Alcohol History

One of the earliest mentions of wine making is from an Egyptian papyrus dated 3,500 BC. However, alcohol drinking is thought to go back almost as far as the human race does. Alcohol has been central to social, religious and personal use all over the world throughout history. Although the making of alcoholic spirits like gin and brandy only started some one thousand or so years ago.

Britain has had its share of alcohol related problems. Between 1720 and 1750 the so called 'gin epidemic' was in full swing, where distillers were busy making the strongest and cheapest spirits. Because of the many deaths related to this 'epidemic', parliament passed an act in 1751 putting a high tax on strong spirits.

The industrial revolution caused an upsurge in alcohol use as many people saw it as the ideal way to escape the boredom and pain of their urban working lives. Earlier this century retricted licensing laws kept pubs closed for longer but this is slowly being reversed.

Alcohol is a depressant drug that reduces social inhibitions and relaxes. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of fruits, vegetables or grains. Alcoholic drinks consist mainly of water and ethanol or ethyl alcohol to varying strengths. All alcoholic drinks have the ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage shown on the container which give an indication of their strength.

About 9 out of 10 people in the UK drink. The average amount consumed is the equivalent to 8 pints of beer a week for a male and 3 pints of beer for a female. It is one of the most widely used drugs in our society. 7% of men and 2.5% of women aged 18 or over get drunk at least once a week (source: Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence). In the late teens and early twenties alcohol consumption is above average.

Alcohol is absorbed very quickly into the blood from the stomach, in as short a time as 5 to 10 minutes. The effects can last for several hours depending on the amount and how quickly it was drunk. Women absorb alcohol more quickly because their bodies contain less water. The water dilutes the alcohol and so the same amount of alcohol will produce a higher amount of alcohol in the blood. Alcohol intake is measured in units. One unit is 8 grammes of pure alcohol, which is equal to half a pint of normal strength beer/lager/cider, a standard glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits.

After 4 to 5 units most people feel less inhibited and more relaxed. After 8 or so units, most people slur their speech and become less co-ordinated and clumsy and some people become more emotional. More alcohol could result in staggering, double vision, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting and an impression of 'the room spinning'. With large doses blindness and unconsciousness may occur, the user may also not be able to remember what happened while they were drunk. The effect of alcohol is dependent on several factors; how quickly the alcohol was drunk, how much food has been eaten, body weight, and the personality and surroundings of the drinker.

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