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13. What is a safe level of drinking?
Most adults can drink moderate amounts of alcohol--up to two drinks per
day for men and one drink per day for women and older people--and avoid
alcohol-related problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer
or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled
spirits.)
However, certain people should not drink at all. They include women who
are pregnant or trying to become pregnant; people who plan to drive or
engage in other activities requiring alertness and skill; people taking
certain medications, including certain over-the-counter medicines; people
with medical conditions that can be worsened by drinking; recovering alcoholics;
and people under the age of 21.
14. Is it safe to drink during pregnancy?
No. Drinking during pregnancy can have a number of harmful effects on
the newborn, ranging from mental retardation, organ abnormalities, and
hyperactivity to learning and behavioral problems. Moreover, many of these
disorders last into adulthood. While we don't yet know exactly how much
alcohol is required to cause these problems, we do know that they
are 100-percent preventable if a woman does not drink at all during pregnancy.
Therefore, for women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant,
the safest course is to abstain from alcohol.
15. As people get older, does alcohol affect their bodies differently?
Yes. As a person ages, certain mental and physical functions tend to
decline, including vision, hearing, and reaction time. Moreover, other
physical changes associated with aging can make older people feel "high"
after drinking fairly small amounts of alcohol. These combined factors
make older people more likely to have alcohol-related falls, automobile
crashes, and other kinds of accidents.
In addition, older people tend to take more medicines than younger persons,
and mixing alcohol with many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can
be dangerous, even fatal. (See Question 18.)
Further, many medical conditions common to older people, including high
blood pressure and ulcers, can be worsened by drinking. Even if there
is no medical reason to avoid alcohol, older men and women should limit
their intake to one drink per day.
16. Does alcohol affect a woman's body
differently from a man's body?
Yes. Women become more intoxicated than men after drinking the same amount
of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account.
This is because women's bodies have proportionately less water than men's
bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol
becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body than in a man's. That
is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower than for men.
(See Question 13 for recommended limits.)
In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women
than on men. Alcohol dependence and related medical problems, such as
brain and liver damage, progress more rapidly in women than in men.
17. I have heard that alcohol is good for
your heart. Is this true?
Several studies have reported that moderate drinkers--those who have
one or two drinks per day--are less likely to develop heart disease
than people who do not drink any alcohol or who drink larger amounts.
Small amounts of alcohol may help protect against coronary heart disease
by raising levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and by reducing the risk
of blood clots in the coronary arteries.
If you are a nondrinker, you should not start drinking only to benefit
your heart. Protection against coronary heart disease may be obtained
through regular physical activity and a low-fat diet. And if you are pregnant,
planning to become pregnant, have been diagnosed as alcoholic, or have
any medical condition that could make alcohol use harmful, you should
not drink.
Even for those who can drink safely and choose to do so, moderation is
the key. Heavy drinking can actually increase the risk of heart failure,
stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as cause many other medical problems,
such as liver cirrhosis.
18. If I am taking over-the-counter or
prescription medication, do I have to stop drinking?
Possibly. More than 100 medications interact with alcohol, leading to
increased risk of illness, injury and, in some cases, death. The effects
of alcohol are increased by medicines that slow down the central
nervous system, such as sleeping pills, antihistamines, antidepressants,
antianxiety drugs, and some painkillers. In addition, medicines for
certain disorders, including diabetes and heart disease, can be dangerous
if used with alcohol. If you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription
medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you can safely drink
alcohol.
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