swimming.org.au

BEING A CLUB CHAMPIONA swimmer’s guide to alcohol and other drugs

BEING A CLUB CHAMPIONThe Club Champions and Illicit Drugs in Sport Programs aim to enlist sporting organisations and sports people to reduce the levels of binge drinking and illicit drug use in the community.

This booklet provides information about the impact of alcohol and other drugs on the functioning of your body and mind and also your ability to train and compete at optimal level.

Swimming Australia Limited (SAL) has a zero tolerance to illicit drug use policy as well as a dry team policy with regard to alcohol. This means that when the team is assembled to prepare for, attend and participate in an event, members are not allowed to drink alcohol or consume illicit or prohibited drugs.

As a swimmer you are already committed to taking good care of your body. When the difference between winning and getting a place can be less than one hundredth of a second, a healthy mind and body are the key to achieving your full potential.

What are the effects of alcohol?Alcohol is a

which means that it acts to

slow down your heart rate and breathing. The most obvious and immediate effects of

alcohol are on your brain, beginning with feelings of relaxation, wellbeing and loss of

inhibitions. However, the more you drink, the more you are likely to experience unpleasant

effects, such as drowsiness, loss of balance, nausea and vomiting, headaches and

hangovers.

Alcohol affects each of us in different ways depending

on mind, mood, the setting and the people you are with.

How can alcohol harm your health and performance?Alcohol affects the area of your brain which is responsible for critical learning

including memory, decision making, concentration and emotional stability.

Did you know your brain doesn’t stop developing

until your mid 20s? Any alcohol before then can

affect the way your brain develops so the longer

you can delay drinking until at least the age of 18,

the better your brain will function in the long run.

central nervous system depressant drug

Studies have also found that moderate amounts of alcohol (2 standard drinks at night) can affect:

• REMsleep–thedeepsleepneededtorecoverfromtraining• Recovery–thebodyneedstorefuel,rehydrateandrepairitselfaftertraining• Riskofsportinginjuries–impulsivebehaviourswhendrinkingcanleadtoserious injuryormakeexistinginjuriesworse• Recoveryfrominjuries–alcoholincreasesbloodflowtoaninjuredareaandlimits quick recoveries!

Alcohol is a diuretic which means that it affects the efficiency of the kidneys to reabsorb water.

This can lead to dehydration and make it difficult to recover from a hard training week.

Alcohol intake negatively impacts on a variety of fine motor skills essential for successful swimming performance including:

• Reactiontime,accuracyandbalance• Hand-eyeorfoot-eyecoordination• Visualtrackingandsearching

What is a standard drink?Alcoholdiffersinstrength.Usuallybeersrangefrom1%-6%alcoholcontent;winesarebetween12%-14%andspirits(likevodka,bourbonandJägermeister)rangebetween20%-40%alcoholcontent.

Alcohol is measured in ‘standard drinks’. A standard drink contains 10mg of alcohol. All cans and bottlesarerequiredbylawtolistthenumberofstandarddrinks.Rememberthedrinksyoupurchaseorpourfor yourself generally contain more than one standard drink.

DID YOU KNOW?Having five standard drinks or more in one session can impair your brain and body activities up to three days later. Having two big nights in a row can take up to five days for the body to completely recover.

Mixing alcohol withenergy drinks

Energydrinksprovideuserswithaboostofenergy,alertnessandstamina.Theactiveingredientinmostiscaffeine;butsomealsocontainguarana (a South American plant which contains high levels of caffeine), taurine (an amino acid purported to improve athletic performance), vitamins and herbal supplements, and sugars or sweeteners.

EnergydrinkssoldinAustraliaarerestrictedto320mgofcaffeineperlitre.A250mlenergydrinkcontains80mgofcaffeine-equivalenttoapproximatelyoneserveofstrongcoffee.A500mlcancontainsdoublethat.TherecommendedmaximumdailyintakeinAustralia(asidentifiedonproductpackaging)is500mlor150mgcaffeine.

Although there isn’t a lot of conclusive research evidence about the harms of combing alcohol with energy drinks some studies have found people drink more alcohol on a night out and also likely to take more risks than if they consumed alcohol alone.

Sobering upThere is no quick way to sober up from alcohol and no amount of food, physical activity or sleep will speed up the process. The only thing that works is TIME.

It takes your body approximately 60 minutes to process one standard drink. For women this can sometimes take up to 90 minutes!

Alcohol and mental healthAlcoholenjoysastrongassociationwithcelebratingandsocialisingbutsometimespeopledrinktorelievestressandcope with bad situations. This only provides temporary relief by masking the issue at hand and can actually make feelings of depression and anxiety worse.

Healthier strategies to clear your mind include chatting to someone you trust, listening to music, getting some fresh air orevenkeepingajournaltoseeifsomethingistriggeringstress.Don’tbeafraidtoreachoutforprofessionalsupporttoo, it’s free and confidential.

KidsHelpline-1800551800/www.kidshelp.com.au BiteBack-www.biteback.org.au

YouthBeyondBlue-www.youthbeyondblue.com Headspace-www.headspace.org.au

Alcohol and social mediaMostpeoplehavecamerasontheirphonethesedays.Ifyouarecaughtbeingdrunkorabusiveinpublic,it could be uploaded on to the internet. Avoid texts, Twitter and Facebook if you have been drinking. Taking thisriskcouldnotonlyembarrassyoubutitcouldpotentiallydamageyourcareerandjeopardiseyourswimming dreams in years to come.

Staying SafeIt’simportanttorememberthatit’sOKAYtosaynotoadrink.Planinadvancewhatyoumightsaytofriendsifthey pressure you into drinking. You already have the best excuse as a swimmer who has to get up early in the morning.

Ifyoudecidetodrink,beresponsibleandaccountable.Ifyouorafriendgetsintoadangeroussituationfromdrinking remember:

1. Help them get home safely and take their keys so they aren’t tempted to drive2. Don’tgivethemanythinginanattempttosoberthemup(suchasbread),theycouldchoke.Onlygive them small sips of water if they are conscious3. Neverleavethemontheirown.I.e.Don’tputthemtobedorleavethemintheshower–staywith themtomakesuretheydon’tpassoutandinjurethemselves4. Iftheyareunconsciousbutotherwisebreathingnormally,makesuretheyareintherecoveryposition and call 000

One Australian teenager DIES

and more than 60 are hospitalised each week from alcohol-related

causes.

RECOVERY POSITION

Arms and legs locked to stabilise position

Chin up and mouth facing downward to clear airway

It’sillegaltopossess,supplyordrinkalcoholbeforeyou’re18inAustralia.Gettingsomeoneover18tobuyyoualcoholisn’tsuchagreatideaeither–youandthepersonsupplyingthealcoholcouldenduppocketinga$2,500and$5,000fine.

ItisalsoillegaltodriveundertheinfluenceofalcoholandinmostStatesifyou’realearnerorprovisionaldriver,itisillegaltohaveanyalcoholinyoursystem.Ifyoudrinkthenightbeforedriving you may still be over the limit the next day.

Askyourselfifyou’rewillingtoriskkillingorseriouslyinjuringyourselforanotherperson,losingyourlicence,beingfined,havingacriminalrecordorevengoingtojail?

Losingyourlicensefromdrinkdrivingorhavingacriminalrecordfromalcohol-relatedassaultwilllimitjobopportunitiesandanydreamofinternationaltravelinthefuture.

THE LEGAL STUFF

SwimmingAustraliahasadoptedandimplementedananti-dopingpolicyandruleswhichconformtotherulesestablishedbytheWorldAntiDopingAuthority,theInternationalOlympicCommittee,FINAandtheAustralianSportsAnti-DopingAuthority.Thepolicyprohibitsthein-competitionuseofperfor-mance-enhancingandotherillicitdrugs.

Forfurtherinformationaboutbanneddrugssee:Article8:SwimmingAustraliaLimitedIllicitDrugsPolicy.www.swimming.org.au

All Swimming Australia athletes are subject to random anti-doping and drug testing. A positive test could ruin more things than your career. For information on anti-doping and banned substances, contact the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) on 13 000 ASADA (13 000 27232) or visit: www.asada.gov.au

Similarly to alcohol, illicit drugs can impact on your functioning and sporting performance.

The following things are at stake if you use illicit drugs:

• Yoursportingandpersonalsuccess• Yourhealth• Yourmembershipofateam• Yourreputationandthatofyourteamandclub• Yourcareer• Therespectofyourfamily,friends,fansandthecommunity• Acriminalrecord

IT’S ABOUT MAKINGGOOD CHOICES

The main illegal stimulant drugs include ecstasy, cocaine and meth/ampheta-mines (speed, base and ice).

Generallythesedrugs(temporarily)increaseyourheartrate,bloodpressure,metabolism, body temperature, sweating and lactic acid production. They also suppresssleep,appetiteandenergylevels–affectingyourabilitytorecoverandrefuel optimally when training or performing. Use of stimulant drugs can also impair your memory and increase nervousness and irritability making it hard to concentrate on training and performing. Long term use of these drugs can also result in dependence and other psychological problems.

Stimulant drugs

Illicit drugs and sporting performancePsychoactive drugs primarily fall into three categories depending

on how they affect the central nervous system.

Stimulants speed up mental processes, depressants slow them down and hallucinogens can greatly distort your sense of reality.

The main illegal depressant drugs are gamma hydroxy-butrate (GHB) and opioid drugs such as heroin.

Generallythesedrugsslowdownaperson’sbreathingandheartrate.Theyalsoaffecta person’s decision making ability, memory, concentration, balance, coordination and response time to unexpected situations. These drugs can also decrease the body’s abilitytofeelpainandexacerbatesofttissueinjurybyincreasingbloodflowininjuredareas. Use of these drugs will also decrease the likelihood of carrying out appropriate recoverystrategies–suchasstayingrehydratedandeatingproperly.

HallucinogensDepressant drugs

The main illegal hallucinogenic drugs are LSD and magic mushrooms.

These drugs alter a person’s thinking and distort their sense of time, space, memory, sensoryprocessingandreality.Theycancausehallucinations–wherepeopleseeandhear things that aren’t really there. This can be disorientating and very distressing and in some cases may require medical intervention. Hallucinogens are also known to reduce coordination and reaction time and result in blurry vision and dizziness. The use of these drugs will affect energy levels and the ability to recover and perform at your best.

The psilocin and psilocybin in magic mushrooms can cause stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Illicit drug use can affect your: • Sportingperformance• Physicalandmentalhealth• Abilitytostudyandwork• Personalrelationships• Qualityoflife

The best way to protect yourself from the impact of illicit drugs is to decide not to use them. To do this you will need to prepare yourself with some strategies to support your decision.

A word on CANNABISCannabis doesn’t fit neatly into any of the above categories and has a mixture of effects on the body. It is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide and approximately one in ten Australian’s over the age of 14 reported they used it last year.

Because the drug is primarily smoked, use of it can affect your lungs which are vital for being a world class swimmer. Most people don’t realise that one bong or joint is the equivalent of up to five cigarettes in lung damage. The drug can also make you drowsy and distort your sense of time and space. It also slows down your reaction time and your ability to perform at your best. Long term and heavy use of the drug can lead to demotivation, dependence and mental health problems.

It is also important to note that the metabolites in cannabis store in your fat cells and therefore can be detected in urine drug tests for up to one week if you smoke a small amount of cannabis, or longer if you are a heavier smoker.

If you think you may have a problem with alcohol or other drugs or know someone who has, the first step is to start talking. Have a chat with a friend, family member or coach. Alternatively you may want to seek the help of a counsellor or health professional.

You can also:

1. Visit www.idis.gov.au to learn more about the Australian Government’s IDIS initiative;2. Check out www.australia.gov.au/drugs;3. Contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service in each State and Territory of Australia or DirectLine (Vic/Tas.) for 24/7 free, confidential information and counselling about alcohol and other drugs.

To find out more about Swimming Australia’s IDIS activities please contact the Athlete Wellbeing Coordinator on 02 6219 5600 or check www.swimming.org.au

• “Nothanks”or“Nothanks,Ineedtotraintomorrow”• Walkaway• Keepyourselfbusy–dance,playpool,etc.• Trytostayawayfrompeoplewhoarelikelytobeusingillicitdrugs• Gooutwithpeoplewhoareunlikelytobeusingillicitdrugs

Think about your sporting dreams and goals and consider how poor choices, behaviour and performance will impact on you achieving these.

Illicitdruguseismorethanabreachofasportingcodeofconduct–itmayresultinacriminalrecord, unwanted media attention, loss of sponsorship and ultimately the loss of your dreams.

Decide what you will say and do if you are offered drugs: FURTHER INFORMATION

PreparedbyAnnieBleekerwww.anniebleeker.com