Commonly, drinking brings about a reducing of inhibitions, increased relaxation and sociability and a desire to waffle on and on. Wolfing down more lagers can lead to a loss of control, blurred/double vision, dizziness, wobbly legs, sickness and even loss of consciousness. And if all that wasn't bad enough, wait till the morning when you'll have the King of Hangovers.

Alcohol slows reaction times, so some activities - like driving, cycling and operating machinery.  Your ability to make rational decisions goes flying out the window too and this can lead to sexual risk taking And the increased chance of catching HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Alcohol use has been linked to lots of social problems, including domestic violence and violent crime. The loss of inhibitions can lead to aggressive behavior. It might also lead to relationship problems - being drunk isn't much of an excuse if you say something to a friend you regret the next day.

Health effects

Regular use of alcohol can lead to tolerance, so if you're down the pub every night you'll find yourself having to wolf down more and more beers to get the same effect. If you're not exercising, expect to have to invest is some larger size trousers as your waistline expands. More worryingly, but physical dependence can occur for regular drinkers - much like heroin addiction - where the user gets ill without alcohol.

Taking a large dose of alcohol can cause memory loss, so you might not even remember what you said or why. Long-term use of alcohol is known to cause many physical illnesses including liver damage, stomach cancer and heart disease. Alcohol is estimated to cause 28,000 excess deaths per year in England and Wales. (181) 2,000,000 deaths per year worldwide.

Alcohol causes the body to lose heat to the environment - the blood vessels dilate, bringing them closer to the surface of the skin. Alcohol should never be given to someone to 'warm them up' (it will make them feel warmer, but their body will actually cool down).

Alcohol will also reduce a persons sensitivity to pain. It's possible to suffer injuries and not realise until the alcohol wears off - burns, cuts, bruises and even frostbite might go unnoticed. Alcohol causes dehydration, so taking alcohol with other drugs that dehydrate (like speed and ecstasy) is potentially very risky.

A large dose of alcohol will cause overdose leading to loss of consciousness and possibly even death. For a non-tolerant person (someone not drinking regularly) about 30 units (a bottle of spirits) would end in a trip to hospital and could be fatal. If someone is drunk, the only thing that will help them to sober up is time.

The body breaks down alcohol at the rate of one unit per hour - it's metabolized by the liver, which only works at one speed. Giving someone black coffee, speed or a cold shower to sober them up won't make their liver work any faster. They'll still be drunk - their judgment will be all over the place - but they'll be wide awake.

Taking alcohol with other drugs that have depressant effects (like heroin, methadone and some prescribed medicines like temazepam, diazepam or valium and antihistamines) will increase the potential for overdose. If you are with someone who has been drinking and loses consciousness, make sure they are in the recovery position and try to stay with them.

Even if they don't overdose, they could vomit while they are unconscious and choke - this is how Jimi Hendrix met his maker. Calling for an ambulance will ensure that they receive medical attention should they need it.

The Health Education Authority (HEA) indicates that 3-4 units a day for a man and 2-3 units a day for a woman are relatively safe benchmarks for drinking. People who regularly drink more than this increase the risks of suffering alcohol-related illnesses.

If you drink, having several alcohol-free days each week will reduce the risk of harm. The HEA suggests that pregnant women should not drink more than 1-2 units of alcohol a week. One unit = half a pint of beer, lager or cider, one glass of wine or one 25 ml measure of spirits. Many of the alcoholic colas, lemonades and other fizzy drinks available contain as much alcohol by volume as beer or cider.

Date rape

There has been a huge rise in date rape in the UK, where victims have their drinks 'spiked' with drugs like rophynol, GHB and oxycodone. Always keep an eye on your drinks and don't accept opened drinks off strangers.