Alcohol and your body don’t go, but just how many people out there carry on drinking alcohol when they know this?
 
 This should make you think before the next time you have a drink; within minutes of alcohol entering your body, it infiltrates your bloodstream, your brain, your liver, your pancreas, your kidneys, your lungs and every other living tissue in your body. When you think about it, everytime you have a drink of alcohol it’s slowly killing you. Now that’s a nice thought isn’t it?
 
 Did you know that heavy drinkers of alcohol are known as "Chronic Drinkers."
 
 Studies have shown that heavy drinking will reduce the size of your brain, your reactions become slower and you begin to lose your memory. Also in the studies which where carried out, alcoholics showed signs of congnitive dysfunction, this was proved by using the latest technology in MRI scanning.
 
 The strength of a drink you’re drinking will have the effect and impact on the absorption rate. It’s simple really the stronger drinks are absorbed quicker than weaker drinks.
 
 When neat sprits are consumed in concentrated amounts, they can irritate your stomach lining, causing a response which delays the absorption of the alcohol.
 
Almost as soon as we have some alcohol, it seems to have an effect on out central nervous system. It begins by depressing the inhibitory centres of your brain. Alcohol effects people in different ways, some people become relaxed, others become very aggressive and some just become more confident in themselves, like taking more, and some even think they become more attractive (I don’t think so).
 
 If you have a problem with your drinking you’ll notice the following. Once the euphoric feeling has worn off your on your way to a negative rebound. Which will include the following, depression sets in again, you become guilty and anxiety.
 
 If you find that you are drinking too much and would like some free information on how to cut down your drinking habit, then I can recommend the following website www.stopdrinkingadvice.org they have a loads of free resources which will help you over come your drinking problems.

Alcohol poisoning is a serious — sometimes deadly — result of consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol. When your body absorbs too much alcohol, it can directly impact your central nervous system, slowing your breathing, heart rate and gag reflex. This can lead to choking, coma and even death.

Alcohol poisoning most often occurs as a result of drinking too many alcoholic beverages over a short period of time. Binge drinking is a common cause of alcohol poisoning.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

• Confusion, stupor
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow or irregular breathing
• Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
• Low body temperature (hypothermia)
• Unconsciousness ("passing out")

It’s not necessary for all of these symptoms to be present before seeking help. A person who has become unconscious, or cannot be roused, is at risk of dying.

If you are in a situation where you feel there has been alcohol poisoning get help immediately by calling 911. Do NOT leave the person alone and do NOT try to get them to vomit as their gag reflexes are impaired.

The stories of children drinking are staggering and what is most surprising is the age at which they begin. How can we keep our children away from alcohol? There is no surefire way as even with our best efforts there are those whose main goal is to corrupt our kids. Here are a few tips to help:

• Be INVOLVED in your childs life, listen to them and be aware of what is happening in their life
• Set clear rules and penalties regarding drinking and ENFORCE them
• If you keep alcohol in your home either lock it up or monitor the levels. Alcohol in the home should NOT be readily available to your children
• NEVER provide alcohol to your child
• Do not let your child attend parties where alcohol may be served. Be in contact with the parents of their friends to monitor who will be home during the party.

There are many people you drink too much and realize that drinking is a problem in there life, if you have ever looked on the Internet you’ll have noticed that there are plenty of ways to help you stop drinking.

They have over 2000 testimonials from people who have successfully given up drinking alcohol. You need to remember you have nothing to lose, but you have everything to gain.

Alcohol is part of our culture and is often found in most social situations. While in moderation drinking doesn’t cause many problems the number of those who drink to excess has risen dramatically. People are starting to drink at a younger age and we are drinking more.

How does alcohol affect the brain?

Alcohol is like many other drugs that act on the brain, such as tranquillizers. If we drink it regularly we find that it has less effect on us because we build up a tolerance to it. Therefore we need to drink more to get the effect we want. This is a powerful part of becoming addicted to alcohol.

Alcohol can also lead to:

• Dementia - memory loss, rather like Alzheimer’s dementia.
• Psychosis - long- term drinkers can start to hear voices.
• Dependence - if you stop drinking, you get withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, nervousness and (sometimes) seeing things that aren’t there.
• Suicide - 40% of men who try to kill themselves have had a long- standing alcohol problem. - 70% of those who succeed in killing themselves have drunk alcohol before doing so.

What is the connection between depression and alcohol?

We know that there is a connection - self-harm and suicide are much more common in people with alcohol problems. There is also evidence that alcohol changes the chemistry of the brain itself and that this increases the risk of depression. Another problem that arises is that regular drinking can make life depressing - family problems, poor work, unreliable memory and sexual problems.

Alcohol helps us to forget our problems for a while. It can help us to relax and overcome any shyness. It can make talking easier and more fun, whether in the pub, a club or at a party. It is a very effective way of feeling better for a few hours. If you are depressed and lacking in energy, it can be tempting to use alcohol to help you keep going and cope with life. The problem is that it is easy to slip into drinking regularly, using it like a medication.The benefits soon wear off, the drinking becomes part of a routine, and you have to keep drinking more to get the same effect.