PHARMACISTS ARE WARNING people to be cautious this Christmas if they are currently taking medication as adding alcohol to the mix may not end well for a variety of reasons.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said alcohol can interact negatively with hundreds of commonly used medicines, including over-the-counter herbal remedies so consuming alcohol at the same time as using them has the potential to cause problems and put people at risk.

One good reason not to mix the two is that alcohol can make certain medicines less effective which is something you definitely want to avoid if you are feeling unwell. Even in small amounts, alcohol can also intensify side effects such as drowsiness and light headedness affecting concentration an the ability to operate machinery or drive your car.

“Although most medicines are safe and effective when used as directed, mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk of a dangerous reaction,” warned IPU vice president Daragh Connolly. “Our advice is if you are taking any medication, ask your pharmacist for advice before consuming alcohol to make sure it is safe to mix the two.”

Drinking alcohol on top of medications that contact alcohol can also affect a person’s blood alcohol concentration and you may end up over the legal limit for driving, even if you only had one drink.

The warning came as insurance company Allianz released an analysis of road fatalities which found alcohol-related collisions were twice as likely to be fatal. On average, 8.7% of fatalities in traffic accidents are caused by alcohol. The figures from the World Health Organisation also show that Irish women are in the top 10% in Europe for collisions caused by alcohol. However men in Ireland are twice as likely to be involved in fatal, alcohol induced crashes than women.

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