Grog, a kip, hooch, booze, sauce, juice, liquid courage, brewski, a cold one, champers, a bevvy.
Known as many different names and long ingrained in Australian culture, Alcohol, can be an enjoyed in moderation with your friends, to celebrate or relax. But often, alcohol can lead to harm.
Getting hammered, tanked, pissed, wasted or plastered can lead to both short-term and long term harm.
Read The Play support the Geelong Cats Just Think messaging and encourage you all to ‘Just Think’ before consuming alcohol in excess.
Alcohol can impact brain development in adolescent and lead to alcohol-related problems later in life. People under 18 years old are also more likely to experience harm related to drinking alcohol than adults.
The NRMHC recommends that where possible children and youth should avoid drinking alcohol before the age of 18.
If you decide to drink alcohol before 18 years, please consider:
- Delaying the initiation of drinking for as long as possible
- Do not drink above the safe intake recommendations set for adults
- Drink in a safe environment, supervised by trusted adults
The safe intake recommendations for healthy adults are:
- Drink no more than two standard drinks on any day to reduce the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury
- Drink no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion to reduce the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion
So you’ve decided to play on without alcohol? Good on you! Here are some tips on how to say no when you are offered a drink.
- Be Assertive: No thanks, I am waiting until I am 18 to drink as I want to be as fit and healthy as I can be for football.
- Make an excuse: No thanks, my parents are picking me up soon.
- Delay tactics: All good thanks, someone else is already making me a drink.
If you are concerned about your drinking habits, concerned about another person or would just like to know more about young people and alcohol, please have a look at these links:
Youth Support and Advocacy Service
Direct Line – 24/7 Counselling, information and referral