Question 1

Alcohol is a drug

  1. True
  2. False

True

Yes, alcohol is a powerful drug produced by the fermentation of sugars and is the active principle of intoxicating drinks.

Your brain cells are surrounded by a fatty substance which acts like an insulator to the signals being sent. Alcohol has the effect of making this substance spongy, allowing the signals to leak out and short circuit, the effect being:

  • a lengthening of your reaction time
  • a blurring of your vision and decreased awareness, especially in the dark
  • an impairing of your ability to judge speed and distance, and deal with the unexpected
  • a feeling of well being and false sense of confidence that tempts you to take more risks

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Question 2

Alcohol is a stimulant drug

  1. True
  2. False

False

False, alcohol is not a stimulant as you may think, it's a depressant so it slows down the processes occurring in the brain making you less alert.

The reason for this misunderstanding is that at first alcohol seems to make a person stimulated and light headed, but what is actually happening is that the alcohol is depressing (or slowing) the part of the brain called the social restraint centre and thus we feel less inhibited.

The brain is affected a bit at a time beginning with the most recently developed part which is the frontal lobes (29% in human beings; 17% in chimps and 3.5% in cats). This centre deals with all the functions which make us homo sapiens, ie self awareness, advanced planning and impulse control. The next part to be effected is the cerebral cortex which controls complex reasoning, calculations and other sophisticated skills including memory and perception. Further down the brain is the primitive part which regulates your more basic functions, ie emotion, hunger, thirst, anger, fear and sex.

"... it (alcoholic drink) provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance".
William Shakespeare...
The Porter's speech at line 28 of Act II, scene ii in Macbeth.

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Question 3

Which statement is true?

  1. Over 8 million working days are lost in the UK each year due to alcohol misuse
  2. In the UK we spend more on alcohol each year than we do on clothing and footwear
  3. On average in the UK 3000 people each year are killed or seriously injured in drink/drive collisions

a, b and c

All of the statements all true!

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Question 4

Approximately how many people in the UK died last year from alcohol related causes?

  1. 1000
  2. 9000
  3. 33,000
  4. 120,000

33,000

The 120,000 relates to yearly deaths attributed to smoking whilst the 1,000 relates to approximately the number of deaths caused by illegal drugs

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Question 5

Drinking too much alcohol on one occasion can kill a person

  1. True
  2. False

True

Yes, drinking too much alcohol on one occasion can kill a person!

Stages of Intoxication

  • Happy. Talkative, social and relaxed
  • Excited. Emotional, uncontrolled behaviour and slowed reactions
  • Confused. Staggering, disorientated and slurred speech
  • Stupor. Unable to stand or walk
  • Coma. Completely unconscious, breathing may stop resulting in death

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Question 6

What are the Government's recommended daily alcohol limits for men and women in the UK?

  1. 1 unit for women, 2 for men
  2. 1-2 units for women, 3-4 for men
  3. 2-3 units for women, 3-4 for men
  4. 4 units for both men and women

2-3 units for women, 3-4 for men

Even if you only drink alcohol once a week, it is best not to exceed these limits, as binge drinking increases the likelihood of you having an accident or acting in a way that you later regret - as well as having potential long term health consequences.

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Question 7

1 pint of ordinary strength beer contains the approximately the same amount of alcohol as...

  1. A small glass of wine (125ml)
  2. A double pub measure of gin (50ml)
  3. A single pub measure of whiskey (25ml)
  4. A small sherry

A double pub measure of gin (50ml)

1 unit of alcohol is equal to:

  • a pint of ordinary strength lager, beer or cider
  • a pub measure of sherry (50ml)
  • a glass of wine (125ml)
  • a single pub measure of spirits (25ml)

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Question 8

Fizzy alcoholic drinks make you feel the effects quicker.

  1. True
  2. False

True

Fizzy alcoholic drinks make you feel the effects quicker. Studies have shown that alcohol in fizzy drinks, such as champagne, are absorbed more quickly into your bloodstream, making you feel the effects more quickly. The same applies when you add fizzy mixers to your drink.

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Question 9

How many children are taken to hospital each year with alcohol poisoning?

  1. Approx. 500
  2. Approx. 1,000
  3. Approx. 5,000

Approx 1,000

Lincolnshire has one of the worst rates

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Question 10

According to Government statistics, which age-group are most likely to drink heavily - more than eight units a day for men or six units for women?

  1. 11-15 year olds
  2. 16-24 year olds
  3. 36-44 year olds
  4. 65 and over

16-24 year olds

Sixteen to 24 year olds are particularly prone to drinking too much alcohol (32% of men and 24% of women).

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Question 11

On average, how quickly does the body process and break down one unit of alcohol?

  1. half an hour
  2. one hour
  3. two hours
  4. three hours

One hour

Although your body's ability to process alcohol depends on various factors including your sex, size and age the body generally breaks down alcohol at a rate of about one unit per hour. What's more, there's no way you can reduce this time.

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Question 12

40% of A and E admissions are related to alcohol - true or false?

  1. true
  2. false

True

Unfortunately this is true.

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Question 13

Alcohol misuse can cause cirrhosis of one of the main organs of the body. Which organ?

  1. the heart
  2. the liver
  3. the stomach
  4. the kidneys

The liver

If alcohol is consumed in high quantities over a long period of time, this can cause cirrhosis of the liver, which in severe cases can lead to liver failure and death.

The liver

  • It is the body's largest organ and weighs 3lb!
  • Number of deaths from liver disease rose by 68% from 1988 to 1998
  • It has approx. 100 functions vital to life - these include...
  • Converting food into chemicals
  • Producing energy and proteins
  • Helping blood clot
  • Removing toxins and poisons
  • Breaking down fat
  • Producing immune factors
  • Regenerating its own tissue

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Question 14

Which of the following is an effective way of sobering up?

  1. a cup of black coffee
  2. fresh air
  3. a cold shower
  4. making yourself sick
  5. none of the above

None of the above

The only thing that will help with sobering up is 'time'.

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Question 15

Excessive drinking plays a part in what percentage of hospital admissions for men?

  1. Between 5% and 15%
  2. Between 16% and 25%
  3. Between 26% and 35%

Between 16% and 25%

Each year 150,000 hospital admissions are associated with alcohol misuse

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Question 16

The cost to the NHS of treating the effects of alcohol misuse is up to £1.7 billion per year

  1. true
  2. false

True

It's also estimated that alcohol misuse has societal costs of £20 billion

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Question 17

What percentage of violent crime is alcohol related?

  1. 27%
  2. 37%
  3. 47%

47%

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Question 18

Alcohol has been in existence for approximately how many years

  1. 400 years
  2. 4,000 years
  3. 6,000 years
  4. 12,000 years

12,000 years

While no one knows exactly when alcohol was first used, the discovery of late Stone Age beer jugs has established the fact that intentionally fermented alcohol existed at least as early as the Neolithic period which was 10,000 BC!!

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