Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world, especially for youth. It acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, which can make you sleepy, drowsy, or light-headed. It also affects brain activity, mood, memory, behavior, coordination, and self-control.
Alcohol misuse happens when someone consumes too much alcohol or consumes alcohol in unsafe ways, such as during pregnancy, before driving, or while taking certain medications. It can lead to unsafe situations and can even become alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Side Effects
Side effects of alcohol include:
- Perceived relaxation
- Impaired memory, speech, attention, and judgment
- Impaired balance and coordination
- Sleepiness
- Potential aggressiveness
Hangovers
Hangovers usually occur when too much alcohol is consumed and the alcohol . Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Thirst
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vertigo (sudden internal or external spinning sensation)
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sweating
- Increased blood pressure
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms for alcohol include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Shakiness
- Restlessness
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Racing heart
- Dysphoria (feeling uneasy or unhappy)
- Malaise (general sense of being unwell)
- Feeling low
- Sensing things that aren’t there
- Seizures
Signs of an Overdose
Critical signs of an alcohol overdose includes:
- Confusion
- Difficulty staying awake or waking up
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow or no breathing (less than 8 breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 or more seconds in between breaths)
- Low body temperature
- Slow heart rate
- Pale or blue skin
- Clammy skin (unpleasantly damp and sticky/slimy)
- Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex
Side effects of alcohol include:
- Perceived relaxation
- Impaired memory, speech, attention, and judgment
- Impaired balance and coordination
- Sleepiness
- Potential aggressiveness
Hangovers
Hangovers usually occur when too much alcohol is consumed and the alcohol . Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Thirst
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vertigo (sudden internal or external spinning sensation)
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sweating
- Increased blood pressure
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms for alcohol include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Shakiness
- Restlessness
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Racing heart
- Dysphoria (feeling uneasy or unhappy)
- Malaise (general sense of being unwell)
- Feeling low
- Sensing things that aren’t there
- Seizures
Signs of an Overdose
Critical signs of an alcohol overdose includes:
- Confusion
- Difficulty staying awake or waking up
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow or no breathing (less than 8 breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 or more seconds in between breaths)
- Low body temperature
- Slow heart rate
- Pale or blue skin
- Clammy skin (unpleasantly damp and sticky/slimy)
- Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex
Hangovers usually occur when too much alcohol is consumed and the alcohol . Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Thirst
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vertigo (sudden internal or external spinning sensation)
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sweating
- Increased blood pressure
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms for alcohol include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Shakiness
- Restlessness
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Racing heart
- Dysphoria (feeling uneasy or unhappy)
- Malaise (general sense of being unwell)
- Feeling low
- Sensing things that aren’t there
- Seizures
Signs of an Overdose
Critical signs of an alcohol overdose includes:
- Confusion
- Difficulty staying awake or waking up
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow or no breathing (less than 8 breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 or more seconds in between breaths)
- Low body temperature
- Slow heart rate
- Pale or blue skin
- Clammy skin (unpleasantly damp and sticky/slimy)
- Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex
Types of Misuse
For reference, a standard drink is defined as about 0.6 ounces or 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Binge Drinking
Binge drinking is when an individual consumes enough alcohol within two hours to raise their blood alcohol concentration to 0.08% or higher. For adults, this is equivalent to men consuming 5 or more standard drinks or women consuming 4 or more standard drinks. For youth, depending on their age and size, this is equivalent to boys consuming 5 or more standard drinks or girls consuming 3 or more standard drinks.
High Intensity Drinking
High intensity drinking is a form of binge drinking where an individual consumes at least two or more times the thresholds for binge drinking. This is equivalent to men consuming 10 or more standard drinks or women consuming 8 or more standard drinks.
Heavy Drinking
Heavy drinking is when an individual consumes high amounts of alcohol regularly or over an extended period of time. For men, this is equivalent to consuming 5 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 15 within a week. For women, this is equivalent to consuming 4 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 8 drinks within a week.
Binge drinking is when an individual consumes enough alcohol within two hours to raise their blood alcohol concentration to 0.08% or higher. For adults, this is equivalent to men consuming 5 or more standard drinks or women consuming 4 or more standard drinks. For youth, depending on their age and size, this is equivalent to boys consuming 5 or more standard drinks or girls consuming 3 or more standard drinks.
High Intensity Drinking
High intensity drinking is a form of binge drinking where an individual consumes at least two or more times the thresholds for binge drinking. This is equivalent to men consuming 10 or more standard drinks or women consuming 8 or more standard drinks.
Heavy Drinking
Heavy drinking is when an individual consumes high amounts of alcohol regularly or over an extended period of time. For men, this is equivalent to consuming 5 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 15 within a week. For women, this is equivalent to consuming 4 or more standard drinks in a day or at least 8 drinks within a week.
Costs of Misuse
Alcohol use can lead to many harmful effects that hurt you, your family, and your community.
Short-term Effects
Drinking excessively in a short period of time can lead to:
- Injuries from accidents such as motor vehicles accidents, falling, drowning, or burns
- Violence, including homicides, sexual violence, domestic violence, or suicides
- Alcohol poisoning (where the levels of alcohol in the bloodstream affect body functions such as heart rate or breathing)
- Overdose from combining alcohol with other drugs or medications, such as opioids or stimulants
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) or unwanted pregnancy from unprotected sex as a result of alcohol use
- Miscarriages, stillbirths, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) from alcohol use during pregnancy
Long-term Effects
Alcohol use over a long period of time can lead to:
- Cancer, including breast cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer
- Heart damage and disease
- Liver damage and disease
- Stroke
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
- A weaker immune system, making it easier to get sick
- Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
- Memory problems, such as dementia
- Learning problems
- Issues at work or at school
- Relationship issues with family and friends
Drinking excessively in a short period of time can lead to:
- Injuries from accidents such as motor vehicles accidents, falling, drowning, or burns
- Violence, including homicides, sexual violence, domestic violence, or suicides
- Alcohol poisoning (where the levels of alcohol in the bloodstream affect body functions such as heart rate or breathing)
- Overdose from combining alcohol with other drugs or medications, such as opioids or stimulants
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) or unwanted pregnancy from unprotected sex as a result of alcohol use
- Miscarriages, stillbirths, or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) from alcohol use during pregnancy
Long-term Effects
Alcohol use over a long period of time can lead to:
- Cancer, including breast cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer
- Heart damage and disease
- Liver damage and disease
- Stroke
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
- A weaker immune system, making it easier to get sick
- Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
- Memory problems, such as dementia
- Learning problems
- Issues at work or at school
- Relationship issues with family and friends
Did You Know?
people die from excessive alcohol use every year in the U.S.
Source: cdc.gov
young people under 21 die from excessive alcohol use every year.
Source: cdc.gov
people die from alcohol related cancers every year in the U.S.
Source: cdc.gov
There are
deaths every day from excessive alcohol use - that's about 20 people every hour.
Source: cdc.gov
Teens are
more likely to drink if their parents drink.
Source: cdc.gov
Native Americans are
more likely to die from alcohol related causes than other racial groups.
Source: cdc.gov
Native American youth ages 12 to 20 have had at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime.
Source: niaaa.nih.gov
Native American youth ages 12 to 17 had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2022.
Source: niaaa.nih.gov
Native Americans ages 18 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2022.
Source: niaaa.nih.gov
Path to Prevention
Reduce Harm
Here are some strategies to reduce harm from alcohol consumption for yourself, your family, and your community:
Drink Less
You can reduce some of your risk by reducing how much you drink. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends that men drink no more than two standard drinks and women drink no more than one standard drink per day.
It is important to note that while drinking less can reduce some risks, there are still health risks from consuming any alcohol. That said, even a small change can make a big difference.
Quit/ Don't Start
Quitting is another option to reduce alcohol-related harm. It is the only way to reduce all risks that come from consuming alcohol. It is also the safest option for some people and certain situations.
If you have never consumed alcohol, don’t start.
Prevent Underage Drinking
You can help reduce or prevent underage drinking by:
- Not giving or serving alcohol to persons under 21 years of age
- Educating youth about alcohol-related risks
- Modeling healthier behaviors for youth, such as drinking less or quitting alcohol use
You can reduce some of your risk by reducing how much you drink. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends that men drink no more than two standard drinks and women drink no more than one standard drink per day.
It is important to note that while drinking less can reduce some risks, there are still health risks from consuming any alcohol. That said, even a small change can make a big difference.
Quit/ Don't Start
Quitting is another option to reduce alcohol-related harm. It is the only way to reduce all risks that come from consuming alcohol. It is also the safest option for some people and certain situations.
If you have never consumed alcohol, don’t start.
Prevent Underage Drinking
You can help reduce or prevent underage drinking by:
- Not giving or serving alcohol to persons under 21 years of age
- Educating youth about alcohol-related risks
- Modeling healthier behaviors for youth, such as drinking less or quitting alcohol use
Benefits
Drinking less or quitting alcohol can have short-term and long-term benefits for your health and relationships. Some of the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption include:
- Improvements in judgements, decision-making, and coordination
- Improvements in your relationships with family and friends
- Reduced issues at work or school
- Lowered risk for:
- Injuries from accidents, such as motor vehicles accidents, drowning, burning, or suicide
- Alcohol poisoning and overdoses
- Being a part of violent crimes
- Health conditions, such as cancer or heart or liver disease
- Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
- Memory problems, including dementia
- Learning problems
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if I have a drinking problem?
Talk with your doctor about alcohol use disorder (AUD) if you noticed any of the following symptoms in the past year:
- Had times when you drank more, or longer, than you intended to
- Tried to cut down or stop drinking more than once, but couldn’t
- Spent a lot of time drinking, being sick from drinking, or getting over the aftereffects of drinking
- Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else
- Had issues with family, school, or work due to drinking or being sick from drinking
- Continued to drink despite having issues with family and friends due to drinking
- Gave up or cut back on activities you enjoy due to drinking
- Gotten into situations during or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt more than once (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, having unprotected sex, etc.)
- Continued to drink even though it made you depressed, anxious, black out, or otherwise hurt your health
- Had to drink more than you did before to get the effect you wanted or found your usual amount of drinking affected you less than it used to
- Experienced withdrawal symptoms when the effects of the alcohol wore off
Is there a way to prevent or cure a hangover?
The only way to prevent a hangover is to not drink or to not drink more than the recommended limit. There is no cure for a hangover other than time. There is no remedy that has been scientifically proven to effectively help with hangovers, and some recommendations – such as drinking alcohol the morning after or taking painkillers – can even cause harm.
Does alcohol have any health benefits?
Some earlier studies linked low or moderate drinking with some health benefits. However, these early studies are highly debated by scientists as these studies did not consider certain factors that could influence the results and may have masked the health effects of not drinking alcohol at all. More recent and rigorous research has determined that there is no health benefits from consuming alcohol.
Are there situations where I shouldn't consume alcohol?
You should avoid consuming any alcohol if you:
- Are pregnant or might be pregnant
- Are under 21 years old
- Have certain diseases caused by or aggravated by alcohol, such as liver disease, diabetes, or bipolar disorder
- Take medications that can interact with alcohol, such as opioids or stimulants
- Experience facial flushing or dizziness when drinking alcohol
- Can’t control the amount of alcohol you drink
- Are recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD)
What if I'm not ready to cut back on or quit my alcohol use?
If you have mixed feelings or are unsure about cutting back on or quitting alcohol, you can try the following:
- Keep track of how often and how much you drink
- Take note of how drinking affects you
- Make a list of pros and cons of cutting back on or quitting alcohol
- Deal with other priorities that may be in the way
- Ask for support from your doctor, a friend, or another person you trust
Remember, making a change earlier is likely to be more successful and less destructive to you and your family.
