How alcohol affects you
Drinking alcohol can make you feel happy, relaxed and confident - the attraction for most people - however it can cause you to be sad and depressed. How it makes you feel depends on:
- Your mood when drinking (this will often be exaggerated)
- When you drink
- Where you drink
- Who you are with
Alcohol causes the responses in our brain to slow down. If you drink too much alcohol, it can cause you to slur your speech, lose co-ordination, lack judgement and take risks.
How quickly someone gets drunk is dependent on how used they are to drinking, body weight and if there is food lining the stomach.
Mixing Alcohol & Drugs
Mixing different types of alcohol together might make you get drunk quicker, but it can make you very sick and less likely to know how much alcohol you have actually consumed.
Taking drugs whilst drinking is very dangerous as the effects of each mix are very unpredictable and you could pass out from an overdose.
Alcohol & Sex
You pulled a gorgeous person last night...or did you? Perhaps you had your beer goggles on?! Alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions and you may find you have sex with people you don’t really know.
Unprotected sex can lead to unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – always make sure you carry a condom. Get free condoms
Make sure you are both up for having sex – if you don’t have a firm YES it’s legally rape and you could be charged. Women are most at risk of sexual abuse; visit our personal safety page for tips for staying safe on a night out.
Guys, don’t be surprised if you can’t perform after a heavy night drinking. Alcohol acts as an anaesthetic and makes it harder to achieve an erection or orgasm.
Spiked Drinks
Be careful with your drink on a night out – both men and women are at risk of having it spiked with drugs. Keep your drink with you and only accept a drink from someone you know or trust.
Keep an eye out for the Frisky or Risky team in Colchester and Clacton to get your free spikey to protect your alcopop or bottle of beer.
Don’t Drink and Drive
Even if you feel fine, driving after drinking alcohol is dangerous as you will have less control and a slower reaction time. Don’t put yourself and others at risk.
Driving the morning after might not be such a great idea either as alcohol stays in your system for some time.
What to do in an emergency
If someone passes out from consuming too much alcohol try not to panic and act fast to get help:
- Call 999 and ask for ambulance
- Stay with your friend
- Put your friend in the recovery position
- When help arrives, tell them everything they need to know – your friend’s name, what they have been drinking and when
Click for information on how drinking alcohol affects you in pregnancy.
Here, some festivalgoers and band members discuss their attitudes to alcohol:
