Alcohol
Having a drink is sociable, enjoyable and, in many societies, part of the culture. Alcohol is relaxing and eases the inhibitions. And a moderate amount may actually help to protect the heart and circulation.
However, one in four men drink too much and too often. If you regularly go over the top with your drinking then you'll end up damaging your body.
Drinking too much alcohol is also often responsible for accidents, poor work performance, relationship problems and crime. Whatever else you do with alcohol - never drink and drive.
Too much alcohol can cause...
- high blood pressure, which contributes to strokes and heart attacks
- indigestion and stomach ulcers
- obesity
- weight loss and malnutrition
- depression
- nerve damage
- permanent memory loss
How much is too much?
The current recommended safe intake of alcohol for men is no more than three to four units a day. One unit is:
- half a pint of ordinary strength beer or lager
- a small glass of wine
- a single pub measure of spirits
Take care - a can of extra strong beer or lager is equal to two pints of ordinary strength beer or lager, or four units of alcohol, and a generous glass of wine could equal two units.
Do you have a drink problem?
If you answer yes to two or more of these you may have alcohol-related problems and should seek help and advice from your doctor or a specialist alcohol service:
- Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
- Have people annoyed you by criticising your drinking?
- Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
- Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?
Smoking
We've all been told not to smoke. So without beating around the bush, these are the facts.
Smoking can kill you and those around you.
Every five minutes a smoker dies from a smoking-related disease.
Smoking doesn't make you big or hard; in fact, it causes impotence.
What you gain by quitting
- After 20 minutes - your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal.
- Eight hours later - oxygen levels in your blood return to normal.
- After 24 hours - carbon monoxide levels in your body fall and your lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.
- After 48 hours - there's no nicotine left in your body and your sense of taste and smell returns.
- After 72 hours - breathing becomes easier as your bronchial tubes begin to relax and your energy levels increase.
- Two to 12 weeks later - circulation improves throughout the body, making walking and running a whole lot easier.
- Three to nine weeks later - coughs, wheezing and breathing problems get better as your lung function is increased by up to ten per cent.
- After five years - your risk of heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.
- Ten years on - your risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker and risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.
How to give up
- Tell yourself why you want to give up - for your own health, for the health of those around you and/or to save money.
- Set a date to stop smoking.
- Plan how to cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Cravings usually last for about three minutes at a time. Find something to occupy your mind until the craving passes, such as listening to music, reading a book or running on the spot. Withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, mood swings and anxiety only last three to four weeks. During this time nicotine replacement therapy such as patches, gum, tablets, an inhalator or nasal spray can be helpful.
- Plan how to keep your hands busy. If you miss having the cigarette in your hand then replace it with something, such as a pocket puzzle.
- Get support from your family, friends and workmates. Let them know that you're trying to give up so they understand why you may be acting differently, and so they don't offer you cigarettes.
- Avoid temptation. If there are times and places where you would usually smoke then avoid them until you're confident that you won't be overcome by temptation. If you smoke after supper, distract yourself by doing the washing-up or by going for a walk. If you always smoke down the pub then go somewhere else to meet with your friends for a while.
- Treat yourself! Whatever you do, don't forget to reward yourself regularly for not smoking.
If you don't succeed, then try again. Most people don't do it the first time, but most are successful eventually.
Drugs
110 million Americans aged 12 or over (45.8% of the US population aged 12 and over) report having used an illicit drug at least once in their lifetimes.
Drug highs and lows
There are many reasons why men use drugs, including:
- The short-term effects - ranging from increased wellbeing and sociability and to exhilaration, euphoria and enhanced perception.
- The idea that they will improve work, sport and sexual performance.
- Curiosity.
- Peer pressure.
However, besides the legal implications, there are also serious health risks involved in taking illegal substances - as well as commonly misused legal and prescription-only substances such as solvents or ketamine.
Of course, the best way to minimise the risks is to avoid drugs altogether. But if you're going to take them, you should be aware of the potential danger to your health.
Drug misuse can lead to:
- relationship problems
- domestic violence
- loss of employment
- crime
With illegal substances you can rarely be sure how pure the drug you are taking is, or what it has been mixed with. Nor can you always be sure what the strength is. This means that there is a chance that you could overdose without realising.
If you inject drugs and share needles, it puts you at risk of contracting hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, the infection that causes AIDS.
Some specific health risks associated with particular drugs include:
- Cannabis. Impotence, low sperm count, anxiety, paranoia, depression.
- Cocaine. Fatal heart problems, convulsions, depression.
- Ecstasy. Over-heating and dehydration from over-exertion, liver and kidney problems, possible long-term brain damage.
- Solvents, glues, aerosols. Blackouts, fatal heart problems, brain damage.
- Heroin. Breathing problems, injecting causes vein damage and the risk of contracting hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV infection.
For more detail, see Drugs overview and A-Z of Drugs.
Do you have a drug problem?
Possible signs of drug dependence include:
- Changes in behaviour, such as mood swings, irritability and greater unreliability.
- Deterioration in health and appearance.
- Absenteeism from work.
- Decline in work quality.
- Getting into debt, stealing or committing other crime to pay for drugs.
Smoking, Drinking and Drugs News:
Just 6, and getting high (Independent Online) - Teaching at a Cape Town primary school has become nearly impossible as children as young as six are smoking tik and dagga and drinking alcohol before coming to class.
Just 6, and getting high (The Star) - Western Cape education officials are to investigate teachers' concerns that children as young as six are smoking tik and dagga and drinking alcohol before coming to class at a city primary school.
Saturday's Last Word on Friday (The Virginia Gazette) - City election - ?Thank you to all five city residents running for City Council. For a tiny city at a crossroads, it is crucial to elect representatives who grasp the concern residents have for upholding city goals, and not letting the goals, rules and policies be rewritten every time a developer or individual quietly enlists the help of the staff to reshape the current rules. Residents who have ...
Busted! (The Advance-Titan) - By: Shayla Brooks Feb. 27, 2010 (11:47p.m.) ? Officers responded to North Scott Hall for a report of a man passed out in a snow bank near the main entrance. While speaking to the man, officers noticed he had slurred speech, an odor of alcohol on his breath, and he wa...
A Field Guide To Child Stars Gone Bad (Defamer) - Corey Haim is not the first ? or the last ? former child star who became a drug addict. Some make a full recovery. Many, sadly, do not. (more?)
CMS survey: Middle school can be scary (The Charlotte Observer) - Middle school is a scary place for a significant number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg students, while high-school students are less likely to report fear and bullying at school, a just-released survey of youth risk behaviors shows.
?I do far worse things than take cocaine ? drinking and smoking? (Times Online) - As Andy leaves his flat this evening and heads to a party, the wrap of cocaine concealed in his jeans pocket will feel as familiar as the bottle of wine in his hand.
Strawberry living in his own skin (The Post-Star) - PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Darryl Strawberry is headed toward theclubhouse door, an unlit Newport jammed between his fingers.
BC BREAKING NEWS : (Kelowna Capital News) - others also read... Police are hoping to hear from Catherine Gladue or from anyone who has any contact with her since Jan. 5. The 49 year old woman was last known to be living in the Loon Lake area, but also has ties to Cache Creek.
Darryl Strawberry remembers his past, hopes not to repeat it (Standard-Examiner) - PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Darryl Strawberry is headed toward the clubhouse door, an unlit Newport jammed between his fingers. read more
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