Alcohol is socially acceptable - but are we teaching children the wrong lessons on alcohol?

Plonk, booze, grog or liquor: alcohol is the country’s most widely used recreational drug. As much a part of the family barbeque as the rugby post-match, it can make us happy, confident and relaxed, or lower our inhibitions, slur our speech and slow our reflexes.

The first drink or two act on the body as a stimulant, but more than that and alcohol turns into a depressant.

Eighty-eight percent of New Zealand men and 83% of women are drinkers and nearly half say it’s okay to get drunk, according to the last big survey by ALAC in 2003.

But most of us are responsible social drinkers, aren’t we? It’s the young people who are the real problem – after all, one in four 14-17-year-olds drink heavily and regularly. It’s too easy to point the finger; it seems the typical binge drinker is a Pakeha urban male of 30 years or more with a household income over $70,000.

As adults, we laugh at a friend’s drunken antics but give our kids worthy advice on the dangers of alcohol. There’s no getting away from the fact adolescent drinking habits are based on children seeing adults’ drinking behaviour.

In New Zealand, you can legally drink alcohol at any age although there’s a minimum purchase age of 18. But using alcohol (or any drug) before 15 more than doubles the risk of damaged health in adulthood. The main source of alcohol for minors is parents.

Alcohol in moderation can be fun and enjoyable, but misused or abused it can impact on your liver, your lover, your livelihood and the law. Hangovers are often just as dangerous. Many work-related incidents are caused by reduced concentration, poor reasoning and technical skills, even 48 hours later. Alcohol costs New Zealand an estimated $13 million a day.

Women show more ill effects from alcohol because it is processed faster due to women’s higher proportion of body fat. So women should keep below four units on any occasion and no more than 14 a week, with a couple of days off completely. One unit is a small 100ml glass of wine or a single shot of spirits. Menstruation and the oral contraceptive can also change the rate you metabolise alcohol.

The bottom line for women and men is know how much is safe to drink (www.alcohol.org.nz and www.drinkwise.com.au), keep your drinking in check and ask yourself:

• do you know how many units of alcohol you drink?
• do you ever drink more than five units a day?
• could you take a total break for several weeks?

(Published in the Sunday News, 28 June 2009)

More everybody MYHEALTH columns from Barbara Docherty

Barbara Docherty is a registered nurse and clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Nursing, and writer for the everybody.co.nz website. The opinions contained herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsor. Copyright UBM Medica (NZ) Ltd.