How alcohol impacts your health
Drinking alcohol less often and remaining within the Australian Alcohol Guidelines reduces your risk of serious disease.
Long term impacts
Alcohol use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the longer term, alcohol can cause abnormalities of heart rhythm, high blood pressure and weakened heart muscle, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Alcohol is also a cause of cancer. There is strong evidence that alcohol can cause breast cancer, as well as cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, bowel and liver.
Every drink you have increases the risk of these conditions.
Find out more at these websites:
- Alcohol Think Again – alcohol and cardiovascular disease
- Reduce Your Risk – alcohol and cancer.
Short term impacts
Drinking alcohol less often and remaining within the Australian Alcohol Guidelines reduces your risk of injury and other short-term harms.
Intoxication impairs co-ordination, slows reflexes and can lead to accidents and injury. It can result in hangovers, poor mood and increased anxiety. The risks increase the more you drink.
Alcohol overdose can potentially lead to brain damage and death. Alcohol overdoses can be caused by alcohol alone, but the risks are increased by taking other depressant drugs such as opioids, anti-anxiety and sleep medications and even over the counter antihistamines.
Alcohol also adds to calorie intake, making it more difficult to avoid weight gain.
Stress, anxiety and mental health
Alcohol can improve mood, at least at first. But while alcohol, and other types of drugs, can increase feel-good chemicals in the brain in the short-term, they can leave you short of these chemicals after the effects wear off.
Drinking less alcohol can improve your mood.
Alcohol is associated with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Drinking alcohol increases the production of cortisol, which affects our ability to deal effectively with stress. It also depresses the central nervous system, slowing brain functioning.
Go to these websites to learn more:
- Beyond Blue – drugs alcohol and mental health and healthy ways to ease stress and anxiety
- Alcohol Think Again – alcohol and mental health
Sleep disturbance
Drinking less alcohol can improve the quality of your sleep.
Drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, disrupts your body’s capacity to enter deep restorative sleep. If you wake up in the night after drinking, it’s because alcohol increases production of epinephrine, a stress hormone that increases heart rate and stimulates the body.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means you need to get up in the night to use the bathroom.
Go to Beyond Blue for tips on getting a good night's sleep.
Tips for reducing harms from alcohol
AlcoholThink Again and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation Australia provide tips on managing alcohol consumption and reducing harm from drinking.
To reduce harm it is important to avoid drinking larger amounts and drinking rapidly.
You can reduce harm by avoiding activities such as drinking games or competitions which encourage drinking quickly and in large amounts.
Drinks such as cocktails might contain high levels of alcohol without you being aware of how much you are drinking.