The WHO reports that there is a growing alcohol problem in Africa. Alcohol causes more harm than any other widely sold product. Alcohol can have a wide range of serious effects on everyday life. Knowing about these problems can help you avoid the bad effects of alcohol.
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
Drinking alcohol can cause reckless behaviour. People are more likely to get into car crashes or fights. If you drink too much you can get alcohol poisoning, which is very dangerous.
DISEASE
Recent research shows alcohol increases the risk of a number of health conditions. Drinking can make it harder to plan carefully. This makes unsafe sex more likely. Unprotected sex can spread diseases like HIV or sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia. There is the added risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
If you drink too much you can also develop heart disease or cancer. Or you could become dependent on alcohol, which can cause serious mental and physical health problems.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Drinking too much can place a strain on your friends and family. You could become short-tempered or irresponsible. This makes it hard to support the people around you. This could worry people who care about you and even weaken your relationships.
SOCIETY
Dealing with the consequences of excessive drinking requires money and time from society. Bad behaviour or ill health caused by drinking places a burden on healthcare and police. This time and money could be going to less preventable problems.
MODERATION
It can be okay to drink occasionally, but try not to drink more than once or twice a week. It can be hard to know when you have drunk too much. If you do drink, try to limit yourself to one or two drinks and avoid drinking every day.
CONCLUSION
Alcohol can have many serious effects. It can increase risk of violence, car accidents or unsafe sex. In the long term it can lead to diseases or even death. Knowing the risks of alcohol can help you avoid problems. Drinking in moderation can be okay, if you take good care of yourself and others around you.