This short video about alcohol is for New Zealand parents, caregivers, whānau and those working with young people to understand basic facts about drinking. Don't stop here, start a conversation.
Did you know that…one standard alcoholic drink takes at least one hour to leave your body. In New Zealand all alcoholic drinks must be labelled with the standard drinks they contain. The more you drink, the longer it takes to be sober and safe.
When you drink, alcohol goes into your stomach where it mixes with any food and some alcohol goes into your bloodstream. The mix then moves to your small intestine.
Most of the alcohol heads to the brain from here, affecting your co-ordination, confidence and judgement. Food slows down this process, which is why eating before you drink is a great idea. The blood then moves to your liver which works hard to get rid of the alcohol, breaking it down so it can leave the body in urine. It’s also a diuretic, making you thirsty and dehydrated.
First you can get flushed, energetic and talkative. Next you could get more confident, emotional and un-coordinated. This can lead to risk taking, memory loss and aggression. Then your body tries to rid itself of the alcohol through vomiting. Finally you can experience blackouts, wet yourself, and your vital organs start to shut down.
Drinking a lot can cause hangovers, emotional stress, make it harder to study, play sports, enjoy life and lead to physical and mental damage. Also, drinking while pregnant can cause big problems for baby.
So, remember to:
- Eat before you drink
- Count the standard drinks
- Always look out for your mates.
Did you know...
that teenage bodies handle alcohol differently from adult bodies? They are less sensitive to the physical indicators of being drunk, such as slurring words and swaying. At this point a young person is in the later stages of drunkenness and should be monitored closely. They may need medical help.
For some young people, drinking under supervision can build false confidence, meaning they drink more than they otherwise would in unsupervised and less safe situations. Have a think about the world through their eyes. What do you think they might see as normal behaviour around alcohol?
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Kia mōhio koe: Waipiro
Kia mōhio koe.........kia kotahi haora te roa mo te inu waipiro ka puta mai i tōu tinana.
I Aotearoa nei, me mau katoa e ngā pātara waipiro i te tapanga e whakamōhiohio kia hia te waipiro kei roto i te inu. I ā koe ki te inu, e roa ake ko koe anō hoki ka tau mai ki te haumaru me te kore haurangi.
I ā koe e inu ana, ka haere te waipiro ki tou puku me whakaraunua e te waipiro ki te kai, āra, ki ōu iaia anō hoki.
Kātahi ka uru ki te kōpiro iti. Ko te nuinga o te waipiro ka haere tika ki te roro kia whakaaweawetia te mahi a ringa, te maiātanga me tō whakawā ki ā koe anō.
He whakaaro rangatira tō te tangata e kai tuatahi ana i te inu waipiro! E kaha rere ana i te toto ki te ate hei whakanoa i te waipiro kātahi ka huri mimi noa.
Mā te waipiro, e hiainu te tangata me te whakamaroke haere ana i te tinana.
Ko te tuatahi, ka tau mai te werawera, ka piki ake te wairua me te kaha kōrerorero.
Kātahi ka whakahīhī i ā koe anō. I a koe e haurangi ana ka hiahia ki te whawhai, ki te tangi me mutu ana ki tērā, ka wareware katoatia tōu mahi! Mā te ruaki e te tinana te waipiro hei whakatau.
Ka mutu, ka mauri moe koe, ka paruheti tō tarau, ā, ka mate haere ō whanewhane.
Ko te waipiro te take, ka ānini ai tō māhunga ā te rā e whai ake, ka pupuke ai te hēmanawatanga, ka uaua haere te mahi ako, te hākinakina, me te ngahau o te oranga, ka timata hoki te mate hinengaro me te mate tinana.
Waihoki, ka inu waipiro koe a te wā e hapū ana, ka whakararurarutia te pēpi e ngā taumaha.
Nō reira, maumaharatia, Kaingia te kai i mua i te inu waipiro, Tatauhia ō inu waipiro, Tiakina hoki ō hoa i ngā wā katoa.
About Did You Know
These tools and resources were initiated by the Counties Manukau AOD Provider Collaborative and the New Zealand Drug Foundation with support from Odyssey. Expert advice and participation from young people were used in their development. Creative by Mohawk Media.
Did You Know is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.