Alcohol: tolerance and dependence
People who drink heavily usually develop a tolerance to alcohol. This means that they need to drink more to experience the same effect. As a result, some people can drink large amounts of alcohol without appearing to be intoxicated. However, the amount of alcohol consumed can still damage their health.
People who regularly drink heavily may become dependent on alcohol. Dependence can be psychological or physical, or both. People who are psychologically dependent on alcohol find that drinking becomes far more important than other activities in their life. People who are physically dependent upon alcohol find that their body is used to functioning with alcohol present.
For more information, please click on the Australian Drug Foundation's DrugInfo Clearinghouse web site link below.
Last Reviewed: 20 September 2006
