Licensing Law - Alcohol & the Body

 

So, what is alcohol?  Alcohol is classed as a drug as it has the ability to alter your physical, mental and emotional state.  If taken in moderation then it can form part of your healthy lifestyle, however taken in excess can lead to numerous health and social problems.

Binge drinking is when a large amount of alcohol is consumed at any one time although there is no legal definition of this as a general guide is when you consume more than three times your daily allowance.

Alcohol is defined when the alcohol by volume (ABV) exceeds 0.5%

For example, should you have Vodka that states it is 37.5% ABV, then 37.5% of any given quantity of alcohol is pure alcohol.

Non-Alcoholic is defined when the ABV is no more that 0.05%

It is important to inform people of the correct ABV especially the difference between low and non as this could potentially lead to a person inadvertently driving under the influence.

As a guide the following weekly allowance applies:

Men – no more than 3/4 units a day and no more than 21 units a week

Women – no more than 2/3 units per day and no more than 14 units a week

What is a unit?

As a guide, the following applies:

1 pint of normal strength lager/beer                            2 Unit              

1 25ml measure of normal strength spirit                   1 unit

1 175ml glass of wine                                                 2 Units

1 pint of premium strength lager                                 2.8 Units

 

Low Alcohol is defined when the ABV is no more than 1.2%

The effect alcohol has on a person varies greatly and depends on a number of factors such as:

• Quantity – how much you actually have to drink
• Size of Person – a smaller person will have less blood than a larger person therefore increasing the blood concentration level
• Sex – the same amount of alcohol will increase the blood concentration in a women’s than a mans
• Food Eaten – Eating food before drinking slows down the alcohol absorption rate into the blood.

Contrary to popular belief coffee and other stimulants to not sober you up but simply counter acts the effect, time is the only measure that will reduce the blood alcohol content (BAC).

Finished? Try some sample test questions here. (Answers can be found in the download section)

So now you have finished take the TEST!