Don’t get fried this summer!
Wednesday, 27 January 2010.
Originally from express article 27 January 2010
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| Diana Rands from CADS. |
Hopefully the 'Sun Smart' message is starting to get through to our (could I say vain...) community. Frying our skin has resulted in skin cancer being the highest diagnosed cancer in New Zealand.
At this time of year it’s time to:
- slip – on that sun-protective clothing,
- slop – on the sunscreen,
- slap – on a hat
- and wrap – those sunglasses round your (beautiful) face.
Those simple steps will stop the frying of the largest organ of your body – your skin. But what about another essential organ… your brain.
Research has found that heavy drinking can have extensive and far reaching effects on the brain – from ‘slips’ in memory to conditions that require a lifetime of custodial care. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the US (NIAAA) states that
"A number of factors influence how and to what extent alcohol affects the brain including:
- How much and how often a person drinks;
- The age at which he or she first began drinking, and how long he or she has been drinking;
- The person’s age, level of education, gender, genetic background, and family history of alcoholism;
- Whether he or she is at risk as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure; and
- His or her general health status"
The problem is that at this time of year we all tend to indulge in what we in the industry call 'binge drinking'. The NIAAA define binge drinking as 5 or more drinks in 2 hours for men, and 4 or more for women. Apart from long term damage, there are the short term consequences of unsafe behaviour while intoxicated, which can be exacerbated if experiencing blackout.
Women are also more vulnerable than men to long term damage from over-indulging in alcohol. We tend to develop alcohol related medical problems in half the time of our male counter-parts. This is at a time when NZ women seem to be drinking as much – if not more than men. Over the Xmas break the newspaper headline stated "Number of drunk women astonishes festival paramedics" with the story reporting that 90% of the people (at a music festival) presenting at the Red Cross tent for alcohol related complaints - were women.
As a community we can look out for each other and ensure that our intoxicated brothers and sisters get home safely. It starts with us however – we can drink water between alcoholic drinks, eat before we party, know when enough is enough – we can sizzle without frying!
If you have concerns about your own or someone else's alcohol or other drug use contact CADS on 8451818 to discuss this or you can call in to any CADS unit without appointment any weekday morning between 10am and 1pm and see someone face to face. Or visit our website www.cads.org.nz. If you live outside Auckland contact the Alcohol and Drug Helpline 0800 787 797.
> More items from Di's Drug Column
