Alcohol

Alcohol affects the entire body. Not all of the effects of alcohol are negative, yet if you drink too much and too often you increase the risks to your health. You decide how the party is - the alcohol shouldn't!

If men consume more than 14 glasses of wine (or the equivalent) a week or women consume more than 9 glasses of wine a week this is viewed as risky consumption. The same applies if you, during three hours of drinking, consume 4 glasses or more for men or 3 glasses or more for women. Women break down alcohol at a slower rate than men due to physical differences, and therefore have a higher blood alcohol rate even if they have drunk the same amount of alcohol.

It takes a long time for alcohol to leave the body. One beer or glass of wine takes roughly two hours to leave your system. It takes between 8-10 hours for a bottle of wine to leave your system. This can mean that your blood alcohol level can be too high to drive even the morning after you have been drinking.

How to control your alcohol consumption

• Drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink.
• Plan your drinking.
• Don't drink on an empty stomach.
• Shots are dangerous - drink slowly and savour your drink instead of immediately refilling your glass.
• Choose weaker drinks.
• Have the courage to say no - how much you want to drink is up to you.

Advice and support

What are your drinking habits like? Do you have questions or thoughts about your own or others drinking? Have you grown up or lived in relationships where there have been alcohol problems?

Do not hesitate to contact Student Health Service if you need advice or individual support about alcohol.