Frequently Asked Questions

1) Am I an alcoholic?

To answer this question, you would first need to define the word "alcoholic". It's a term often used by people to describe the drinking habits of someone they don't like. apas recognises two sorts of problem drinker; those who abuse alcohol and those who are dependent on it. People who abuse alcohol may sporadically drink too much and incur problems; people who are dependent have effectively lost control. They may not necessarily drink every day, but when they do drink, they usually fail to limit their consumption to a reasonable level, despite the fact that they know their drinking is damaging and dangerous. 

2) How much can I drink and still be safe to drive?

The answer to this is "nothing". Even a small amount of alcohol slows reflexes, encourages risk-taking and impairs judgement of speed and road conditions. It is impossible to say how much any person can drink and still be within the drink drive limits. (see drink driving limits below). The blood alcohol achieved by drinking a given quantity depends on a variety of significant but unrelated factors such as: sex, body weight, metabolic rate, liver function, empty or full stomach, tiredness, hormonal balance. 

3) What are the drink driving limits?

In the UK, blood concentration of 80mg alcohol in 100ml blood or breath content of 35micrograms in 100ml breath or 107 mg alcohol in 100ml urine.

4) What are the symptoms of physical dependency on alcohol?

Hands that shake, anxiety, heavy sweating especially at night, tingling in the fingers and toes, usually a large tolerance to alcohol, so that however much the person drinks they hardly, if at all, feel drunk. Any of these symptoms may denote physical dependency. Severe symptoms are uncommon but include fitting, delirium tremens, and alcohol induced visual or auditory hallucinations. If you suspect you may be physically dependent and you experience any of these symptoms when you try to stop drinking, it is important to consult your GP. Tell him or her as accurately as you can how much you have been drinking and for how long and what symptoms you have. This should enable the doctor to give you the best treatment.

5) Why are the sensible limits set so low?

Human beings were not designed to run on alcohol; it's like putting diesel into a petrol engine. In setting the Sensible Limits, the UK Department of Health took into account the many dangers which are inherent in drinking alcohol. Some of these are dangers to health through prolonged drinking - such as liver damage, cancer, impotence, depression or the development of dependency, some of these are acute medical risks such as accidents. Other problems the DOH was keen to protect people from were more social in character: alcohol is strongly associated with problems in relationships and with violent and acquisitive crime. Many people imagine that the only risk alcohol poses is that of dependency or addiction. In fact Consultant Hepatologists tell us that they have found substantial liver damage in patients whose consumption is only slightly higher than the sensible limits.

6) Is it safe to drink alcohol when you're pregnant?

The true answer is that no-one really knows. Some studies seem to show that drinking a very small amount of alcohol (say one or two units once or twice a week) does no harm. Others indicate that even this amount may increase the rate of miscarriage. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause recognisable birth defects in the unborn child which are referred to as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, or (where there are fewer symptoms) Foetal Alcohol Effects. Some researchers say that smaller amounts of alcohol may cause hyperactivity and impulse control disorders. apas recommends that pregnant women keep their alcohol consumption as low as possible and preferably drink no alcohol at all. If you were drinking before you realised you were pregnant, it is unlikely that the baby will show any detectable damage, especially if you don't smoke and you have a good diet. If you are at all concerned, contact your midwife, health visitor or GP. If you stop drinking as soon as you know you are pregnant, then you have the reassurance that you have done everything you can to ensure a healthy baby is born. If you have any trouble cutting down contact your doctor or give apas a ring. Alternatively contact your local alcohol service (listed in the Telephone Directory under "Alcohol").

7) How can I calculate how many units there are in various drinks?

A UK unit of alcohol is equal to approximately 8 grams or 10 millilitres of pure alcohol. This means that if you have a litre bottle of vodka say at 38% Alcohol By Volume, that bottle will contain 38 units.

A rough pub guide is that one unit is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength (3.5%ABV) beer, one glass of wine (125ml) or one single (25ml) measure of spirits.

Beware of home measures; they are notoriously generous! It may be easier to quantify by judging how much of a bottle you have consumed: an ordinary sized (70cl) bottle of spirits contains about 28 units, a bottle of wine about 7 - 9 units. Cans of super strength lager often contain about 4 units each, as do high strength ciders. For more detailed information, order the apas "Alcohol units guide".

8) Why do I need to drink more alcohol to get "high" than I used to?

This is because the human body makes adaptations and learns over time how it can counteract some of the effects of drinking. When it has learned how to counteract the effect of one pint of beer, you will have to drink two to feel drunk. This effect is called "tolerance". It is not a good idea to keep upping the stakes in this way. Alcohol causes liver damage whether or not the drinker feels intoxicated, and drinking large quantities can lead to dependency. If a person cuts down their drinking, their tolerance should also decrease.

9) Why won't my (partner, relative, friend) admit they have a problem?

It's probably either because they genuinely don't realise that the amount they are drinking is harmful, or because they know deep down they're drinking too much but are afraid they are out of control and don't know what to do. They may be desperately trying to convince themselves they don't have a problem. After all, if they don't have a problem, they won't need to solve it will they? If you are having problems because of someone else's drinking, take a look at the information on denial from our  Information Pack, which contains information and ideas which may help you to convince the drinker they need to do something about it.

10) What should I do if someone is dead drunk?

If the person is unconscious (i.e. they cannot be roused), you should call an ambulance. You cannot know how deep the coma is and you should not wait to find out.

If the person is conscious you should get them to lie in the recovery position, so that they are less likely to choke on their own vomit. You should keep them warm and check on their consciousness and breathing at least every half hour. If they lapse into unconsciousness call an ambulance. As the person gradually recovers, give them plenty of liquids to drink (BUT NOT ALCOHOL) and encourage them to rest until they feel fully recovered.

11) How can I get rid of a hangover?

Avoid drinking alcohol the night before! There is no "cure", but time, rest and fruit juice may help.

12) Is it true that people don't know what they're doing when they're drunk?

No. Sometimes, after a heavy drinking session, a drinker may lose all memory of events or behaviour which occurred when they were drunk. (It is fairly common to hear drinkers say that they can't remember how they got home last night). However, just because they don't remember afterwards, this doesn't mean that they were unconscious at the time. At the time they were drinking they knew what they were doing (after all, they did manage to get home!) Loss of short -term memory is associated with the destruction of vitamin B in the body by alcohol. Vitamin B is essential to the brain's proper functioning. Of course, some drinkers pretend they have lost all memory of the previous night's events because they are ashamed of what they did.

13) What is detoxification?

Literally it means getting rid of the poison out of the body. In fact of course the body cleanses itself and rids itself of all traces of alcohol after the person stops drinking, the process takes a few days.

The medical process of detoxification describes not only this but also the adjustment the body has to make in its functioning when the alcohol is withdrawn. If the body has accommodated and adapted to function despite the continuous presence of large quantities of alcohol, its sudden withdrawal can come as a shock. A person may exhibit "withdrawal symptoms" and may need medication to help relieve these. The process of withdrawal and readjustment normally takes a week to ten days. Withdrawal symptoms are: severe anxiety, the shakes, heavy sweating at night, tingling in the fingers or toes. Severe symptoms can be visual or auditory hallucinations, fitting or delirium tremens. Anyone who has been drinking very heavily (men approx. 100 units per week, women approx. 70 units per week) and who intends to withdraw from alcohol should consult their doctor before doing so, as should anyone at all who suffers withdrawal symptoms.