64 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
64 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
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THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF ALCOHOL
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AKA: ethanol, booze.
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Price: varies, but in London pubs lager costs around £1.60 a pint, bitter
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from around £1. Spirits cost around £1.20 a measure and wine £1.
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Form: liquid. Alcohol drinks mainly consists of water and ethyl alcohol (or
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ethanol) produced by fermenting fruits, vegetables and grain. Even spirits,
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the strongest alcoholic beverages, contain around 50 per cent water.
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Alcohol produced from wood (methyl alcohol) is used in methylated spirits
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and surgical spirits.
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Duration of high: several hours, depending on dose.
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Legal status: it is an offence to give alcohol to a child under five. In
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Northern Ireland under-18s are banned from licensed premises, in this
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country, those over the age of 14 are allowed in but not allowed to drink
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until aged 18. It is also an offence to be drunk in a public place,
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including licensed premises, to be drunk and disorderly, and to drink and
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drive. Alcohol is not allowed on trains, coaches, or minibuses to and from
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sporting events and in some areas of the country, notably Coventry, bylaws
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have been introduced banning drinking in outdoor public places.
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History: beer and wine drinking have both been around for centuries. In
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1495, an act was introduced giving Justices of the Peace to close
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troublesome ale houses that were often associated with political agitation.
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In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, young people's access
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to alcohol was restricted. It wasn't until World War I, however, that
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restricted opening hours were introduced to prevent drinking impairing the
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efficiency of war industries. Over 90 percent of the adult population now
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drink, and despite licensing laws, it is thought that 60 percent of
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children between 13 and 17 are likely to have bought alcohol and about a
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third of 13- to 16- year-olds drink at least once a week, albeit at home
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and in very small amounts. Voluntarily imposed advertising restrictions on
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TV as well as a ban on ads directed at youngsters, linking drinking to
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driving or encouraging excessive use.
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Highs: in moderate amounts, alcohol makes most people feel less inhibited,
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as well as happier and more relaxed.
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Lows: alcohol is addictive and dependency quickly builds up, meaning users
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need more and more to produce the desired effect. It is very difficult to
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predict the short-term effect alcohol will have on users. Sometimes, even
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in small doses, it will cause aggression and mood swings. In large amounts,
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alcohol can cause double vision, loss of balance and loss of consciousness.
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Hangovers are suffered by those who use alcohol excessively. Symptoms
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include headaches, nausea, anxiety and dehydration. Long-term effects,
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particularly with sustained heavy use, include dependence, stomach and
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liver disorders and brain damage. Alcohol contained in methylated spirits
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and surgical spirit (the former is often drunk by hardened alcoholics
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because it's so cheap) is exceptionally toxic, frequently causing
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blindness, coma and death.
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Tips: Try avoid drinking excessive amounts and, where possible, drink soft
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drinks or water between alcoholic ones. One of the main causes of hangovers
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is dehydration - drinking non-alcoholic fluids before and during a hangover
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will alleviate symptoms.
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From the magazine TimeOut Nr. 1239 May 18-25 1994
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Typed Dr. Benway |