Alcohol intoxication: a sober look at the current problem

A drunk person is always ugly, and all because he is not in full control of his behavior. Due to the narcotic effect of ethanol (the active ingredient in all alcoholic beverages), the CNS becomes unable to adequately and timely respond to the phenomena of the surrounding world, so the behavior of a drunk person most often does not correspond to the situation. An identical picture can be observed in mental disorders. It is not surprising that a person stupefied by alcohol is often compared to a madman. Thus, alcoholism can be considered as a neuropsychiatric disease, along with some other addictions (gambling, drug addiction, drug addiction). From this point of view, alcohol intoxication can be interpreted as a syndrome, i.e. A complex of pathological symptoms resulting from the use of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, this syndrome occurs not only in sick people (alcoholics), but also in quite healthy men and women.

A little bit about alcohol

_C2H5OHis an alcohol formula familiar to us from the school chemistry course. As adults, however, many people repeatedly try to reproduce it at home. The taste of this substance is familiar to the vast majority of people over the age of 18 and a frighteningly large number of teenagers.

To be more precise, _C2H5OHis not the formula of all alcoholic beverages without exception, but of their active ingredient - ethanol, the content of which may vary. The smallest amounts of ethanol are present in kefir and natural bread kvass (from 0.5 to 2.6%), but these concentrations are considered quite harmless, because they are eliminated from the body within ½-1 hour.

The alcohol content of beverages increases the fermentation process, so adding yeast and fresh fruit increases the alcohol content of the finished product.

Soft drinks, beer, wines (regular and carbonated), vodka, moonshine, etc. - are potentially dangerous drinks that can cause alcohol intoxication. Ethanol is able to accumulate in the body, so its content in the blood depends on the amount drunk. Many people are able to achieve severe alcohol intoxication by drinking seemingly harmless "low-alcohol" or beer. In principle, everything depends not only on the volume of alcoholic beverages drunk, but also on the peculiarities of functioning of the digestive, excretory and other systems of the body.

But ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is not a foreign substance for our body, maybe that is why we are so favorable to it. There is such a concept as endogenous ethanol - a by-product of glucose metabolism. However, the content of such alcohol in the blood is very small. According to scientists' estimates, it is 1/100th of a percent and does not actually affect the CNS.

The effect of ethanol on the human body depends on its concentration in the blood. In relatively small concentrations, it causes effects akin to narcotic substances, although it is not legally classified as such. High concentrations of ethanol have a toxic effect on humans and can lead to death. It is believed that death can occur with a single use of alcohol, in which for each kilogram of body weight of the drinker is from 4 to 12 grams of ethyl alcohol. So alcohol intoxication is not at all safe fun.

The toxicity of alcohol increases if it uses low-quality alcohol or other types of alcohol (such alcohol is often referred to as "palenka"). Alcohol consumption against the background of taking medications provokes the course of potentially dangerous chemical reactions that change the properties of medications, their mechanism of action and toxicity. Alcohol always reduces the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy, but sometimes can also provoke the emergence of life-threatening side effects.

Alcohol itself is not a dangerous substance, so it can be found even in some medicines, not to mention the widespread use of alcohol as an antiseptic, solvent, one of the components of perfumes and cosmetics, preservative, etc. Its main metabolite - acetaldehyde (methyl formaldehyde), formed in the liver as a result of the interaction of ethanol with acetic acid with the assistance of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), is dangerous to humans. It is the formation of this metabolite that provides alcohol with toxic (causes poisoning of the body), carcinogenic (affects the behavior of cells and thereby increases the risk of cancer) and mutagenic (damages DNA molecules, changing the nature of hereditary information) properties.

The most interesting thing is that our body also has a mechanism for deactivating acetaldehyde. While ADH is responsible for the breakdown of ethanol in the liver, another enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ADH), controls the neutralization of the dangerous metabolite to form harmless acetic acid.

So, the speed of intoxication depends largely on the activity of these enzymes in the body of a particular person. The slower the synthesis and activation of specific enzymes, the faster intoxication occurs.

Alcohol, acting as a narcotic psychoactive substance, dulls pain (both physical and mental) and gives temporary relief, and in order to prolong this effect, many people simply get drunk on the basis of the loss of a dear person or terminal illness. In this case, the reduction of pain sensitivity and imaginary relief (problems return as soon as the effect of alcohol begins to subside) are just a manifestation of the specific effect of acetaldehyde on the central nervous system, while this effect of ethyl alcohol and its active metabolite is not limited. With prolonged use of alcohol, it gradually destroys the brain and other vital organs: liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas, etc.

Attitudes towards alcohol intoxication

Alcohol intoxication cannot be considered a disease (unlike alcoholism). Rather, it is a transient functional disorder that is not usually perceived as unhealthy by those who drink alcohol. On the contrary, it is this feeling of euphoria and freedom from brain control (ethanol markedly suppresses the nervous regulation of movements, thoughts, speech, and actions) that attracts people. That's why there is a tradition of drinking for courage. But the matter here is not about courage at all, but about decreased expression of internal control, weakening of protective and guarding reflexes. A drunken person resembles an animal, acting on the level of the lowest unconditional reflexes and instincts, unable to think logically and harmonize his desires with ethical requirements.

The state of alcohol intoxication is akin to drug intoxication, although the dependence on alcohol is not so fast. Despite its inherent lightness in the head and body, this state is quite dangerous both for the drinker himself and for the people around him. Even if you ignore the lack of tact in the behavior of the drunk, there are still many moments that can be considered as potentially dangerous. Take just the danger that a person under the influence of alcohol while driving a car poses to himself and others, because his concentration and ability to react quickly in emergency situations are impaired.

In communication, a drunk person is not particularly guided by the requirements of morality: he can insult, humiliate, hit even a close person, not to mention strangers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the same time, in a sober state many people would not allow themselves to do what they did in a drunken state.

Of course, the behavior of different people under the influence of alcohol differs depending on the level of culture and morality, but in any case, it is very difficult to stay on top in a state of alcohol intoxication, as it is difficult to analyze situations, making adequate conclusions.

Alcohol intoxication syndrome is characterized by the appearance of mental, vegetative and neurological symptoms. But their combination and severity depend on the amount of ethanol ingested per 1 kg of human weight. Except that, regardless of the amount drunk, it is very difficult to hide the fact of alcohol consumption. Even if a person appears sober, his or her breathing will still indicate the presence of alcohol in the body.

Alcohol intoxication at work is considered unacceptable. It is considered not only as a violation of labor discipline, but often as the creation of a potentially dangerous situation when working behind the wheel of a car, at a machine, in the operating room, etc. A person's behavior and reactions even with a low blood alcohol content cannot be considered normal, so the labor law considers appearing at work intoxicated as a serious violation of labor discipline, which may be followed by dismissal, especially if the situation is repeated.

It is clear that for the first time a manager may limit himself to a reprimand or a reprimand, but there is no penalty for an employee who appears at the company during working hours while under the influence of alcohol. The situation should not be left unresponsive, because a drunk person sets a bad example for other employees, and it is very difficult to maintain labor discipline in such conditions, and punishing one person serves as a lesson for others.

If a person has not learned their lesson and repeatedly shows up to work in an intoxicated state, it is usually a matter of dismissal, although the problem often lies in the difficulty of proving the fact of showing up to work in an inappropriate state.

At some enterprises, where great concentration of attention is required and there is the same great responsibility for their actions to other people (train driver, car driver, bus driver, trolleybus driver, surgeon, etc.), dismissal may become a punishment even for a single fact of appearance at work in a drunken state. Dismissal for alcohol intoxication at work is a legally enshrined measure of punishment (paragraph 7 of part 1 of article 40 of the Labor Code of Ukraine).

Alcohol intoxication detected in a person driving a car is also strictly punishable under the law. The driver is penalized with a fine, and the amount of the fine is steadily increasing. Today, drunkenness at the wheel is classified as a criminal offense, so the fines range from 4 to 13 minimum wages. In addition, the driver is threatened with deprivation of license for a period of 3 years, so it is worth a hundred times to think before getting behind the wheel of a car in a state of alcoholic intoxication or with "booze", indicating that the alcohol is not completely out of the body.

For alcohol intoxication detected while driving a car, the driver is "light" article. Such misdemeanors fall under Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Driving vehicles under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants, or under the influence of medications that reduce attention and reaction speed".

Why is drinking alcohol before or while driving a vehicle a criminal misdemeanor? Because impaired concentration and control over one's actions can result in damage to property, injury or death. And murder has always been considered a criminal offense, regardless of the state in which it was committed (only the punishment depends on it).

The statistics of crimes committed while under the influence of alcohol are inexorable. At least 1/3 of all administratively or criminally punishable acts are committed by people in varying degrees of alcohol intoxication or under the influence of narcotic substances. Blunted sense of fear and heightened sense of "justice" push people to crimes related to the seizure of other people's property. In addition, when heavily intoxicated, many people (especially men) are inclined to destroy everything that comes under their hands, to damage both their own and other people's property. Most crimes committed while drunk fall into the categories of theft or robbery.

Many murders, including those committed in a state of passion, occur under the influence of alcohol, because in a decently drunk person the inhibition of reflexes is noticeably weakened: it is not only difficult for him to restrain himself, but also almost impossible to calculate his strength (for example, the force and direction of the blow).

Needless to say, only a few drivers with professional driving skills reach their destination safely while under the influence of alcohol. The rest become involved in road accidents, often with fatal consequences.

What is the state of being intoxicated?

Alcohol intoxication can be characterized as an artificially created illusory state of freedom from the surrounding world, allowing you to ignore the generally accepted limits of decency. It is this "freedom" that causes a state of euphoria.

Why do people long to regain this state? Because it allows you to disconnect from problems or solve them in an easier way (for example, with the help of fists). In other words, it is a kind of escape from problems or inconvenient solutions, because "what can you take from a drunk"?

When a person drinks a little (it is pointless to talk about specific doses, because everyone has his own norm), he feels lightness in his thoughts and an opportunity to relax, relieve tension, and detach himself from problems. But as the volume of drunk alcohol increases, the state of alcoholic relaxation is replaced by increased excitability of the nervous system. This is especially pronounced in those people who experienced strong emotions (both negative and positive) before drinking alcohol.

It is believed that to aggression, anger and increased irritability in drunkenness are more prone to those people who shortly before drinking alcoholic beverages experienced strong negative emotions.

And yet, at first we experience ease and relaxation when our brain is resting under the influence of alcohol. And it rests because it does not receive activation signals transmitted from different analyzers by means of nerve impulses. The transmission of nerve impulses is influenced by special biologically active substances - neurotransmitters. These are peculiar intermediaries between receptors and the brain, synthesized in the body of a nerve cell and responsible for the transmission of impulses between neurons through the synaptic gap.

Neurotransmitters are of two types: some cause inhibition in the CNS and are called inhibitory, while others act excitatory on neurons (excitatory neurotransmitters). Scientists have noticed that ethanol, when ingested, can affect the receptors of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is one of the most important inhibitory mediators. The action of GABA is to reduce the excitability of nerve cells. The more mediator is released, the more symptoms of CNS inhibition are manifested.

Stimulation of inhibitory neurotransmitter production explains the state of freedom, euphoria at low doses, and unusual drowsiness, decreased attention, reaction speed, etc. At higher doses. Fatigue, dizziness, headaches, nausea are of a different nature. These are the result of acetaldehyde intoxication of the body. Thus, ethanol itself gives us freedom, and its active metabolite - poisoning the body.

Movement coordination disorders are explained by alcohol's influence on the cerebellum and disruption of the vestibular system, while memory problems are the result of inhibition of the hippocampus - the part of the brain where long-term memory is formed on the basis of information from the operative (short-term) memory. The latter explains unusual memory lapses. A drunk person may remember everything that happened before drinking alcohol, but subsequent events are simply erased from memory (so with a hangover a person often does not remember the acts and misdemeanors committed in the state of alcohol intoxication).

Memory loss can be seen as a positive phenomenon that protects the brain from an overabundance of negative information, because when sober, a person looks at his or her unsightly behavior in a completely different way (it can be insults, fights, pogroms, and in the end a drunk can "wet himself" in public and drown his face in his own vomit). Alas, citing the fact that you do not remember the events of the past day due to alcohol abuse does not absolve you of responsibility.

Increased alcohol consumption is a high load not only on the digestive system (particularly the pancreas) and the liver, but also on the brain. The conversion of ethanol into acetaldehyde and acetic acid is facilitated by nicotinamidadenine dinucleotide. Lactic acid is used for its synthesis, which is also needed for glucogenesis (production of glucose - the main food for the brain). In other words, ethyl alcohol metabolism occurs to the detriment of glucose production, and this is one of the causes of brain starvation, rapid fatigue, vegetative and neurological symptoms.

How long to wait to be free of the "green snake"?

Alcohol enters the body per orally, i.e. Through the mouth, and travels a long way, during which its vapors can be detected in the exhaled air. Absorption of ethanol occurs already in the oral cavity (up to 5%), about 20% of ethanol enters the blood and stomach, the rest of the volume is absorbed in the intestinal lumen. These figures are very average, because the rate of alcohol elimination from the body depends on many factors: age, weight, sex, health, metabolism, the nature and amount of food taken before and after drinking alcohol, the volume drunk, the strength of alcoholic beverages.

The same factors are also taken into account when determining the speed of intoxication. But in this case, practice plays a major role. A person who has no experience in taking alcohol is characterized by slow absorption, he gets drunk later, so he can easily exceed the dose in pursuit of euphoria.

Special enzymes contribute to the utilization of alcohol. Their presence is conditioned by the presence of endogenous alcohol. Thus, alcohol dehydrogenase is synthesized in different organs: GI organs, pancreas, heart, lungs, liver (the leader in the production of ALDH), but the activity of the enzyme in different people is different, respectively, and the time of alcohol utilization will be different.

Some psychoactive drugs, tonic drinks (e.g. Coffee) Drugs usually slow down the excretion of alcohol, while tonic drinks, on the contrary, accelerate this process.

It is impossible to say unambiguously how long alcohol intoxication lasts. This time is purely individual. Nevertheless, scientists have discovered some patterns that help to get an answer to the desired question at the level of assumptions.

The maximum concentration of ethanol in the blood is reached on average within 30-90 minutes. If a person is healthy, the excretion of alcohol from the blood obeys the formula: 100 mg of alcohol per kilogram of weight is eliminated per hour. If a person weighs 60 kg, every hour 6 g of alcohol (pure alcohol is meant) will be removed from the body. Thus there will be no trace of vodka in the body after about 3 hours. As the concentration of alcohol increases, the elimination time increases proportionally.

These figures are correct for healthy adults. But this phenomenon is not so common, so the error can be quite large. In addition, the above calculations are more suitable for men. In the body of women, alcohol is retained longer by about 20%, i.e. The amount of alcohol that is removed from the body of a man within an hour, a woman will take approximately 1 hour 12 minutes.

Complications and consequences

In talking about the different degrees of alcohol intoxication, we have already touched a little on the subject of possible consequences. They are minimal if a person is in a state of light intoxication, i.e. The blood alcohol content is relatively low. If a person "rests" at home, among friends and does not drive, the probability of "getting into a situation" is relatively low (although a pig will always find a swamp). As the concentration of alcohol in the blood increases, the danger of traumatizing both the drunk and the surrounding people increases.

But the most unpleasant thing is that alcohol in addition to mood often increases sexual activity. And who in a state of alcoholic intoxication is very much concerned with questions: where, with whom, and whether there are means of contraception and what are the consequences? Sex turns out to be spontaneous and does not pursue the goal of continuation of the species (who thinks about it "tipsy"?!). Therefore, conception in alcohol intoxication turns out to be unplanned, and in most cases and unwanted, especially if both partners were drunk.

Not only that the future parents did not dream of offspring, but also doctors are frightened by possible deformities in the child. Although statistics show that most of the children conceived during the holidays are born healthy. Even if both parents drank a little at the table, there may be no consequences. It is another matter if both of them were very drunk, had previously abused alcohol, or if the pregnant woman never left the addiction.

Most often fetal anomalies occur if at least one of the parents has been abusing alcohol for a long time. Ethanol affects both the quality of the reproductive material and the development of the fetus in the womb, hence the mental and physical anomalies, combined under the general term - fetal withdrawal syndrome. Deficits in height and weight in this case are considered the least of the woes. The child may be born with mental retardation (oligophrenia of various degrees), have neurological symptoms, behavioral and emotional-volitional disorders, as well as visible defects.

Skull anomalies include abnormal eyes (narrow and short eye slits), wide nose bridge, smooth lip groove, small brain size and flattened skull, large, rough protruding jaw, cleft palate (harelip, wolf's mouth). Children may have problems with joints, hearing and vision, cardiovascular and sexual systems (congenital malformations), speech and motor skills. Often there are difficulties in controlling their behavior, a tendency to antisocial acts and crimes, pathological heredity (they develop alcohol dependence faster than usual).

If the conception occurred in a state of alcohol intoxication, it is not worth rushing to terminate the pregnancy. The main thing is that the woman from now until the birth refused to take alcohol, tried to avoid infections and the intake of synthetic drugs, poisonous herbs and food saturated with "chemistry". Conception is not such a quick process, so alcohol has time to leave its biological shelter before it can do irreparable harm.

Women who continue to abuse alcohol have a significantly higher risk of preterm labor and fetal abnormalities.

Alcohol intoxication is a risk factor for deteriorating relationships. Weakened control over thoughts and actions combined with promiscuity of tongue and hands can destroy the strongest attachments. A drunken person without a backward thought can cause their loved ones the strongest psychological trauma, not to mention physical injury. Said drunkenly words can destroy and career, and family life (especially in combination with treason, which is difficult to justify the effect of alcohol), and a cloudless future. So, going to an event together with your wife (husband), friends or colleagues, you need to remind yourself a hundred times about the need to observe the norm.

Before you have a drink or two, it is not superfluous to think about the damage that alcohol can do to your body. We have already mentioned that large doses of ethyl alcohol can put a person in a coma, cause respiratory arrest and depressed heartbeat, i.e. The death of the victim.

Long-term alcohol abuse markedly affects the brain and higher mental functions of a person (memory, attention, thinking, perception, speech). These changes are of the type of slowly progressive dementia (dementia). In simple language a person degenerates in all indicators, character, behavior, attitude, speech, character of interaction with people changes. A person gradually sinks to the bottom, to his animal beginning, and even realizing it, cannot so easily get out of the clutches of alcohol addiction.

The internal organs of the human body are also affected by ethanol. Alcohol has an irritating effect on the stomach and pancreas, stimulating active production of digestive enzymes and organ fatigue. The pancreas does not break down alcohol, because the enzymes of this organ are designed to break down food containing fats, carbohydrates and proteins (the corresponding enzymes are called lipase, amylase and trypsin). One can imagine how aggressive these substances can be, if the last two are prudently produced in the pancreas in an inactive form (activation occurs in the 12-peritoneum).

Excessive stimulation of the pancreas and the toxic effect of alcohol on its cells leads to a decrease in the resistance of the organ's own cells to the enzymes it produces. A by-product of the breakdown of fats directly in the pancreas is a reaction accompanied by cell death and the release of specific substances that activate other enzymes. This occurs even before they are excreted into the lumen of the 12-intestine. And this enzyme mixture begins to corrode the organ that produces it.

It is clear that necrosis of pancreatic tissue in such conditions will be accompanied by severe pain, characteristic of acute pancreatitis, considered a disease of those who abuse alcohol.

Also, ethanol provokes the formation of calcium-retaining protein stones in the pancreas, which can clog both the ducts of the gland itself and the biliary tract.

The liver is the organ that feels the negative effects of alcohol more than any other. Filtering the blood and responsible for the metabolism of ethanol contained in it, it feels all the negative effects of the poison. Under its influence there is a fatty degeneration of parenchyma cells - hepatocytes (fatty hepatosis), protein metabolism disorders in the organ, causing an increase in the size of the liver (alcoholic hepatomegaly), severe inflammation of the organ (hepatitis) and necrosis of its cells (cirrhosis).

It is clear that the development of these diseases is gradual. They should be considered not as separate diseases, but as successive stages of the "alcoholic" transformation of the liver, which in 10% of cases ends in oncology. Usually, it takes time for the symptoms of the disease to appear (we are usually talking about "alcoholic" experience of at least 5 years). But these remote consequences are so severe that they can markedly reduce the life expectancy of the patient. At the same time, the size of dangerous doses for women and men is markedly different. It is enough for a woman to take 20 g of alcohol per day (in terms of pure 100% ethanol), a healthy man will need 3 times more.

A complication of alcohol abuse can be considered a hangover, which occurs with nausea, vomiting, headaches, hyperthermia. The reasons for the appearance of pain in the head after taking alcohol are not definitively studied, which can not be said about the causes of fever after alcohol intoxication. There may be several of them:

• A temporary slight rise in temperature may be due to the ability of alcohol to dilate blood vessels (and skin hyperemia is noted).
• A more serious cause of hyperthermia can be considered an allergic reaction to exogenous ethanol (allergies can be hereditary and acquired).
• Fever is also possible against the background of various inflammatory diseases, including alcoholic hepatitis. In gastric ulcer fever may indicate its perforation. In this case, there is reddening of the skin, severe weakness, nausea, bloody vomiting.

Hyperthermia is a natural reaction of the immune system to a foreign substance and toxins in its composition. But write off everything on the immune system is not worth it, because these can hide and more serious disorders that can no longer be called physiologically determined. Dilation of blood vessels, which in some cases may be useful, is not so safe.

A weak heart (which is a natural development for alcoholics) may not be able to withstand such blood pressure, hence frequent myocardial infarctions at a young age (often before the age of 40). The dilation of cerebral vessels is fraught with cerebral hemorrhage (stroke), and the gluing of red blood cells inherent in alcohol can cause thrombosis of the heart and blood vessels.

The last thing I would like to dwell on is the tendency of tipsy people to "heroic" deeds, which can be greatly regretted when sober. Stealing, drunken fights, relationship disputes that end in injuries, injuries due to falling with impaired balance and coordination of movements, traffic accidents involving drunk drivers (often ending in death), industrial injuries, suicides - this is not a complete list of possible consequences of alcohol intoxication, which affects different people in different ways.

No matter how you look at it, the benefits of drinking alcohol do not compare to the harm that ethanol can cause if consumed regularly or in excess of safe limits. Isn't this a cause for reflection?

Alcohol in the home

The attitude to alcohol in our country is noticeably different if we look at this issue from the side of those who drink alcohol and from the side of those who monitor the order in the country. On the one hand, we condemn drinking in every possible way, but on the other hand, almost everyone who is healthy drinks, including teenagers, pregnant women and the elderly. Both ordinary people drink, and representatives of the authorities who publicly condemn alcohol consumption.

This inconsistency has certain consequences, which the Government is trying to address through legislation. No one prohibits drinking at home or in specialized establishments, and if it is not followed by antisocial behavior and offenses, there will be no punishment. Another thing is drinking alcohol on the street or in public places, where children who do not yet understand what is good and what is bad are watching. Isn't this a propaganda of an inebriated lifestyle?

The official prohibition concerning the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places, including streets, parks, sports and educational institutions, stores, theaters and other places to which the population has free access, is reflected in article 15-2 of Act No. 481/95-VR of 19 December 1995. Stops provided for public transport, elevator rooms, pay phones, parades and entrances, underground passages also belong to the category of public places. At the same time, this refers to any drinks containing alcohol, except for medicines, kvass, kefir.

Article 178 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for a fine for drinking alcohol in the above-mentioned places. However, its wording is somewhat vague, since the punishment is imposed only if the person appears "in public" in a way that "offends human dignity and public morality".

It turns out that the mere fact of drinking alcohol in an inappropriate place is not considered a sufficient reason for punishment. The police can only reprimand and demand documents from those whose behavior falls under the definition of Article 178. They can only detain for a period of 3 hours when drinking alcohol in the street or under the influence of alcohol if there are no documents to establish the identity of the offender.

The same Article 178 of the Administrative Code determines the amount of fines for first and repeated violations. The amounts for the first and second offenses within one year range from 17 to 119 hryvnias, which is not very hard to afford at our prices. Even the third offense in a year will cost those who like to drink "in public" in the amount of up to 136 hryvnias, although other reprimands are possible: detention for 15 days or correctional work for up to 2 months. If a person is detained for drinking alcohol in public places for the third time, the measure of punishment is determined by the court, and not by the police officer who revealed the fact of violation of the law. And what the punishment will be depends largely on the behavior of the detainee and the possible consequences of the violation.

If the drunk is not able to take himself home on his own, the valiant police should help him get there or to a special medical institution, according to the Law of Ukraine "On National Police".

Underage drinking is another of the consequences of the lack of a clear government policy to combat alcoholism. This is where the greatest danger lies. Even an adult under the influence of alcohol, which clouds the mind, can not always calculate his dose and stick to it, and what to say about young people.

Youth and puberty are particularly sensitive periods of human life, when any external influences are keenly felt. Alcohol intensifies the negative sides of a teenager, pushes him to antisocial behavior, crime, suicide. Quite a large proportion of young people end up in hospitals with an overdose and experience its consequences for many years.

It is believed that until the age of 16 a teenager cannot be held responsible for his/her actions, so he/she is not responsible for drinking alcohol. From 16 to 18 years of age, the punishment for this is already provided, but rather mild. Most often the case is limited to a warning, a reprimand or the transfer of a minor order violator to authorized adults (guardians, parents, teachers). If a teenager in a drunken state has insulted someone, he or she may be required to apologize publicly as a punishment.

Affect in alcohol intoxication

Alcohol intoxication in the case of an offense, especially if someone was hurt as a result of the actions of an intoxicated person, is always considered an aggravating circumstance that increases the punishment.

But there is also such a concept as "affect". It refers to a state of excessive excitement that is explosive in nature. Such a short-term outburst of emotion is characterized by great force, which often goes against common sense. Nevertheless, crimes committed in a state of affect are not punished as severely as those with other causes and manifestations.

Alcohol has the ability to influence the subjective perception and comprehension of a situation, and hence the response, i.e. Human behavior. At a mild degree of intoxication affect can be considered as a physiologically conditioned process, although scientists do not have a common opinion whether in this case affect is physiological or abnormal. But the diagnosis of affect is precisely the factor that can mitigate the punishment for committing a crime in the state of alcohol intoxication.

It is true that affect can be diagnosed only in the case of a simple (typical) form of alcohol intoxication. Atypical and psychotic forms are evidence of mental illness. Similar attitude to offenses in the state of moderate and severe intoxication, when severe disorders of mental processes caused by alcohol come on the scene.

Differential diagnosis in this case allows to establish not only the possibility to qualify the acts as committed in a state of affect, but also to determine the cause of such a state. The fact is that the behavior of a drunk person is generally similar to the behavior of someone who is under the influence of narcotic and psychotropic substances. Clouding of consciousness and inadequate behavior can be caused by mental disorders or turn out to be manifestations of some somatic diseases. In this case, the person will not necessarily be under the influence of alcohol, although he or she will resemble a drunken person.

Prevention

Withdrawal from alcohol intoxication and the fight against the manifestations of hangover syndrome are measures that are applied post facto. They do not eliminate the need to endure suffering, because they are not able to act instantly. Those who have at least once experienced this nightmare called a hangover, realizes that you need to act until the thunder rumbles. Prevention is still unequivocally the best method to save yourself from suffering or at least significantly reduce the intensity of pathological symptoms.

It is popularly believed that the best prevention of rapid and severe intoxication is a rich fatty meal. Here it can be argued. Such food, eaten the day before or during a feast, is a great strain on the digestive system. Suffer stomach, liver, pancreas, which in addition still have to communicate with alcohol. But not only fatty foods have an enveloping property. Rice broth, oatmeal or decoction of flaxseed cope with this task even better than oils and fats, while not burdening the GI tract. And to slow down the absorption of alcohol is able to any food, so before drinking alcoholic beverages you just need to eat to drink alcohol on an empty stomach.

Do not be in a hurry to knock over shot after shot (after all, no one will pour you by force). Slowly drunk alcohol gives a gradual intoxication and is carried by the body more easily. Usually such caution helps to avoid hangovers, and the event itself is more fun (is it fun to fall asleep after the second glass in a bowl of salad?).

Most often a severe hangover syndrome befalls those who are indiscriminate in drinks and their combinations. Low-quality alcoholic beverages, the addition of perfumes and dyes to alcohol, mixing alcohol with fruit juices and sweet sodas, sweet fruit snacks - these are the factors that predetermine the onset of hangover syndrome. To avoid the consequences, it is worth favoring one of the drinks. The safest in terms of hangover is considered vodka. But wine, cognac, low-alcohol drinks, champagne should be consumed in minimal quantities, not mixed with each other, and even more so with vodka.

At the end of the feast, when it is time to sleep, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids (water, weak tea, fruit juice, glucose or honey syrup). Water will reduce the concentration of alcohol in the blood, and glucose will accelerate its excretion. There is no need to be afraid to drink a lot at night, it is better to run to the toilet than to wake up with a headache, thirst and nausea.

Not a bad option is to take absorbents on the eve of an alcoholic meal. Some recommend taking a standard dose of activated charcoal 1-2 hours before the feast and repeating the procedure 2.5-3 hours later. Others first advise to drink 4 tablets, an hour later another 2, then the same dose (up to the norm corresponding to the weight).

"Polysorb" for preventive purposes should be taken three times. First, on the eve of a feast, then before going to bed and, finally, in the morning after waking up. The dosage is still the same 3-6 grams.

"Enterosgel" can also help avoid hangovers if taken correctly, ie in advance. Get up from the table at the end of a meal with alcohol - drink 1-2 spoons of gel, depending on your weight. Large people can afford and 3 tablespoons of the drug, which will only benefit. Do not like the taste of the drug? You can dilute it with water or juice.

In the morning after waking up, you will need to take your individual dose again, and then repeat the sorbent after 4 hours, but halve the dosage.

Many users note the high effectiveness of this drug in the fight against hangover, both in terms of preventing the appearance of unpleasant symptoms and consequences of alcohol intoxication, and to reduce their severity (depending on what scheme the drug was taken).

As for the popularity of Aspirin as a hangover preventive, it is based more on the placebo effect than on real benefits. Acetylsalicylic acid may prevent erythrocyte sticking, but it is unlikely to affect the metabolism of ethanol, so you can not expect much benefit. In addition, combining NSAIDs with alcohol is not a good idea. It is better to give preference to the preventive use of sorbents.

It should be said that nothing else helps to avoid hangover syndrome as masterfully as a sense of proportion. Observance of individual norms is the most reliable way to have a good rest without hitting the dirt, and without feeling the effects of alcohol intoxication. With a moderate dose of alcohol, the body is able to cope independently without harm to health and well-being. It is just not necessary to force it to work excessively.

Prevention of offenses

Alcohol intoxication is a pathological state of the organism with reduced functionality of the CNS. In simple words, man considers himself a superior being, endowed with great power, but in his behavior he resembles animals, acting instinctively and not always adequately. Reduced self-control is a big blow to the emotional and volitional sphere: emotions are overflowing, and the will is either absent or directed in the wrong direction (it would be better if it were absent).

Not all people under the influence of alcohol are capable of committing a crime. But many of those who are incapable of harming another person while sober do it unexpectedly easily under the influence of alcohol. Late remorse is a step forward, but it can not always smooth out what was done, even in a semi-conscious state. And no one forced you to drink.

No matter how many people do not explain the consequences of alcohol, it is unlikely to affect his behavior after drinking. Sober we understand and condemn everything, and after a drink or two, ready to rush back into battle with an imaginary or real enemy. Explanations about the individual norm and how to adhere to it are as ineffective as prohibition of alcohol consumption. People have drank before and will continue to drink in the future, finding tricks to circumvent even the strictest official laws.

The laws on the distribution of alcoholic beverages should be toughened. Not only those who sell this poison to teenagers, but also those who help children to buy it should be severely penalized. Adults who involve young people in official and unofficial events with alcoholic beverages should be dealt with no less severely. It would be much more correct to bet on the health of future generations by involving them in sports activities that are incompatible with drinking alcohol.

Any advertisement of alcohol, even if hidden, is a kind of call to purchase and drink alcoholic beverages. If adults understand it so literally, what can we say about the younger generation? Advertising should promote a healthy lifestyle, not the possibility of jeopardizing the health of themselves and others.

Predicting the behavior of a person in a state of alcohol intoxication is an empty matter, because he himself does not realize what may come into his head at the next moment, and not everyone is able to stop himself in such a state. It is easier to predict the possibility of the onset of a hangover than to understand what drinking one can turn out for all the others. And in this lurks a hidden danger, otherwise "if you knew where you would fall, you would have laid the grass".

This is what should be emphasized in schools and higher education institutions, giving real examples of what alcohol can lead to, how it affects a person, what terrible consequences can be when driving drunk or alcoholic affect.

A real step towards reducing the number of accidents involving drunk drivers can be considered to be the tightening of legislation on drunk driving. Alas, even the amounts of fines, which have become noticeably higher than before, do not scare everyone, but only people with modest incomes. Money in our country still decides everything: you can pay a fine with it or buy your freedom by gagging the victims. Laws will be fully effective only when we manage to get rid of corruption and raise people's self-awareness, i.e. Not yet.

And if they are to be taught to anyone, it is to children and younger teenagers, who absorb everything like a sponge, both good and bad. But the best way to raise a conscious generation, and thereby reduce the crime rate, one of the causes of which is considered alcohol intoxication, is the example of parents. If you can't give up alcohol for yourself, do it for the sake of your children and their future, put yourself in the place of those parents whose children died under the wheels of drunk drivers, or in the place of the disabled, who became such due to the fault of drinkers and fun.