Alcohol

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. This means that it is a drug that slows down brain activity. It can change your mood, behavior, and self-control. It can cause problems with memory and thinking clearly. Alcohol can also affect your coordination and physical control.

Alcohol also has effects on the other organs in your body. For example, it can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. If you drink too much at once, it could make you throw up.

Alcohol's effects vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors, including:

• How much you drank.
• How quickly you drank it.
• The amount of food you ate before drinking.
• Your age.
• Your sex.
• Your race or ethnicity.
• Your physical condition.
• Whether or not you have a family history of alcohol problems.

It’s no secret that drinking alcohol can affect your health. But did you know it can increase your risk for cancer? At least seven different types of cancer are connected to drinking:

• Breast
• Colorectal
• Esophagus (Squamous cell carcinoma)
• Liver
• Mouth
• Throat
• Voice box (Larynx cancer)

The Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative has more information about the connection between alcohol and cancer.

• For most women, moderate drinking is no more than one standard drink a day.
• For most men, moderate drinking is no more than two standard drinks a day.

Even though moderate drinking may be safe for many people, there are still risks. Moderate drinking can raise the risk of death from certain cancers and heart diseases.

Your drinking habits become the drinking habits of the kids in your life. Kids start having opinions about drinking alcohol as early as age 8—partly based on what they see adults doing. So think about your drinking habits, and how you can model healthy choices for kids. Learn how you can lead by example when it comes to alcohol use.

Excessive drinking includes binge drinking and heavy alcohol use:

• Binge drinking - Drinking so much alcohol at once that there is 0.08% or more alcohol in your blood. For most men, this means drinking five or more standard drinks within a few hours. For most women, this means drinking four or more standard drinks within a few hours.
• Heavy alcohol use - Having more than four standard drinks in one day for men or more than three standard drinks in one day for women.

Excessive drinking can harm your health. Binge drinking raises your risk of injuries, car crashes, and alcohol poisoning. It can also put you at risk of being violent or experiencing violence.

Heavy alcohol use for a long time can cause:

• Alcohol use disorder.
• Liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and fatty liver disease.
• Heart diseases.
• An increased risk for certain cancers.
• An increased risk of injuries.

It can also cause problems at home, work, and with friends and family. Treatment can help. Call 211 for support from the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline.

Your drinking habits become the drinking habits of the kids in your life. Kids start having opinions about drinking alcohol as early as age 8—partly based on what they see adults doing. So think about your drinking habits, and how you can model healthy choices for kids. Learn how you can lead by example when it comes to alcohol use.

A standard drink is equal to 14 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. This amount of pure alcohol is often found in:

• 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content).
• 8 ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content).
• 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content).
• 1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof (40% alcohol content) distilled spirits or liquor (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey).

Standard drink sizes can be helpful for following health guidelines. They may not equate to how much you're served though. A mixed drink, for example, can include one, two, or more stand drinks. The type of spirit and recipe can make the drink much more than one standard drink.

How much alcohol is really in your drink? Use this calculator from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

You shouldn't drink alcohol at all if:

• You are recovering from an alcohol use disorder.
• You are under age 21. Learn about how Wisconsin is preventing underage drinking.
• You are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Learn about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
• You take medicines that can interact with alcohol.
• You have medical conditions that get can worse if you drink alcohol.
• You are planning to drive.
• You will be operating machinery.

If you're not sure if it is safe for you to drink alcohol, talk to your health care provider.

A helpful first step is to look at your drinking habits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an alcohol screening tool: Check Your Drinking. Make a Plan to Drink Less.

These tips can also help you drink less:

• Avoid the stronger stuff - Choose drinks that are lower in alcohol. Try lighter beers under 4% alcohol by volume. You can also swap some or all your drinks for alcohol-free versions.
• Beat boredom - Find something fun to do, especially if drinking helps you deal with boredom or stress. Try exercising, cleaning, or doing a new hobby instead.
• Change up your social plans - See your friends without going for drinks. Watch a film, meet for breakfast or coffee, go for a walk, or find another fun activity.
• Decline a round - Don't feel required to join in a round of drinks, even if someone else buys. You can always have one next time.
• Only wine while you dine - Cut down on how much you drink by having your first drink with your meal. Avoid drinking before, during, and after your meal.
• Set a drinking budget - Have a budget to limit how much alcohol you buy. If you go out, take exact cash, or set a spending alert on your credit or debit card.

Learn why drinking less alcohol can help you be your best.