Orihuela Health Department joined the alcohol awareness campaign ‘World no Alcohol Day’ which ran on Sunday. The Councillor for Health, José Galiano, explained that the Department was working in conjunction with the Community Prevention of Addictive Behaviours Unit of Orihuela (UPCCA).
Part of the initiative is an on-going project entitled “With alcohol, keep your distance” which consists of the dissemination of different posters and adverts that aim to dispel some of the myths related to alcohol consumption and COVID-19.
The councillor for Health said: “During the pandemic erroneous information has been generated in relation to the consumption of alcohol and the virus, such as that alcohol can protect people against contagion, that it helps people to cope with the situation or that it is a valid option to aid mental health. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness in the community, especially in adolescents.”
“The ‘World no-alcohol Day’ was intended to raise awareness about the physical and psychological damage that this substance produces in the body”, the Councillor explained.
Alcohol continues to be responsible for three million deaths each year worldwide, and it is the drug most consumed in the last 12 months, among high school students, according to the ESTUDES 2018-2019 survey, carried out at state level.
What effects does alcohol have in our body?
Alcohol affects our whole body in different ways causing some of these effects:
• Nervous system/brain: Alcohol interferes brain conections causing moodyness, confusion and incoordination of movements.
• Heart: Alcohol increases blood pressure and the risk of arrithmias and heart attack.
• Liver: Alcohol may cause cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.
• Pancreas: Alcohol increases the risk of pancreas inflammation or pancreatitis.
• Immune system: The immune system is depressed in patients that have alcohol dependence and they are prone to infections like pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• Alcohol increases the risk for cancer, specially oral cancer, esphagous cancer, liver cancer or breast cancer.