Alcohol is produced by fermentation - the action of yeast on liquids containing sugars and starches. pure alcohol has no colour or taste. In New Zealand, alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive, or mood-changing, recreational drug.
Alcohol is the most widely used drug in New Zealand. Alcoholic drinks come in many varieties including beer, wine and spirits. The amount of alcohol in different drinks varies, with beer generally having the lowest alcohol content and spirits the highest.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the messages that flow between the brain and the body, affecting concentration and coordination, and slowing reaction times.
Alcohol is absorbed into the body through the stomach and small intestine. All alcohol that is drunk will eventually enter the bloodstream, although food in the stomach will slow down its absorption. If you drink a lot of alcohol at night, a high level could still be in your bloodstream the next day.
Slang
Booze, Piss, Grog, Liquor
Drinking too much alcohol can affect the body very badly. Effects can vary depending on a person’s weight, metabolism and how long ago they have eaten.
The immediate effects of drinking alcohol can include:
The day after heavy drinking, most people experience an unpleasant ‘hangover’. This is because, even though it is a liquid, alcohol dehydrates the body, causing headaches, nausea, tiredness and depression.
Heavy drinking over a long period of time causes damage to many parts of the body, including:
Dependence and addiction
As with most drugs, people can develop a tolerance to alcohol over time. This means they need to drink more to feel the same effects. Because they are used to so much alcohol, they might not appear drunk while drinking, but the alcohol will still be damaging their health.
Alcohol can be addictive and cause dependence. For example, people who drink a lot of alcohol in social situations might feel they cannot enjoy themselves in these situations without a drink.
People can be physically dependent because their body has become accustomed to having alcohol in its system. If somebody with this condition suddenly stops drinking alcohol (withdrawal) there could be serious health risks. Withdrawal effects include loss of appetite, nausea, sweating, body shakes, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and confusion.
A person withdrawing from severe alcohol dependence may risk convulsions, delusions, hallucinations, vomiting and death. It is strongly recommended that people in these circumstances see a doctor or health professional because they will need help to manage their withdrawal.
Overdose
Alcohol poisoning (overdose) is serious and can lead to death. Signs include nausea, vomiting, coma, slow and shallow breathing, pale skin and incontinence (wetting or soiling oneself). If someone is showing these signs call 111 and ask for an ambulance immediately.
For more information about overdose, see our How to get help section.
Law and penalties
The sale of alcohol in New Zealand is governed by the Sale of Liquor Act 1989. The act covers things like how old someone must be to buy alcohol, where and when it can be bought, and who can sell it. It also covers 'host responsibility' – rules about selling alcohol responsibly and ensuring people drink safely.
New Zealand does not have a legal 'drinking age', for alcohol. Instead, we have a legal ‘purchasing age’. A person must be at least 18-years-old to buy alcohol, although someone who is younger than 18 can have alcohol supplied to them by their parent or legal guardian.
People under 18 can drink alcohol on some licensed premises when supervised by their parent or legal guardian. These include licensed restaurants, bars and pubs with supervised areas for under 18s and their parents or guardians .
It is illegal to allow someone to become intoxicated (drunk) at a licensed premise or to sell alcohol to an intoxicated person.
Penalties for contravening the Sale of Liquor Act include:
| FOR INDIVIDUALS | |
| Offence | Penalty |
| Under 18 buying alcohol | Fine of up to $200 |
| Under 18 illegally being in licensed premises | Fine of up to $2000 |
| Under 18 drinking in a public place or possesing alcohol in a public place (without parent or legal guadian) | Fine of up to $300 |
| Buying or acquiring alcohol from a licensed premise with the purpose of supplying it to someone under 18 years old | Fine of up to $2000 |
| Using fake identification or someone else's identification | There are heavy penalities for committing fraud |
| FOR PREMISES | |
| Offence | Penalty |
| Supplying liquor to underage person |
Fine up to $10,000 for permise, suspension of license up to 7 days Fine of up to $10,000 for manager Fine of up to $2000 for staff |
| Allowing an underage person on to licensed premises (without legal exemptions) | Fine of up to $2000 for manager or licensee |
| Allowing person to become intoxicated or supplying liquor to an intoxicated person |
Fine of up to $10,000 for licensee or manager Fine of up to $2000 for staff |
In addition to the Sale of Liquor Act, there are local bylaws such as liquor bans that govern where and when people can drink. For example, drinking alcohol is prohibited in some public parks or inner city areas at certain times. Visit the website of your local council to find out what restrictions apply.
How we drink is influenced by things like our age, sex, ethnic background and socio-economic status.
Alcohol is the most popular recreational drug in New Zealand. As such, it is also responsible for many problems.
According to Statistics NZ the amount of alcohol available to drink per person (per capita consumption) has increased 9 percent in the last 10 years.
Key results of the 2007/08 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey reported:
The Drug Foundation’s message is clear: no drug use is the safest drug use. However, we know there will be occasions when people ignore warnings and use drugs in a dangerous manner. To help keep communities safe we therefore provide information about proven methods of drug harm reduction.
How much is too much?
It's hard to say because there are many factors that influence the effects of alcohol, such as body weight, body type, gender, personality and the environment in which someone drinks.
The following Guidelines from the Alcohol Advisory Council (suggest the following upper limits).
For men:
For women:
Standard drinks
A standard drink contains about 10 grams of alcohol. This is about the equivalent of a can of beer (330ml), a glass of wine (100ml) or a single shot of spirits (30ml). Please remember that many bars serve double shots unless requested otherwise.
If you feel you or anyone you know needs help, there are a number of treatment organisations you can contact in strict confidence.
Like a drink? has been produced for people who have experienced some issues with their drinking and are thinking about making some changes. There you can view the helpful, real life stories – funny, gruesome, sad and hopeful – of eight young New Zealanders as they talk about their experiences with alcohol. www.likeadrink.org.nz
DrugHelp is a uniquely New Zealand website for people looking for help with their own or someone else’s drug use. DrugHelp shares the stories, experiences, insight and hope of people who have been there – people who have abused drugs and found a way through. www.drughelp.org.nz
The Alcohol Drug Helpline (0800 787 797) provides free and confidential support for any person concerned about their own or another person's alcohol or drug use. When you call you will talk to an experienced counsellor who is there to listen. You can trust the helpline to provide you with confidential and non-judgemental help when you need it. The helpline is open from 10am–10pm, every day.
What to do in a crisis
There has been a lot of talk about the possible health benefits of alcohol, but much of this is now in doubt. Some research shows that for men over 45 and women over 55, small amounts of alcohol may reduce the risk of developing some types of cardiovascular disease. But other research has found no such benefit.
There is no evidence of alcohol’s benefits to younger groups.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby. Alcohol crosses the placenta and is taken in by the developing foetus. Alcohol has been found to cause cell mutations in the foetus. This is especially true at the early stages of development (the first 30 days) but damage can occur at any point before birth.
The range of problems that can result from maternal alcohol consumption is called Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD.
Depending on how much has been drunk and when, effects include:
The main cause of FASD is binge drinking (drinking five or more standard drinks at a single session).
After birth, alcohol is also transmitted to the baby through breast milk.
Avoiding alcohol completely during pregnancy is the only way to be sure a baby’s development is not effected by alcohol.
A list of relevant links to further information and resources about alcohol:
www.alac.org.nz The Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand conducts policy development and research into alcohol issues in New Zealand and provides information, resources and education.
www.likeadrink.org.nz Produced by the Alcohol Advisory Council for people who have experienced some issues with their drinking and are thinking about making some changes.
www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/alcohol-use-in-nz-oct09 Drug Use in New Zealand: Key results of the 2007/08 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey.
www.legislation.govt.nz New Zealand Legislation: the Statutes section of this website contains the full text of the Sale of Liquor Act 1989 and subsequent amendments. People wanting licenses to sell alcohol must be familiar with this act.
www.druginfo.adf.org.au The Australian Drug Foundation’s Drug Info Clearinghouse Alcohol facts.
www.drughelp.org.nz Uniquely New Zealand website that helps people who use drugs, and their loved ones find solutions to the problems drug use has caused.