"I'm not an alcoholic..."

How many Drinks did you have last night?

How many Drinks did you have this week?

How many Drinks did you have this month?

How many times have you been drunk this month?

If you drink...

6 shots (or pots or premixed spirits or any standard drinks of any alcoholic beverage) each week for 10 years you will have consumed 26,000 drinks

That's 780 Litres of spirits or 3,250 Litres of Beer

(780 Litres is nearly 140 times the amount of blood circulating in your body right now)

10 pots or shots over 10 years you will have consumed 100,000 drinks

That's 3,000 Litres of spirits or 12,500 Litres of Beer

(3,000 Litres is nearly 12 times the amount of urine you will pee in your lifetime)

You don’t have to be dependent on alcohol to be at risk of developing a brain injury.

Alcohol is one of the many causes of Acquired Brain Injury. Just how much damage is done depends on a number of factors including; individual differences, a person’s age, gender, nutrition and overall pattern of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol and Brain Injury

Brain injury can be caused by alcohol because it:

Has a toxic effect on the central nervous system.
Changes your metabolism, heart functioning and blood supply.
Reduces the absorption of vitamin B1, an essential brain nutrient.
Causes dehydration, which can lead to wastage of brain cells.
Can lead to motor vehicle and other accidents, falls, fights and other accidents that injure the brain.

“I was so wasted I leant over the balcony to talk to my friends and the next thing I knew I was in the bushes with cuts all over me”

Alcohol consumption and Acquired Brain Injury

Alcohol consumption ranges from light to heavy. Any decline in thinking and brain functioning is gradual and will depend upon the amount of alcohol you consume and for how long you drink this way.

Most people think that an alcohol related brain injury is more likely to occur if a person drinks heavily on a regular basis over many years. However it is possible to develop an Acquired Brain Injury over a short period of time, if the drinking is heavy enough. This is often known as binge drinking… (or drinking more than six drinks at a time).

So how many drinks do you want?

Blank Spots…?

A person with an acquired brain injury might experience problems with memory, cognitive abilities and physical coordination. A younger person has a better chance of recovery because of their greater powers of recuperation. However, the effects of alcohol related brain injury can be permanent.

How’s Your Memory?

Alcohol Statistics

51% of alcohol consumed is drunk at levels that pose a risk of short-term harm [Heale P et al (2000) National Alcohol Indicators Bulletin No. 3: Patterns of alcohol consumption in Australia, 1998, National Drug Research Institute and Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre]
over 3 000 Australians die each year as a result of harmful drinking
[Chrikritzhs et al (1999) National Alcohol Indicators Bulletin No. 1: Alcohol-caused deaths and hospitalisations in Australia 1990-97, National]

The number of young women hospitalised after binge drinking has more than doubled in less than a decade.[the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health]

15% of adult males and 12% of adult females drink at risky/high risk levels.[The Australian Bureau of Statistics: Alcohol Consumption in Australia: A Snapshot 2004-05]

25% of those aged 14-19 years drank alcohol on a daily or weekly basis in the last 12 months. [The Australian Bureau of Statistics: Alcohol Consumption in Australia: A Snapshot 2004-05]

The proportion of teenagers drinking at least weekly was around 22%. [The Australian Bureau of Statistics: Alcohol Consumption in Australia: A Snapshot 2004-05]

Almost 2% of the population have an Acquired Brain Injury, Are you next in line?

Alcoholism... Not just a daily drink!