What is alcohol?

Alcohol is an organic compound. One of the components of alcohol is ethanol (C₂H₅OH), a compound found in all types of alcohol: beer, wine, vodka, etc. It is produced by fermentation – a natural chemical process in which yeast reacts with certain foods to produce drinkable alcohol. Strong alcohols are produced by distillation.

The average alcohol content of different alcoholic beverages is as follows:

• • Beer – 2-6% alcohol
  • Wine – 8-20% alcohol
  • Vodka – 37.5%-50% alcohol
  • Whisky – 40-50% alcohol
  • Rum – 40% or more alcohol
  • Brandy – 40% or more alcohol
  • Tequila – 40% alcohol
  • Gin – 40-47% alcohol
  • Liqueurs – 15-60% alcohol
  • Cider – 4-8% alcohol

Alcohol is not for everyone

Alcohol accompanies many moments in our lives that are important to us and we want to celebrate them. However, there are some people who should not drink, whatever the occasion, because their consumption of alcoholic beverages can be risky and have serious consequences for themselves and those around them.

Taste wisely, drink responsibly

Life is a wonderful adventure made up of experiences, building relationships, discovering places and flavours, celebrating moments, but also making responsible choices. Conscious, thoughtful choices make it more fulfilling and allow us to have more control over life and make the most of it!

This also applies to alcohol, which accompanies many of the special moments we want to toast – a wedding, a promotion, a birthday, or a gathering of loved ones. Let’s not forget that it should be a part of our lives over which we have complete control.

Did you know that the standard portion of alcohol can vary from country to country, influenced by local culture and tradition? Among EU member states, the most common level is 10 grams of pure ethyl alcohol, which can be found in:

• 250 ml of beer at 5% alcohol (half a standard half-litre bottle of beer)
• 100 ml of wine at 12% alcohol (a standard glass of wine)
• 30 ml of vodka with an alcohol content of 40% (a standard glass)

Responsible drinking is about making well-considered choices when we want to drink, about consuming alcoholic beverages in moderate amounts, at a certain frequency and in appropriate situations. It is a way of drinking that minimizes the risk of negative consequences – health, social and legal.

Responsible drinking is also about our everyday attitudes and behaviour. Here are some rules to help you drink responsibly.

• If you feel you shouldn’t, can’t or simply don’t want to drink – don’t be afraid to say no. It shows responsibility and maturity. No one should persuade or force anyone to drink alcohol.
• Do not drink if you are pregnant!
• Don’t drink and drive!
• Don’t serve alcohol to minors and don’t buy alcohol for them if asked!
• If you are a parent or guardian of a minor, do not drink in their presence.
• Eat before drinking – do not drink on an empty stomach.
• Avoid ‘drinking games’.
• Don’t drink too much or too fast – spread out your alcohol consumption over time.
• Alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and don’t forget to drink water!
• Don’t drink if you’re ill.
• Are you taking any medication? Check with your doctor if they interact with alcohol.
• Do not combine alcohol and energy drinks.
• Don’t use alcohol to cope with stress or other problems. Alcohol is never the answer.
• Don’t drink alone.
• Don’t persuade people around you to drink.
• Don’t lose sight of your drink, always keep it with you.
• Control how much alcohol you drink!

In short – #TasteItSmart!

Check if you are a risky drinker

You are invited to complete the short AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), which was developed in 1989 on behalf of the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is considered to be one of the best screening tests, i.e. a test with high reliability and accuracy. The test helps to determine whether your drinking has the characteristics of risky, harmful or addictive drinking. The AUDIT test has no absolute diagnostic value, but it is helpful in determining the likelihood of an alcohol problem in the person being tested. The test is anonymous, so be honest with yourself. Remember – it only makes sense to take action if the answers you give are true. Let’s get started!

To answer the following questions, you need to know that…. A standard serving of alcohol, i.e. 10 g of pure alcohol, contains:

• 250 ml of beer at 5% vol.
• 100 ml of wine at 12% vol.
• 30 ml of vodka at 40% vol.

Alcohol and minors

Adolescence is a time when curiosity about the world, rebellion, or the desire to imitate adults leads young people to reach for things that are forbidden to minors, including alcohol. And this, during adolescence, has a negative impact on both the physical and mental development of the young person and is not without consequences for their adult life. As early as the teenage years, a young person should receive a clear message from adults, especially parents and guardians, that alcohol is for adults only.

Why do young people drink alcohol?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of the reasons why young people try alcoholic drinks include:

• satisfy their curiosity about the “forbidden fruit”,
• improve their mood or well-being
• gain approval from others
• avoid social rejection
• reduce negative emotions
• and cope with problems.

It is very important to talk to young people about the fact that alcohol is not the answer to problems that arise in the teenage years and to make them aware of the consequences of starting to drink alcohol too early. Let us teach minors a responsible attitude towards alcohol and, above all, let us react if we suspect that a young person is reaching for alcohol. Let us remember that any dose of alcohol is harmful to minors.

Did you know that according to the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) research report, conducted in 2021/2022 in collaboration with the WHO, 35% of adolescents have used alcohol in their lifetime and 20% have used alcohol in last 30 days?

• Alcohol use in their lifetime: Among 11-year-olds, 18% of boys and 13% of girls reported drinking alcohol. Among slightly older adolescents, the frequency increased to 33% of 13-year-olds and 57% of 15-year-olds (56% of boys and 59% of girls).
• Alcohol use in the last 30 days: Among 11-year-olds, 8% of boys and 5% of girls reported having used alcohol at least once in the last 30 days. In the older age groups, the frequency increased to 16% of boys and 16% of girls at the age of 13 and 36% of boys and 38% of girls at the age of 15.

Alcohol and driving

Alcohol and driving are a very risky duo that should never be combined together! Alcohol, even in small amounts, affects our bodies and can impair reaction time, judgement, concentration and vision – elements that are essential for safe, responsible driving. Never drive after consuming alcohol. Remember that as a driver you are responsible for yourself, your passengers and other road users.

How does the body react to alcohol?

The unit of measurement used to determine the concentration of ethyl alcohol in our blood is the per mille (‰). By default, 1 per mille is equal to 100mg of alcohol in one decilitre (dL) of blood.

How long alcohol remains in the body depends on several individual factors, such as gender, weight, age, general health or the meals eaten. Because of this, each of us may metabolise it differently – faster or slower. What does this mean in practice? People who drink the same amount of alcohol at different times can have blood alcohol levels of 0.0 ‰.

Even low levels of alcohol in the blood can impair our ability to perform activities that require a sober mind!

• 0.1 ‰ – distracted attention
• 0.2 ‰ – prolonged perception
• 0.3 ‰ – minor disturbances of balance and motor coordination, reduced ability to perceive and see shapes at a distance, reduced ability to perceive dynamic changes in light
• 0.4 ‰ – delayed reaction to stimuli, reduced motor skills, prolonged time of visual adaptation to atmospheric changes
• 0.5‰ – reduced ability to make a realistic assessment of the traffic situation. Hyperactivity, impaired psychophysical reactions, impaired visual acuity and ability to judge distances correctly
• 0.6‰ – misjudgement of own abilities, significant loss of concentration and self-control
• 0.8‰ – Onset of muscle weakness resulting in significant impairment of driving ability
• 1-2‰ – impaired muscle coordination and balance, impaired intellectual performance, mood swings, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate
• 2-3‰ – impaired speech, increased drowsiness, significant reduction in ability to control own behaviour and movements
• 3-4‰ – decrease in blood pressure, body temperature, weakening of vital functions, high likelihood of unconsciousness
• above 4‰ – fatal dose, coma, cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Even if the law in individual countries allows driving after consuming a strictly prescribed amount of alcohol, the only safe and certain rule is the “ZERO alcohol behind the wheel” rule. This rule applies to all road users, both drivers of motor vehicles, i.e. cars, motorcycles, quads, tractors, and users of non-mechanical vehicles, i.e. bicycles or scooters.

A driver who plans to drive and has consumed alcohol the day before or a few hours before driving should exercise a principle of self-restraint. Sometimes we think that we are no longer under the influence of alcohol because of the passage of time, when in fact the opposite is true. Alcohol remains in our bodies and affects our reactions for many hours after consumption. When in doubt, we should have our sobriety tested professionally before driving. The only effective and reliable way is to test yourself with a certified breathalyser.

If…

• You are going to a party with friends by car, plan to get home safely before the party starts. Choose a driver who is not drinking or plan to take a taxi.
• Someone around you has been drinking – don’t let them get behind the wheel. Take the keys and help them get home safely.
• If you’ve been drinking, don’t drive – call a taxi or ask a sober person to help you get home.
• You are organising an event where alcohol is served – make sure that all guests leave the event accompanied by sober drivers.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the police – your responsible reaction could save someone’s life!

Alcohol and pregnancy

Pregnancy is a special time when factors that increase the risk of complications, miscarriage, premature birth and foetal damage should be avoided. One such factor is alcohol. Its consumption by a pregnant woman, at any stage of the pregnancy, can have irreversible negative consequences for the child – health, social and educational – known as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). A pregnant woman should not consume any amount of alcohol in any form.

FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) is a spectrum of symptoms and disorders resulting from the effects of alcohol on the foetus during the prenatal period before birth. Neurological, physical, and behavioural defects occur as a result of alcohol consumption. Children affected by the syndrome may show characteristic changes in appearance (e.g. wide eyes, short and upturned nose, low set ears, narrow upper lip), slowed physical development (e.g. small head, low birth weight, delayed growth) and symptoms of damage to the nervous system (e.g. learning and communication difficulties, delayed speech development, sensory disturbances, balance problems).

There is no cure for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and treatment is usually limited to symptomatic treatment based on the defects with which the child was born. Only total abstinence during pregnancy protects the baby from the risk of FAS.

Alcohol in pregnancy – myths and facts

Myth: A small, symbolic amount of alcohol is acceptable during pregnancy.

Fact: There is no ‘safe amount’ of alcohol during pregnancy. Any amount of ethanol in any form, whether wine, beer or spirits, is associated with risks to the baby. Therefore, drinking alcohol during pregnancy is absolutely forbidden.

Myth: Alcohol only poses a risk to the baby in the first trimester.

Fact: Alcohol poses a risk to the baby throughout pregnancy. In each trimester, alcohol causes different problems depending on the baby’s stage of development.

Myth: The placenta is a natural protection for the baby.

Fact: The placenta does not protect the foetus from alcohol. Alcohol passes through the placenta into the blood of the foetus and affects its development. About half an hour after the mother has drunk alcohol, the concentration of alcohol in the baby’s blood is the same as in the mother’s blood. It should be noted that the child takes twice as long to metabolise alcohol as the mother because of the enzymatic immaturity of the liver.

Myth: FAS only affects the children of alcoholic women.

Fact: The risk of FAS does not only affect the children of women who are addicted to alcohol or use it in a risky way. FAS can also affect the child of a woman who has had a binge or occasional drinking episode during pregnancy, as any amount of alcohol during pregnancy poses a risk to foetal development.

Myth: A glass of red wine increases iron levels and improves the morphology of a pregnant woman.

Fact: A glass of wine during pregnancy, like any other alcohol, carries a risk of irreversible damage to the foetus.

0% alcohol, 100% attention

Are you a caregiver for a child, elderly, or disabled person? Did you know that the safety and health of the person you care for depends largely on you and your attitude? People in your care often need your full attention, care, and vigilance, so if you are in a caring role, remember the 0% alcohol – 100% attention rule. Being under the influence of alcohol in these circumstances may limit your ability to protect someone in need.

If you are under the influence of alcohol, you may have:

• Reduced reactions – in an emergency situation such as an accident, where an immediate reaction is needed, this may mean that it is too late to provide the necessary help, such as taking the child to hospital.
• Reduced ability to assess situations and think logically, so the threat may seem too trivial and you will ignore it.
• Emotional disturbance, which can be detrimental to your charges, causing them discomfort, insecurity, anxiety.
• Diminished ability to make sensible, responsible decisions.

Remember that alcohol can also cause you to neglect your caring responsibilities, such as administering medication, helping with daily activities, picking up your child from nursery or school.

Finally, a very important point, a pattern of behaviour that is particularly relevant in the case of minors. Alcohol should not be consumed in the presence of children. We are role models for minors, children learn by observation and often copy our behaviour.

On the water – think sober

Although we associate being by the sea, river, lake or swimming pool with positive things – time off, relaxation and good weather – we must remember that water is an element that cannot be ignored. Every year, lifeguards appeal to people not to consume alcohol while enjoying the beauty of a body of water. This absolute rule applies to swimming, driving water vehicles – canoes, sailing boats, water bikes or scooters. Not without reason! After consuming even a small amount of alcohol, the functioning of our organism is disturbed. When we are under the influence of alcohol:

• we tend to engage in risky behaviour
• our reaction time is delayed and we find it more difficult to make a quick, sensible decision
• We lose body heat, which can lead to muscle cramps (and this is particularly dangerous when swimming)
• We have difficulty with logical thinking and judgement
• We lose our sense of time and space
• We have problems coordinating our movements, we find it difficult to keep our balance.

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