Alcohol

Know the strength of alcohol in your drink
The effect drink has upon you
Mixing alcohol with drugs
Try alternative beverages to alcohol
Less is better
Quick tips
Sources of help
Drugs

Know the strength of alcohol in your drink

Some drinks - premium lagers, extra strong ciders and alcopops do not fall easily into unit categories. Some alcoholic lemonade contains one and a half units and some premium lagers contain nearly four units a half pint can. Check the Alcohol by Volume (ABV). As a rough guide spirits are usually 40%, fortified wines (sherry, port, Martini) are about 20%, wine 10-12%, ordinary beer, lager or cider is 3.5%.

Recognise the effect drink has upon you and define your own safe level

Individuals respond differently to the effects of – think about your own experiences, and take responsibility for your drinking behaviour and the effects.

Mixing alcohol with drugs can be dangerous

This applies to prescribed and over the counter medications as well as illegal substances. As a general rule, the mixing of any drugs exacerbates the activity of both.

Try alternative beverages to alcohol

There are many interesting, tasty, exciting alternatives to alcohol that are easily available. These drinks can be used when you know you should not be drinking alcohol or when you have reached your personal limit.

Less is better

The Government guidelines for alcohol consumption are 3 to 4 units a day for men and 2 to 3 units a day for women. If this is totally unrealistic, try to lower your alcohol intake since this will lessen the harm.

The health benefits from drinking alcohol applies only to men over 40 and women who have been through the menopause, when drinking one or two units a day provides some protection against heart disease. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should not drink more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol more than once or twice a week.

It is not appropriate to drink alcohol

• before or during driving
• before swimming
• before or during active sport
• before using machinery, electrical equipment, ladders, etc.
• before working or in the workplace
• when using drugs/medicines unless sanctioned by medical advice.

Quick tips

• Eat before you drink, so you don't miss out on essential nutrients.
• Try low alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks sometimes.
• Extend alcoholic drinks with low calorie mixers or water.
• Try drinking more slowly - take smaller sips and pace your drinking.
• Refrain from drinking for 48 hours after a heavy drinking session.
• When drinking alcohol, remember that eating crisps and nuts and other salty food will make you more thirsty as well as adding to the fat and calories that you consume.

Leaflets

Think About Drink
Think About Drink (Daily Benchmark Guide)
Alochol: Facts for Young People/Alcohol Facts for Parents
Discussing Drinking with Your Children
No Excuses
Drinking and Driving - The Facts
Think Before You Drink (Alcohol and Accidents)

Sources of help

Local

NHS Direct 0845 4647

National

Drinkline: National Alcohol Helpline 0345 320202

Youth Access Putting young people in contact with local advice 0181 772 9900

Illegal Drug Use

Consequences
Find out the facts about drugs
Individuals may react differently
What's in a 'street' drug.
Sharing injecting equipment is unsafe
Sources of help

There may be negative consequences as a result of using drugs

Choosing to use illegal drugs increases the possibility of damage to the individual and other people:

• Physically - through injury while intoxicated or depleting the immune system and therefore having less resistance to illness and disease. There is also the risk of HIV and Hepatitis C, along with other infections associated with shared needle use.
• Emotionally - by behaving in ways inconsistent with the individual's normal pattern - eg becoming aggressive, changing your feelings or ideas about others.
• Mentally - drug use may lead to dependence or mental disturbances such as confusion, paranoia, psychotic incidents and neurosis.
• Socially - purchasing and using drugs has legal implications that may negatively impact on future prospects.
• Situationally - when driving or operating machinery and other situations when impaired judgement could be critical to health and safety.

Find out the facts about drugs

Any individual who contemplates using drugs should know the likely consequences of their behaviour. What are the real facts? What are the real effects of using drugs? What are the consequences of using or not using a drug?

Individuals may react differently to any substance

With some of the popular, illicit drugs, personality changes are common and lead to unpredictable behaviour, with others the physical reactions are unpredictable.

Nobody can really know what is in a 'street' drug.

There is no method, short of chemical analysis, that can ensure that a purchaser knows precisely what they are being offered. Dealers have been known to increase their profits by cutting drugs with other substances such as rat poison, scouring powder, sherbet or talcum powder. Capsules can be opened and refilled, pills can be substituted for other tablets.

Sharing injecting equipment is unsafe

The process of injecting becomes a risk if infected equipment is shared. Hepatitis, HIV and other blood born agents can pass from one user to another.

An obvious way to avoid problems is not to use drugs at all

In cases where drug use is already taking place, some of the previously mentioned problems/risks can be reduced by seeking information on harm reduction.

Leaflets

A Parents' Guide to Drugs and Solvents
Drugs - Dan, Dylan and Friends (for primary school age children but should be used in conjunction with one to one discussion)
D-Mag (for teenage)
Drugs The Facts
The Score

Sources of help

Local

NHS Direct 0845 4647

Community Drugs Team 01209 881907

Cornwall Share
Giving free advice and counselling to young people
0800 181033 (St. Austell), 01208 79252 (Bodmin), 01209 711500 (Camborne).

Freshfield Service 01872 241952
Free confidential counselling and information on drugs

National

Drugs in Schools Helpline 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday 0345 366 666
For parents, pupils and staff

National Drugs Helpline 24 hour Freephone 0800 776600