Drink responsibly into the New Year
Dec 30, 2007
NEW Year is here, a time for merry-making, with people enjoying food and beer as they usher in the New Year. With many people on holiday, free of any work pressures, it is easy to exceed the limit, until the hangover hits.
Frederick Womakuyu
NEW Year is here, a time for merry-making, with people enjoying food and beer as they usher in the New Year. With many people on holiday, free of any work pressures, it is easy to exceed the limit, until the hangover hits.
“We will drink slightly beyond the limit, after all, New Year comes once a year,†says Patrick Opio, a resident of Nakawa.
“Who defines excess, anyway? It depends on the individual. Doesn’t it? After all, alcohol is good for the heart.
The doctor prescribed for my father to reduce his cholesterol. That proves it is also good for me,†he adds.
Dr. John Tumusiime of Medecins Sans Frontiers says: “One can enjoy drinking at New Year without harming himself or becoming a nuisance. Alcohol is a drug and can be harmful if taken in excess or against medical advice.â€
Dr. Oliver Mulesa of Masaka Hospital says scientific research specifies a level below which drinking can be considered safe. She says this is denominated in units of alcohol.
Mulesa says a unit of alcohol is equivalent to between eight and 10 grammes of absolute alcohol, roughly the amount contained in half-pint bottle of beer, a small glass of wine and a (bar) shot of spirits.
Dr. Helen Namutebi of Nsambya Hospital advises that an adult male should sticks to 21 units of alcohol a week, while women should not exceed 14 units.
She explains that the male body is made up of 66% fluid, compared to 55% for women. This means alcohol is more diluted in a man’s body than a woman’s. As a result, women tend to get drunk faster than men on the same amount of alcohol.
Mulesa advises that one should never drink more than four units of alcohol in one season. “Space them out as much as possible. Have water or non-alcoholic drinks in between. And do not drink on an empty stomach,†she says.
She adds that alcohol- dependent individuals should not drink at all. She says that the size of a drink can mislead. “Wine or beer, for example, is much stronger than it was, 20 years ago.
Thirteen percent Alcohol by Volume bottles of wine (ABV) are common these days. Each contains 10 units — about two- and-a-half times more than the sensible limit. Cans of beer often contain 5% ABV - that is two-and-a-half units each? So be careful,†she warns.
Pregnant women
Namutebi says pregnant women or those who think they could be pregnant, should drink, “Very little or, preferably, not at all. Anything more than one unit is risky. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder can be avoided if one abstains from alcohol when pregnant.â€
People on medication
Dr. Halima Ahamed of Ahamadiya Hospital in Mbale says people on medication should not drink.
“Alcohol should never mix with certain types of drugs, especially valium and ativan. If one is on medication, one should consult a doctor before drinking,†she adds.
Persons under 18
Paul Musiime, a Police officer at Zana Police Post, says persons under 18 should not drink. “Not only is it dangerous to drink alcohol — a toxin with highly damaging effects on growing bodies, it is also illegal for any person under 18 to buy, possess or drink alcohol.â€
He warns that culprits may be arraigned in court and if found guilty, may be fined or sent to a remand home for six months.
For parents or guardians, Musiime says, if a person below 18 who is in their care is found drinking or in possession of alcohol and this offence could have been avoided had they exercised due diligence, they may be subjected to a penalty not less than six months in prison.
Drinking and driving
Drinking and driving is illegal and leads to fatal accidents.
Musiime advises drivers to keep in mind the simple injunction: “If you are drinking do not drive and if you are driving do not drink.â€
He says drivers caught driving with an elevated blood alcohol level face a fine of sh200,000 and six months suspension of the driving license if it is the first offence.
If it is the second, the fine rises to sh500,000, and the licence will be suspended for a year.
NEW Year is here, a time for merry-making, with people enjoying food and beer as they usher in the New Year. With many people on holiday, free of any work pressures, it is easy to exceed the limit, until the hangover hits.
“We will drink slightly beyond the limit, after all, New Year comes once a year,†says Patrick Opio, a resident of Nakawa.
“Who defines excess, anyway? It depends on the individual. Doesn’t it? After all, alcohol is good for the heart.
The doctor prescribed for my father to reduce his cholesterol. That proves it is also good for me,†he adds.
Dr. John Tumusiime of Medecins Sans Frontiers says: “One can enjoy drinking at New Year without harming himself or becoming a nuisance. Alcohol is a drug and can be harmful if taken in excess or against medical advice.â€
Dr. Oliver Mulesa of Masaka Hospital says scientific research specifies a level below which drinking can be considered safe. She says this is denominated in units of alcohol.
Mulesa says a unit of alcohol is equivalent to between eight and 10 grammes of absolute alcohol, roughly the amount contained in half-pint bottle of beer, a small glass of wine and a (bar) shot of spirits.
Dr. Helen Namutebi of Nsambya Hospital advises that an adult male should sticks to 21 units of alcohol a week, while women should not exceed 14 units.
She explains that the male body is made up of 66% fluid, compared to 55% for women. This means alcohol is more diluted in a man’s body than a woman’s. As a result, women tend to get drunk faster than men on the same amount of alcohol.
Mulesa advises that one should never drink more than four units of alcohol in one season. “Space them out as much as possible. Have water or non-alcoholic drinks in between. And do not drink on an empty stomach,†she says.
She adds that alcohol- dependent individuals should not drink at all. She says that the size of a drink can mislead. “Wine or beer, for example, is much stronger than it was, 20 years ago.
Thirteen percent Alcohol by Volume bottles of wine (ABV) are common these days. Each contains 10 units — about two- and-a-half times more than the sensible limit. Cans of beer often contain 5% ABV - that is two-and-a-half units each? So be careful,†she warns.
Pregnant women
Namutebi says pregnant women or those who think they could be pregnant, should drink, “Very little or, preferably, not at all. Anything more than one unit is risky. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder can be avoided if one abstains from alcohol when pregnant.â€
People on medication
Dr. Halima Ahamed of Ahamadiya Hospital in Mbale says people on medication should not drink.
“Alcohol should never mix with certain types of drugs, especially valium and ativan. If one is on medication, one should consult a doctor before drinking,†she adds.
Persons under 18
Paul Musiime, a Police officer at Zana Police Post, says persons under 18 should not drink. “Not only is it dangerous to drink alcohol — a toxin with highly damaging effects on growing bodies, it is also illegal for any person under 18 to buy, possess or drink alcohol.â€
He warns that culprits may be arraigned in court and if found guilty, may be fined or sent to a remand home for six months.
For parents or guardians, Musiime says, if a person below 18 who is in their care is found drinking or in possession of alcohol and this offence could have been avoided had they exercised due diligence, they may be subjected to a penalty not less than six months in prison.
Drinking and driving
Drinking and driving is illegal and leads to fatal accidents.
Musiime advises drivers to keep in mind the simple injunction: “If you are drinking do not drive and if you are driving do not drink.â€
He says drivers caught driving with an elevated blood alcohol level face a fine of sh200,000 and six months suspension of the driving license if it is the first offence.
If it is the second, the fine rises to sh500,000, and the licence will be suspended for a year.