing eyes

• Frequent urination

• Dehydration

• Blackouts and memory loss in high doses

• Confusion

• Nausea/vomiting

• Mild to severe hangover the next day

• Tolerance due to repeated or regular use

• Drowsiness/sleepiness

• Happiness

• Relaxation

• Emotionally volatile – angry, depressed, aggressive, sad, etc.

• ‘Beer Goggles’ – others appear more attractive

*Effects vary greatly from one person to another

Less Common Effects:

• Reduced ability to maintain erection/achieve orgasm

• Depression/despair

• Increased response to sexual stimuli

• Visual distortions at high doses

• Fetal damage in pregnant women

Rare Effects:

• Coma and death at extremely high doses

• Brain damage and liver damage with extended use

Possible Long-term effects:

These effects are possible with extended use

·         Alcohol dependence
·         Cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver
·         Cancer (mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver)
·         Heart and blood problems e.g. stroke and high blood pressure
·         Stomach problems
·         Lowered immune system
·         Alcohol related brain injury
·         Nerves problems in extremities

Safer Using Tips :

• Use in a safe environment with people that you trust.

• Alcohol lowers your inhibitions. Be aware of this and pace yourself to avoid making any decisions you may regret.

• Never leave your drink unattended.  

• Consent: if anyone involved seems too drunk then they probably can’t consent to sexual activity. If you’ve made a new friend but one or both of you are drunk, maybe just trade numbers and hook up when sober.

• Make sure that everyone involved in any sexual activity is as enthusiastic as you are before proceeding and throughout the experience.

• If you hook up with someone and one of you passes out, becomes incoherent or changes their mind, STOP!

• Plan your journey home when you go out drinking. Some options are having a designated sober driver, public transport, taxi or Uber, or sleeping at a mate’s place until you’re sober. remember you may still be over the limit the next morning. 

• On average, a healthy person’s liver can process about one standard drink per 60 - 90 minutes. Consider this before driving and ensure that your blood alcohol content (BAC) is below the legal limit.

• A general guide for remaining under the legal limit to drive is one standard drink per hour for women, or two standard drinks in the first hour and one standard drink every hour after that for men. This is a guide only!

• Everyone experiences alcohol intoxication differently; just because you are under the legal limit, does not necessarily mean you are sober enough to drive.

• Alcohol can remain in your bloodstream much longer than you realise, including the whole next day after a big session.

• Many festivals offer alcohol breath testing for patrons; if driving, it’s a great idea to stop in for a test before leaving the event if you’ve been drinking that day or the night before.

Unsafe Combinations:

Alcohol combined with…

• Stimulants = can lead you to drink more, increasing risk of alcohol poisoning.

• Cocaine = extends the effects of cocaine. Cocaine also reduces the intoxicating effects of alcohol, leading to potentially dangerous binge drinking.

• Cannabis = nausea and vomiting.

• GHB = very risky combination. Can result in an overdose leading to unconsciousness, nausea and vomiting, breathing complications, low blood pressure, and death.

• Ketamine = nausea, vomiting, amnesia, blackouts. Can also lead to breathing complications and low blood pressure.

• Antibiotics/antidepressants/antipsychotics = can counter the effects of the medication and increase the effects of the alcohol, leading to nausea and vomiting.

• Benzodiazepines = intensifies the effects of the alcohol and can lead to blackouts, breathing complications and low blood pressure, seizures, coma and in some cases, death.

• Opioids = drastically increases the risk of opioid overdose, coma and death.

Take a look at the TripSit drug combinations chart HERE for info on other combinations

Alcohol use is not recommended if you have or have had:

·         Liver problems

·         Kidney problems

·         Depression and other mental health issues

·         Or if you are pregnant

Speak to you doctor for more info on drug combinations/health conditions. Call (02) 8354 7300 or 1800 644 413 (free call) for referrals

Roadside Drug test:

Alcohol is detectable by roadside breath test, which measures the amount of alcohol in your breath. A breath test reading of 0.05 or higher is considered drink driving for fully licensed drivers in NSW (different limits apply for other licence types e.g. probationary or heavy vehicle). Remember this when planning your ride home from a festival or event.

Read more about Mobile Drug Testing HERE