‘Maggoted’ or ‘Smashed’ the results will be very bad!

In Australia, alcohol is so much an accepted part of ‘having a good time’ that many people do not realise it is capable of doing harm in a great many different ways.

At least 1 in 5 Australians over the age of 14 drinks a risky amount of alcohol at least once a year. The average age of initiation (i.e. the first time they consumed alcohol) has increased from 14.4 years in 1998 to 16.1 years in 2016. Of those 12-17 year olds who had consumed alcohol, around 9% of males and 7% of females drank in a risky way (more than four standard drinks).

There could be lots of reasons why you might binge drink. You might feel peer pressure to get ‘maggoted’ or ‘smashed’. You might feel awkward or uncomfortable at a party. You might not know how much you are really drinking.

Some young people ‘preload’ to save money – quickly drinking large amounts of alcohol at home before heading out. Often they’re already intoxicated before they walk out the front door. By the time they get to where they’re going their judgement is clouded, causing them to continue drinking more than they intended to – which is dangerous, and means they don’t save money at all.

Alcohol kills and injures many people each year. Alcohol is also a major cause of injury and death among young people. When you’re drunk, you’re more likely to put yourself in risky situations, such as getting into a car with a driver who’s been drinking, or ending up in a physical fight.

You might feel sick, vomit, feel shaky or have a hangover. You could injure yourself or someone else if you get into a fight, fall over or have a car accident.

You might also behave differently when you are drunk and do things you wouldn’t normally do, such as:

have unprotected sex and risk a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or pregnancy
embarrass yourself
damage your reputation, which can affect your work or your family
lose valuable items, such as your wallet, purse or mobile phone.

Long-term effects of binge drinking include:

problems at school, at work and with relationships
risk of emotional and mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety
physical and psychological dependence on alcohol
health effects, such as damage to the brain and liver and increased risk of certain cancers.

While alcohol affects each of us differently, there are steps you can take to make sure you moderate your drinking.

Some of the simple things you can do include:

Set yourself limits and stick to them;
Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks;
Drink slowly;
Try drinks with a lower alcohol content;
Have something to eat while or before you have an alcoholic drink ; and
Dilute your alcoholic drink by adding water or ice.

Is alcohol a problem? If it’s harming you, or someone you know, it may be time to seek advice from a professional.

You can contact one of the many services available, speak to your GP, local health service or call a helpline. There are trained telephone counsellors available in every Australian state and territory.

DrugInfo : 1300 858 584

Family Drug Helpline : 1300 368 186

Youth Substance Abuse Service : 1800 014 446

Counselling Online : 1800 888 236

Kids Helpline : 1800 551 800

Parentline : 1300 301 300

Lifeline : 131114

Alcohol Drug Information Service (ADIS)

The Alcohol and Drug Information Centres are state and territory-based services that offer information, advice, referral, intake, assessment and support 24 hours a day. ADIS offers services for individuals, their family and friends, general practitioners, other health professionals and business and community groups.

ADIS counsellors understand the difficulties of finding appropriate drug and alcohol treatment and use their knowledge and experience to assist callers.

Australian Capital Territory Alcohol & Drug Program : 02 6205 4545

New South Wales : 02 9361 8000 (Sydney) or 1800 422 599 (NSW regional and rural)

Northern Territory Alcohol & Other Drug Services : 1800 629 683 (NT general) or 08 8922 8399 (Darwin) or 08 8951 7580 (Alice Springs)

Queensland ADIS : 07 3837 5989 or 1800 177 833

South Australia ADIS : 08 8363 8618 or 1300 131 340

Tasmania ADIS : 03 6233 6722 or 1800 811 994

Victoria Directline : 1800 888 236

Western Australia ADIS : 08 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024 or for parents: 08 9442 5050, 1800 653 203 (WA only)