it`s how we`re drinking

It’s not the drinking…
it’s how we’re
drinking
Agency Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse
The situation
in Malta
FACT
Malta ranked 3rd among 35 participating countries in the
proportion of 15 to 16-year old students who reported
having had five or more drinks on one occasion during
the last 30 days. Only 8% of the Maltese participants in the
ESPAD study said that they had not had alcohol at least
once in their lives.
(The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, ESPAD, 2007)
FACT
A study by the Health Promotion Department shows that
Maltese children drank alcohol in the 30 days preceding
the study in the following way:
11 year olds
13 year olds
15 year olds
30.1% of the boys
59.9% of the boys
71.4% of the boys
14.4% of the girls
21.5 % of the girls
62.4% of the girls
(The Health Behaviour of School-aged Children Study, Health Promotion
Department, 2006)
FACT
For those under the age of 17, it is now
illegal to drink alcohol, to be in possession of
alcohol, and to obtain or try to obtain alcohol.
1.What is alcohol?
■An alcoholic beverage is created when there is a
fermentation process in which the yeast fungus feeds
on the sugars and/or starches in certain plants such as
barley or grapes.
■Drinks such as beer, wine (including home-made wine
and fizzy wine), liqueur, champagne and shandy are all
alcoholic beverages made with the same fermentation
or distillation process. The different colours, tastes,
potencies and flavours come from the different fruits or
vegetables used as well as the additives, by-products
and diluting substances of the fermentation process.
2.What is a UNIT of alcohol?
■Unit of alcohol is the amount of alcohol in one drink.
(approximately 8 grammes)
■ 1 unit = half pint beer = 1 wine glass = 1 tot of spirits
3.How much can I drink before
causing harm to my body?
■ For people under 18 years, according to the World
Health Organisation, “there is no scientific evidence for
a safe limit of alcohol consumption, and particularly
not for children and young adolescents, the most
vulnerable groups”. Therefore keep drinking to a
minimum.
■ For people aged between 18 and 21 years: not more
than two units on a single occasion, since the human
body would be still developing up to that age; not more
than once or maximum twice a week.
■ Men over 21 years: not more than 21 units per week,
spread over five or six days.
■ Women over 21 years: not more than 14 units per
week, spread over five or six days.
■Abstaining from alcohol for some days is always
beneficial.
■Drinking more than 4 units in one session may cause
harm.
■ Just because a person tolerates alcohol more than
others, it does not mean that harm is not being done.
This might be a sign that for that person, alcohol is
becoming an addiction.
■One should also keep in mind that alcohol also affects
memory, concentration, performance, and behaviour,
and may lead to experiences which one may come to
regret later.
■Excessive alcohol consumption during adolescence
and young adulthood, when the brain is still
developing, may cause serious harm later on
in life.
4.Can everyone over 21 years
drink alcohol?
There are situations where a person should not drink
alcohol since even the smallest amount can be harmful:
■ Pregnant women, women who believe they may be
pregnant or women who may be trying to become
pregnant.
■ Before driving or operating machinery.
■If a person has addictive tendencies.
■When under medication (it is always best to check with
your doctor or pharmacist).
■When advised by the doctor to refrain from consuming
alcohol.
■When someone is feeling down.
■When someone is worried and anxious.
■Women with a history of breast cancer in the family
should not take more than the occasional drink.
5.If I choose to drink alcohol, what
should I keep in mind?
■Think before you drink and never drink more than 4
drinks in one session.
■Do not feel uncomfortable saying “No Thanks!” or
“That’s Enough”.
■Avoid hanging out with heavy drinkers.
■Avoid situations where alcohol is consumed at a higher
rate than usual.
■ Consume beverages with a lower alcohol level.
■Never drink on an empty stomach.
■Alternate between alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic
drinks (soft-drinks, water, sports drinks etc).
There are 5 basic phases related to alcohol consumption,
but only the first two are considered as healthy:
■ Abstinence: drinking no alcohol at all.
■ Social drinking: done on appropriate occasions with
no serious negative consequences (refer to no. 4 to see
on what occasions one cannot drink alcohol, not even
occasionally).
■ Problem drinking: exceeding the limit, including
bingeing, with a negative impact on the drinker’s life.
■ Habitual drinking: both a psychological and physical
dependency on alcohol that starts developing due to
one’s increased tolerance.
■ Alcohol dependency: If one attempts to stop drinking,
one finds stopping difficult, or one starts feeling
withdrawal symptoms and/or cravings. At this stage,
one needs to seek professional help to stop drinking.
6.What is binge-drinking?
Is it really that harmful?
■A general definition of binge-drinking is “the
consumption of considerable amounts of
alcohol within a short span of time,
usually with the intent to get
drunk”. This may be referred
to as the consumption of 5
drinks or more in one sitting.
■ Bingeing, thus, could be
a health hazard, and may
include various short and
long term effects.
■Studies have also
suggested that bingedrinking and other forms
of substance abuse during
adolescence increase
the likelihood of feeling
psychological problems and
an increased risk of alcohol
dependence later in life.
■ Dipendenza mill-alko˙ol: meta tipprova tieqaf tixrob,
issib li biex tieqaf hu diffiçli, jew tibda t˙oss sintomi
ta’ nuqqas mix-xorb (withdrawal symptoms) u/jew
leblieba. F’dan l-istadju jkollok bΩonn tfittex g˙ajnuna
professjonali biex tieqaf tixrob.
6.X’inhu binge-drinking?
Jag˙mel daqshekk ˙sara?
■ Definizzjoni baΩika ta’ binge-drinking hi
“l-konsum konsiderevoli ta’ alko˙ol
f‘˙in qasir, normalment
bl-intenzjoni li tisker”.
Din nirreferu g˙aliha b˙ala
l-konsum ta’ ˙ames drinks
jew aktar f’darba.
■ Bingeing, g˙alhekk,
jista’ tkun ta’ periklu
g˙as-sa˙˙a, u jista’ j˙alli
diversi effetti kemm
immedjati kif ukoll fit-tul.
■Studji wrew ukoll li
l-binge-drinking u forom
o˙ra ta’ abbuΩ ta’ sustanzi
matul l-adoloxxenza,
iΩidu ç-çans li wie˙ed ikollu
problemi psikolo©içi kif ukoll
jiΩdied ir-riskju li wie˙ed jiΩviluppa
dipendenza mill-alko˙ol aktar tard
f’˙ajtu.
5.Jekk nag˙Ωel li nixrob l-alko˙ol,
x’g˙andi nΩomm quddiem g˙ajnejja?
■ A˙seb qabel ma tixrob u qatt tixrob aktar minn 4 drinks
f’sessjoni wa˙da.
■ T˙ossokx skomdu tg˙id “Le grazzi!” jew “Xrobt
biΩΩejjed”.
■ Evita li to˙ro© ma’ persuni li jixorbu ˙afna.
■ Evita sitwazzjonijiet fejn l-alko˙ol ji©i kkunsmat aktar
mis-soltu.
■ Ag˙Ωel xarbiet b’livell ta’ alko˙ol aktar baxx.
■ Qatt tixrob fuq stonku vojt.
■ Ixrob xarba bla alko˙ol bejn xarba alko˙olika u o˙ra.
(b˙al soft-drinks, ilma, sports drinks, eçç.)
Hemm ˙ames faΩijiet baΩiçi ta’ konsum ta’ alko˙ol, però
l-ewwel tnejn biss jitqiesu li ma jag˙mlux ˙sara:
■ Astinenza: ma tixrob xejn alko˙ol.
■ Xorb fuq livell soçjali: tixrob fl-okkaΩjonijiet addattati
ming˙ajr konsegwenzi negattivi (irreferi g˙al numru 4
biex tara meta ma tistax tixrob alko˙ol, lanqas kultant).
■ Xorb problematiku: teççedi l-limitu, inkluΩ bingeing,
b’effetti negattivi fuq il-˙ajja tieg˙ek.
■ Xorb li qed isir vizzju: dipendenza psikolo©ika u fiΩika
fuq l-alko˙ol li tibda tiΩviluppa min˙abba li tkun Ωdiedet
it-tolleranza g˙all-alko˙ol.
4.Kull min g˙andu ‘l fuq minn 21 sena
jista’ jixrob?
Hemm sitwazzjonijiet meta persuna m’g˙andhiex tixrob
alko˙ol, min˙abba li anke l-içken ammont jista’ jag˙mel
˙sara: ■ Nisa tqal, nisa li ja˙sbu li huma tqal u dawk li qed
jippruvaw ikollhom tarbija.
■ Qabel ma wie˙ed isuq jew juΩa makkinarju.
■ Jekk persuna g˙andha tendenzi ta’ vizzji.
■ Meta wie˙ed ikun qed jie˙u xi mediçina (wie˙ed
g˙andu dejjem jiççekkja mat-tabib jew l-ispiΩjar).
■ Meta t-tabib ikun ta l-parir li wie˙ed g˙andu jastjeni
mill-alko˙ol.
■ Min qed i˙ossu mdejjaq.
■ Min qed i˙ossu inkwetat jew anzjuΩ.
■ Nisa b’kaΩijiet ta’ kançer tas-sider fil-familja
m’g˙andhomx jie˙du aktar minn drink kultant.
3.Kemm nista’ nixrob qabel ma nibda
nikkawΩa ˙sara lil ©ismi?
■ G˙all-persuni ta˙t it-18-il sena, skont l-G˙aqda Dinjija
tas-Sa˙˙a, “ma hemm l-ebda prova xjentifika li
tg˙id liema limitu ta’ alko˙ol hu sikur g˙all-konsum,
speçjalment g˙at-tfal u Ωg˙aΩag˙, l-aktar gruppi
vulnerabbli”.
■ G˙all-persuni li g˙andhom bejn it-18 u l-21 sena: mhux
aktar minn 2 units f’darba, peress li ta’ dik l-età, il-©isem
ikun g˙adu qed jiΩviluppa; mhux aktar minn darba jew
darbtejn fil-©img˙a.
■ Ir©iel ‘il fuq minn 21 sena: mhux aktar minn 21 unit
fil-©img˙a, imqassmin fuq ˙ames jew sitt ijiem.
■ Nisa ‘l fuq minn 21 sena: mhux aktar minn 14-il unit
fil-©img˙a, imqassmin fuq ˙ames jew sitt ijiem.
■ Ikun ta’ benefiççju li wie˙ed jastjeni mill-alko˙ol g˙al
xi jiem.
■ Li tixrob aktar minn 4 units f’darba jista’ jikkawΩa ˙sara.
■ Li persuna tifla˙ aktar g˙all-alko˙ol minn o˙rajn ma
jfissirx li ma tkunx qed issir ˙sara. Dan jista’ jfisser li
g˙al din il-persuna, ix-xorb qed isirilha vizzju.
■ Wie˙ed g˙andu jΩomm quddiem g˙ajnejh li l-alko˙ol
jaffettwa l-memorja, il-konçentrazzjoni, il-prestazzjoni u
l-im©iba, u jista’ jwassal g˙al esperjenzi li wara wie˙ed
jista’ jiddispjaçih li jkun g˙amilhom.
■ Konsum eççessiv ta’ alko˙ol matul l-adoloxxenza u
Ω-Ωg˙oΩija, meta l-mo˙˙ ikun g˙adu qed jiΩviluppa,
jista’ jirriΩulta fi ˙sara serja aktar ‘il quddiem.
1.X’inhu l-alko˙ol?
■ Ix-xorb alko˙oliku jsir permezz ta’ proçess ta’
fermentazzjoni ta’ ˙xejjex u frott b˙al barley jew
l-g˙eneb.
■ Drinks b˙al birra, inbid (inkluΩ inbid li jsir id-dar kif
ukoll inbid bil-gass), likur, xampanja u shandy huma
kollha xarbiet alko˙oliçi mag˙mulin bl-istess proçess
ta’ fermentazzjoni u distillazzjoni. Il-kulur, it-tomg˙a u
l-qawwa tal-alko˙ol ji©u skont il-frott u l-˙xejjex uΩati,
kif ukoll permezz ta’ dak li ji©i miΩjud waqt il-proçess
tal-fermentazzjoni.
2.X’inhu UNIT ta’ alko˙ol?
■ Unit ta’ alko˙ol hu l-ammont ta’ alko˙ol fi drink wie˙ed
(madwar 8 grammi).
■ 1 unit = nofs pinta birra = tazza nbid tas-sieq = grokk spirti
Is-sitwazzjoni
f’Malta
FATT
Malta ©iet fit-tielet post fost 35 pajjiΩ fil-proporzjon ta’
studenti ta’ bejn il-15 u s-16-il sena li rrapurtaw li xorbu
˙ames drinks jew aktar f’okkaΩjoni wa˙da, fit-30 ©urnata ta’
qabel. 8% biss tal-parteçipanti Maltin li ˙adu sehem
fl-ESPAD irrapurtaw li qatt ma ˙adu alko˙ol f’˙ajjithom.
(The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, ESPAD, 2007)
FATT
Studju li sar mid-Dipartiment g˙all-Promozzjoni tas-Sa˙˙a
juri li tfal Maltin xorbu l-alko˙ol matul it-30 jum ta’ qabel
ma sar l-istudju kif ©ej:
Tfal ta’ 11-il sena
Tfal ta’ 13-il sena
Tfal ta’ 15-il sena
30.1% tas-subien
59.9% tas-subien
71.4% tas-subien
14.4% tal-bniet
21.5 % tal-bniet
62.4% tal-bniet
(Health Behaviour of School-aged Children Study, Dipartiment
g˙all-Promozzjoni tas-Sa˙˙a, 2006).
FATT
Dawk li g˙adhom ma g˙alqux 17-il sena, issa
hu illegali li jixorbu l-alko˙ol, li jkollhom
l-alko˙ol fil-pussess tag˙hom, u li jakkwistaw
jew jippruvaw jakkwistaw l-alko˙ol.
Mhux g˙ax nixrob...
imma kif
nixrob
AÌenzija kontra l-AbbuÛ tad-Droga u l-AlkoÓol