Getting Drunk: a few facts about it

What makes us drunk?

Why do we keep getting drunk? Alcohol is a rather remarkable drug. It is made up of very small molecules which are very easily absorbed into your bloodstream. They are even absorbed before the booze has reached your stomach which is why you seem to feel the effects so quickly. The effects of drunkenness happen because although it is actually a depressant, alcohol acts upon the center of your brain that manages, among other things, your ability to apply self-control. This control begins to disappear, firstly in your mental state where you become more confident, brash, and outspoken because you’re less aware or concerned about the consequences of your actions and you have fewer inhibitions. After a while the drug effects your balance and muscle control which, depending on your ability to tolerate alcohol, can have mild or disastrous effects. A sphincter is a muscle, and it controls your bowels ... hence the fact that drunken people often pee themselves.

How much can we drink?

It depends upon a number of factors. Europeans have been drinking beer and wine for thousands of years, they drank it instead of potentially dirty water, it was nicer, safer and a good source of calories in the days before diets. The result of this is that people descended from Europeans have a greater tolerance for alcohol. Indigenous peoples like Inuits, Aborigines and Native Americans only encountered alcohol comparatively recently and so their bodies simply could not cope with it. So your ancestry can have a marked effect on your alcohol tolerance. Generally males can hold more than women but this is not always the case, famously Elizabeth Taylor was reportedly able to hold more booze than her husband Richard Burton who was himself world renowned for his capacious appetite for liquor. Your body does become accustomed to drinking and so your tolerance increases, while this maybe true, don’t be fooled into thinking the drug will do you less harm. Alcohol is, for want of a better word, a poison and it will damage your cells no matter how much or little you drink. It’s not a bad or evil thing, but it is best to be careful how much you drink and be aware of the consequences. Never, ever under any circumstances drink and drive, or do anything that involves a responsibility that may impact upon other people or endanger them or yourself.

How much should we drink?

Government guidelines say that men should drink no more than twenty-one units per week women just fourteen. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to about one half-pint of standard strength beer or lager, a small glass of wine, or a single measure of spirit.

What is the strongest drink?

Spirits are much stronger than any other drink. Some such as moonshine can be close to pure alcohol, whiskey and tequila are more likely between 40 and 50% alcohol. Wine is typically around 11-14% proof, beer 2-6% (although there are some much stronger ones). Fortified wines such as port, sherry and Marsala tend to be around 20% alcohol. Alco-pops vary but are usually about 6% and apple cider is between 4.5 and 9%. There are of course many other types of alcohol but this covers the main groups.

I’m not going to get up onto my soapbox and eulogize about the evils of booze, nor am I going to condone getting drunk out of your mind. Alcohol is a part of society. It is inescapably woven into our social culture and is, for the most part, a very enjoyable thing. However it is addictive and if you have an addictive nature then it is best to be very careful how much you drink because if you binge on alcohol you can lose control to such an extent that you may forget what happened the night before, and that is a pretty sobering thought!