Alcohol

Growing up in the UK means navigating lots of new experiences, and sometimes that includes being around alcohol. It's important to have the facts so you can make safe and informed choices about drinking. This page is here to give you the lowdown on how alcohol can affect you, how to handle tricky situations, and where to get help if you need it.

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Advice and Guidance

How Does Alcohol Affect Your Health?

Your teenage years are a crucial time for your body and brain development. Alcohol can have a significant impact, and the effects can be different for young people compared to adults.

Brain Development: Your brain is still developing rapidly during your teens, particularly the parts responsible for decision-making, memory, and learning. Drinking alcohol can interfere with this development, potentially affecting your concentration, ability to learn, and increasing impulsive behaviour.
Physical Health:
- Alcohol Poisoning: Drinking too much, too quickly, can lead to alcohol poisoning, which is very dangerous and can be fatal. Symptoms include confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing, and unconsciousness. Because teenagers often have lower body weight and are less able to process alcohol, this can happen faster and with smaller amounts than you might think.
- Liver Damage: Regular drinking, even in your teens, can start to damage your liver. While severe liver disease often takes years to develop, the foundations can be laid in younger years.
- Other Risks: Alcohol can also affect your immune system, sleep patterns, and increase the risk of accidents and injuries due to impaired judgment and coordination.
Mental Health: Alcohol is a depressant. While it might feel like it helps in the moment, it can worsen feelings of anxiety and depression over time. Some young people drink to cope with difficult emotions, but this can create a cycle that makes mental health problems harder to manage.

The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidance is that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and safest option. If young people aged 15 to 17 do drink alcohol, it should be infrequently, usually with a parent or carer supervising, and never more than once a week.

Dealing with Alcohol-Related Peer Pressure

It's common to feel pressure to drink, especially if your friends are doing it. Wanting to fit in is normal, but your real friends will respect your choices. Here are some ways to handle peer pressure:

Know Your Own Mind: Decide beforehand how you feel about drinking and stick to your decision. Knowing your boundaries makes it easier to say no.
Have a Plan (and an Excuse): Think about what you'll say if offered a drink. You could say you're the designated sober one to look after your friends, you have an early start tomorrow, you don't like the taste, you're on antibiotics, or simply "No thanks, I'm not drinking tonight." You don't need a complicated reason.
Find Your Crew: Spend time with friends who don't pressure you about alcohol. If your current friends don't respect your decision not to drink, it might be time to find people who are more supportive.
Suggest Alternatives: Plan activities with your friends that don't involve alcohol. There are plenty of ways to have fun sober!
Remember You're Not Alone: Many teenagers in the UK choose not to drink or drink very little. You're definitely not the only one.

Talk to Someone: If you're finding peer pressure hard to deal with, talk to a trusted adult – a parent, teacher, youth worker, or school nurse.

Staying Safe Whilst Drinking (If You Choose To)

If you are aged 15-17 and choose to drink according to the low-risk guidelines (infrequently, supervised), or if you find yourself in a situation where there is alcohol, here are some tips for staying as safe as possible:

Eat Before You Drink: Alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream much faster on an empty stomach. Having a meal before you drink will slow this down.
Pace Yourself: Sip your drink slowly. Don't feel like you have to keep up with others.
Alternate with Soft Drinks or Water: Have a soft drink or a glass of water between alcoholic drinks. This helps you stay hydrated and slows down how much alcohol you consume.
Know What You're Drinking: Be aware of the strength of your drink (the alcohol by volume or ABV percentage). Drinks with a higher ABV will affect you more quickly.
Stick Together: Stay with your friends and look out for each other. Agree on a meeting point if you get separated.
Plan How to Get Home: Make sure you know how you're getting home before you go out. Use licensed taxis, public transport, or have a trusted adult pick you up. Don't ever get into a car with a driver who has been drinking.
Keep Your Phone Charged: Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged and has credit so you can contact someone if you need help.
Trust Your Gut: If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in a situation, leave.

Drink Spiking: What It Is and How to Prevent It

Drink spiking is when alcohol or drugs are added to your drink without your knowledge or permission. This is a serious crime and can have dangerous consequences. It can happen to any drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

How to help prevent drink spiking:

Never Leave Your Drink Unattended: Keep your drink with you at all times, even when you go to the toilet.
Don't Accept Drinks from Strangers: If someone offers to buy you a drink, it's safer to go to the bar with them and watch the drink being poured.
Buy Your Own Drinks: If possible, buy your own drinks so you know exactly what's in them.
Be Wary of Open Containers: Drinks in bottles with caps or cans may be slightly safer than open glasses, but spiking can still happen. You can also ask for bottle stoppers or covers in some venues.
If It Tastes Strange, Don't Drink It: Some drugs don't have a taste, but if your drink tastes or looks unusual, don't risk it.
Look out for Your Friends: Stay together and keep an eye on each other's drinks and behaviour.

Signs of drink spiking can include:

Feeling suddenly dizzy, sleepy, or nauseous
Difficulty speaking or loss of coordination
Feeling confused or disoriented
Having blurred vision
Feeling unusually drunk after only a small amount of alcohol
Passing out

What to do if you suspect your drink has been spiked (yours or a friend's):

Get Help Immediately: Tell a trusted friend or a member of staff at the venue (like a bouncer or bartender) straight away. Many places now participate in the 'Ask for Angela' scheme – if you feel unsafe, you can go to the bar and 'Ask for Angela' to discreetly signal you need help.
Go to a Safe Place: Get away from the situation and go somewhere safe with people you trust.
Do Not Drink More Alcohol: This could make things worse.
Seek Medical Attention: Go to A&E or call 999, especially if symptoms are severe or getting worse. Tell the medical staff that you suspect your drink was spiked.
Report it to the Police: Contact the police as soon as possible. They need to know to investigate and help prevent it from happening to others. Drug tests work best soon after the incident.

Worried About a Friend or Family Member's Drinking?

It can be tough and worrying when you think someone you care about might have a problem with alcohol. It’s important to remember you can’t force someone to change, but you can offer support and encourage them to get help.

Talk to Them: Choose a calm time when they haven't been drinking to express your concerns. Be honest about how their drinking is affecting you and others, using "I feel" statements rather than blaming language (e.g., "I feel worried when you drink a lot" instead of "You make me worried when you get drunk"). Be prepared that they might get defensive, deny there's a problem, or get angry. Don't take it personally.
Encourage Them to Get Help: Suggest they talk to their doctor (GP) or reach out to a support service. Offer to help them find information or even go with them to an initial appointment if they're comfortable with that.
Don't Cover Up for Them: While it might feel like you're helping, making excuses for their behaviour or trying to shield them from the consequences can actually enable the problem to continue.
Look After Yourself: Dealing with someone else's drinking problem can be emotionally draining. Make sure you have support too. Talk to another trusted adult, friend, or consider reaching out to a service that helps families affected by alcohol.

Remember You're Not Responsible: You can't fix their problem for them, and it is not your fault. Your main role is to offer support and encourage them to seek professional help.

Local Links and Resources

If you're a teenager in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, or Dorset and need to talk about alcohol, drugs, or your mental health, there are people who can help. You don't have to go through things alone.

Hampshire (including Southampton and Portsmouth):

Hampshire 24/7: Drug and alcohol treatment service for young people aged under 25.
DASH (Drugs Alcohol Support & Health): For young people under 25 in Southampton. Call: 02380 224 224.
Drug and Alcohol Support Service for Young People (DASS): For those under 19 in Portsmouth. Call: 07951 497898 or 07557 753131.
CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services): Provide support for mental health concerns, which can sometimes be linked to substance use.
Youth Access Hampshire: Can help you find local support services.

Isle of Wight:

Inclusion IOW: Provides drug and alcohol support for young people and adults. Call: 01983 526654.
CAMHS: (See above - services available on the Isle of Wight).

Dorset:

Specific Dorset services for young people related to alcohol and drugs would need to be searched for as the search results primarily focused on Hampshire and IoW. (Note: A live webpage should include specific Dorset services. As an AI, I can provide general national links, but local services require specific local directories).

National Helplines and Websites (available across the UK):

FRANK: Confidential information and advice about drugs. Provides honest information about alcohol too. Helpline: 0300 123 6600. Website has a live chat.
Drinkline: National alcohol helpline for anyone worried about their own or someone else's drinking. Free and confidential. Call: 0300 123 1110.
Childline: Confidential support for anyone under 19 about any problem. Call: 0800 1111. Online chat and resources available.
YoungMinds: Provides support for young people's mental health, including issues that might relate to alcohol use. Crisis Messenger: text YM to 85258.
With You (formerly Addaction): A charity providing free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.
Alateen: For teenage relatives and friends of alcoholics. Helpline: 0800 008 6811.
Drinkaware: Provides information about alcohol and its effects.

Remember, getting information and asking for help is a sign of strength. You have the right to make safe choices about your health and wellbeing.

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