Sexual safety - Alcohol and Drugs
What if I’ve been drinking or taking drugs?
Taking drugs and drinking alcohol can lead to more than just a hangover. Drugs and alcohol can alter your judgement – you might do things if you’ve been drinking or taking drugs that you wouldn’t otherwise do. Drugs and alcohol won’t change your mood – they will just enhance your mood. If you’re already feeling unhappy or aggressive, it will increase these feelings.
How do alcohol and drugs work?
Alcohol is a depressant which means it slows the function of your body’s central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to your brain. This means it can alter your perceptions, emotions, movement, vision and hearing.
In very small amounts, alcohol can help you feel more relaxed or less anxious. The more alcohol you drink the more changes will occur within your brain due to intoxication. Drinking too much may cause you to stagger, lose your co-ordination and slur your speech. You may become confused and not know where you are.
What if I drink a lot of alcohol?
When you drink a large amount of alcohol in a short time you may suffer from alcohol poisoning. This means that you have become poisoned by the amount of alcohol you’ve drunk. The first sign is usually violent vomiting. This can be followed by extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar and seizures. In extreme cases, alcohol poisoning can cause people to die.
What if I’m taking drugs?
Drugs are chemicals or substances that change the way your body works. When you put them into your body (often by swallowing, inhaling or injecting them) drugs find their way into your bloodstream and are then transported to other parts of your body such as your brain. In the brain, drugs may either intensify or dull your senses and can alter your sense of alertness.
How do drugs and alcohol change the decisions I make?
Although substances can feel good at first, they can do a lot of harm to your body. Some drugs reduce your ability to make healthy choices and decisions. This means that if you’ve been drinking or taking drugs you might make decisions that you wouldn’t make if you were sober. You might for example, get in a car with someone who’s been drinking or have unprotected sex with someone. Being really out of it also leaves you vulnerable to predatory behaviour.
Before you go out, decide how sober and in control you want to be. Think about your safety and the group of people you’re going to be with – are they good friends and will they take care of you if you can’t take care of yourself?
Looking After Your Mates
Why should I always stay with my friends?
There’s safety in numbers. Staying with your friends if you’re drinking or taking drugs is the best way to keep yourself safe.
If someone drinks too much or takes too many drugs they can become very unwell – It’s even possible to die from alcohol poisoning.
Never leave them alone. If they’re unconscious, put them in the recovery position. This means they’re lying on their side and their mouth and airway are clear. If people are lying on their back, they can choke on their own vomit because alcohol and drugs can stop the body’s usual gag reflex. Stay with them and get someone else to call an ambulance. Tell that person to come back to you and confirm that the ambulance is on the way. You can call 111 from your cell phone – even if you don’t have any credit on your phone.
Who can help if I have a problem with drugs or alcohol?
If you think you have a problem with alcohol or you have a friend you’re worried about, there are lots of groups who are able to help.
- You can call the Alcohol Drug Helpline on 0800 787 797
- You can check out the website www.alac.org.nz
- You can talk to your doctor
