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Alcohol

Alcohol

Information about alcohol

About alcohol

Alcohol is a drug that acts as a depressant and slows down the brain and nervous system.

Bottles of various alcohol lined up

Standard drinks

A 'standard drink' is the measure of alcohol used to work out safe drinking levels.

Line up of different drinks

Literary mocktails

What do you get when you cross literary favourites with delicious thirst-quenching concoctions? Literary mocktails!

 

a pile of cocktail umbrellas

Drugs, alcohol and the workplace

Find information about the impact of drugs and alcohol in the workplace.

Hard hats hanging on wall

Alcohol, pregnancy and breastfeeding

Find information about alcohol use and pregnancy, breastfeeding and the health of babies.

Pregnant woman looking at sonogram picture

Mental health

Find information about drugs and alcohol and mental health.

Stylised picture of a persons brain function

Reducing risk from alcohol harm

Drinks Meter

Drinks Meter is a user-friendly phone app that gives you feedback about your alcohol use. 

Hand holding mobile phone showing a picture of a bottle and the words drinks meter

Get Healthy information and coaching service

NSW Health runs a free telephone coaching service to help people who want to reduce their alcohol consumption.

Mobile phone laying on a wooden table

Australian alcohol guidelines

The Australian Alcohol Guidelines provide information for Australians on reducing risks to health from drinking alcohol.

glass of wine

Availability of alcohol in the community

Regulate the sale of alcohol near you.

Group of alcohol bottles

Alcohol and the law in New South Wales

Alcohol and the law

Find information about alcohol and law in New South Wales.

Glass of alcohol sitting next to a gavel

Alcohol, drugs and driving in NSW

Find information about the effects of alcohol, in particular  blood alcohol concentration or B.A.C, on driving.

Car keys sitting on table

Binge drinking

Drinking to the point where the more severe negative effects of drinking alcohol occur, especially intentionally, is called binge drinking.

Lots of empty beer bottles sitting on coffee table

Drink spiking

Find out about drink spiking and risky drinking.

Person pouring suspicious substance into cocktail

Publications

A Quick Guide to Drugs & Alcohol

An easy to read reference book with information on a range of drugs, drug effects, drugs and driving, pregnancy, treatment, statistics, drugs and the law and where to go for help and further information.

Read

Book cover, Quick guide to drugs and alcohol

Looking for more? The State Library has a wealth of health information in its collections. Try searching our various resources to find more.

eResources

Find full-text articles, newspapers and images

Research Guides

Discover our specialised subject guides

Getting help