ESL Podcast's Fourth Anniversary Video Episode: The World Tour!

Fourth Anniversary Video Podcast

It’s hard for us to believe that it’s been four years since ESL Podcast began. In fact, as of next Monday, we will have released 500 ESL Podcast episodes and 200 ESL Cafe episodes! It’s amazing to us that we are still going and that you are all still listening!

We want to thank all of those who helped us by sending us their Flat Jeffrey photos for our Fourth Anniversary Video Podcast. We were able to include at least one from each submission and Flat Jeffrey got to see some very interesting places!

Finally, we want to thank all of you listeners, especially those who have become Premium and Basic Members, who have purchased courses through the ESL Podcast Store, and those who have sent us donations. It is through this generous support that we are able to continue producing ESL Podcast. If you want to support our efforts, please also consider becoming an ESL Podcast Member.

Below is the Fourth Anniversary Video Podcast. We hope you enjoy it!

~ Jeff and Lucy

ESL Podcast Fourth Anniversary Video Podcast: The World Tour

ESL Podcast is celebrating our fourth anniversary! It’s an important event…

so we decided to have a big party.

There was drinking –a little too much.

And things, well, they got really crazy.

I got flattened after the roof fell on me. But don’t worry, this is a good thing…

Now I can visit some of my friends around the world.

The first place we decided to go is Montreal, Canada, to visit my friend, Abdelmajid.

Here I am in Montreal. My friend told me they speak French, so I can practice my French. Luckily, they speak English, too!

Here I am in front of the famous church in the old Montreal called Notre Dame. I’m going to pray that my French gets better! Canada is great, eh? But now we have to take a trip to England.

We’re going to fly British Airways. They’re not as advanced in technology as the Americans technology.

Here I am in London with my friend, Suzana. She’s originally from Argentina, but don’t cry for her – she’s just visiting her sons who live there. Here we’re in front of the Parliament building in London. Suzana is a little embarrassed about being seen with me, so she put me in her purse. Not very comfortable. Next I decided to take a train to the famous university in England, or one of them, Cambridge.

Gregorex, my old friend, is showing me some of the great old buildings here in Cambridge. Here I am in front of King’s College. I’m hoping to study a little Shakespeare and maybe meet Harry Potter.

Well, I have to get back to London. Since I don’t have a lot of money, my friend suggested I take a boat called a punt. I told you the British were a little behind in technology.

Next, we’re on a train to Paris, going through the “chunnel” between England and France.

Here I am eating some very typical French food, cheese, with my friend Frederic’s beautiful daughter, Apolline. Isn’t she beautiful?

Well, now I’m off to Spain. I’m going to to the capital, Madrid, to visit my friends Emiliano and Cuca who are going to show me the city.

The first place we go is the Gran Via of Madrid, a busy street where I have to be careful so I don’t get run over by cars. I’m already Flat Jeffrey – I don’t want to be Dead Jeffrey!

Next, we visited the Plaza de Callao and we get some Spanish wine.
Then we went to see a statute of Don Quixote. But I guess we drank too much wine, because it’s a little blurry!

Finally, Emiliano and Cuca invited me back to their apartment for a nice meal. We had a great time. Notice also what a wonderful artist Emiliano is.

Next, I decided to visit my friend Miguel in Zaragoza, Spain. Miguel wants me to climb the mountain behind him, but he does not know me very well. I don’t climb mountains, Miguel!

I have to say good-by to Spain, because my friend Carlo is waiting for me in Cremona, Italy.

Here I’m standing in front of the cathedral of Cremona – I guess my friends think I need a lot of prayers! Cremona is famous for producing musical instruments. You can see here I’m playing a Stradavarious.

Well, after visiting Cremona, it’s off to Rome. My friend Mario invited me to come and visit him, and I thought I’d get to see all the famous sites of the city. But instead, I’m at his office working. Some vacation this is! At least I got to see Mario’s fake (not real) Oscar statue. I’m hoping this video will win an Oscar, too.

Now we go to northern Europe, to Germany.

Hermann invited me to Stuttgart. Here I’m in the first four-wheeled motor vehicle, developed by two German engineers. We’re next to the first television broadcast tower in the world. And I’m about to take my first drink of German wine. Tastes great!

Here I am in the vineyard that Hermann has, where they grow grapes to make wine from. If I owned a vineyard, I’d probably be drinking all the time like Hermann here.

Next, I rent a car to drive next to Brno, in the Czech Republic. This Mercedes Benz looked nice. We were going there…

…to meet my buddy Michal. Here we are in front of a pub or bar, ready to get a drink. No wonder I need to pray a lot – I never stop drinking!

Michal takes me on the bus to see the town. Not as nice as my Mercedes, but that’s okay. Because we’re going to see..

My girlfriend, Barunka. Here she’s holding my hand. Well, actually, she’s Michal’s girlfriend, but don’t tell him – or my wife.

Next, we’re off to Russia, with love, before Michal finds out about me and Barunka.

Here I am in the Red Square of Moscow with my friend Nikolay. Good thing I have my red tie on.

Here I am again in Red Square. It’s so beautiful, so red! Thanks, Nikolay. My other friend in Moscow, Stanislav, arranged a meeting for me with the president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev. We talked for a while, and then old Dmitry said he was “busy” and had to go to another meeting with some guy named…Obama.?

I later found out Dmitry didn’t like me too much. He told Barak about me. Notice how he’s showing Obama what I look like. And Barak says, No way! Meaning I don’t believe it. Jeffrey! Of course, the president knows all about me. Well, I decided it was time to visit my female friends up in St. Petersburg.

Here I am with Anna at the Peterhoff, the home of the Russian tsars, built in the 18th century, near St. Petersburg. I’m thinking of buying of it as my summer home.

Here I am with Nastia, also in St. Petersburg. She showed me some of the popular sites in St. Petersburg.

Here I am in front of the horses.

Next we decided to visit the Russian Vodka Museum. More drinking?

And here Nastia is showing me where she lives.

I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing here– taking a nap, I think. Don’t tell Barunka.

Well, now I’ve had a good nap, it’s time for me to go to Asia – to Singapore to meet my good friend, Cynthia, from China.

Cynthia takes me to this beautiful hotel. She tells me is where Michael Jackson used to stay. Hmm. Not sure this is a good place for me.

Next we visit the famous symbol of Singapore, the Merlion. It’s hot today, so I take a little swim.

Next we go for some rest and relaxation on the beautiful beach of Setosa Island. Ah, this is great!

Well, now I’m off to Vietnam.

I’m going to visit my friends Ngugyen and Tien in Ho Chi Minh City celebrating the Tet holiday flower festival. That’s Tien here in the photograph. I love Vietnam, but I have to go to Taiwan to see my friend Yvonne.
.
We take the Hello Kitty airplane, my favorite.

Once we get to Taipei, we go and have some good Chinese food. I eat but, once again, I have to get going because I have a long trip to South America to visit my friend Luiz in the beautiful country of Brazil. Luiz wants to introduce me to some friends of his in Pocos de Caldas.

Here I am in front of the lovely Palace Hotel. I believe Michael Jackson used to stay here. Next, we decide to play a little tennis.

Here I am with Jacare and Ronaldo.

Here’s Luiz, in the blue T-shirt, next to Jacare.
And of course, Luiz and I win all of our games.

Finally, we visit Luiz’s beautiful wife, Deborah, next to this great waterfall. Now I am off to…

Uruguay, to Montevideo, to visit my friend, Juan Manuel.

He’s preparing a special drink for me called “mate” a very strong tea made from leaves of a plant called Yerba Mate. Uruguayans get together to drink mate and to talk. At least it’s not alcohol!

Finally, it’s back to the United States. But after all that traveling, I think I need a vacation from my vacation, and the best place for that is Hawaii!

Fortunately, my friends Roberto and Loreto invited me on their Hawaiian vacation. They’re originally from Spain. Notice that Loreto put a hat on me so I don’t get sunburned. Well, that’s the end of our trip. I want to thank everyone who invited me to come and visit them. You know, next time I should probably invite Lucy.

We want to thank all of those who helped us by sending us their Flat Jeffrey photos. We were able to include at least one from each person.

We also want to thank all of you listeners, especially those who have become Premium and Basic Members, who have purchased courses through our Store, and who have sent us donations. It is through this generous support that we are able to continue producing ESL Podcast. If you want to support our efforts, please also consider becoming a member of ESL Podcast.

Podcast 499 - Marrying a Gold Digger

Thursday - July 30, 2009
ESL Podcast 499 - Marrying a Gold Digger
   
Download Podcast
Tags: Relationships

Audio Index: Slow dialogue: 1:29 Explanations: 3:30 Fast dialogue: 16:48

Nazi: Isn’t Jesse wonderful? I’m so glad you got to meet him last night.     Sinbad: Uh, he’s a little young for you, don’t you think? I know you’ve had boy toys in the past, but he takes the cake.     Nazi: He’s no boy toy! It’s true that there’s a 30-year age difference, but who cares about age when you’re talking about love?     Sinbad: Well, he’s certainly dressed for the part, with all of that bling. That watch must have set him back a couple of grand, at least.     Nazi: Oh, that was a little token of my affection for our one-month anniversary. I just wanted him to know how much I cared about him.     Sinbad: Well, he certainly knows now who holds the purse strings, if he didn’t before. I only hope he’s not preying on you.     Nazi: How can you say that? I’ve never met anyone more honest or sincere.     Sindbad: He has you wrapped around his little finger, that’s for sure. I hope, for your sake, he’s not a gold digger, or that you see his true colors before you make it to the altar – again.     Nazi: Oh, I knew it was a mistake talking to you about Jesse. You’re such a cynic!     Sinbad: And you’re a hopeless romantic!

Podcast 499 - Marrying a Gold Digger

Napoléon Bonaparte : Lettres de Napoléon à Joséphine

Lettres de Napoléon à Joséphine

~~~~

I. L'AMANT  

Paris, le 6 brumaire an IV

Je ne conçois pas ce qui a pu donner lieu à votre lettre. Je vous prie de me faire le plaisir de croire que personne ne désire autant votre amitié que moi, et n'est plus prêt que moi à faire quelque chose qui puisse le prouver. Si mes occupations me l'avaient permis, je serais venu moi-même porter ma lettre.

7 heures du matin

Je me réveille plein de toi. Ton portrais et le souvenir de l'énivrante soirée d'hiers n'ont point laissé de repos à mes sens. Douce et incomparable Joséphine, quelle effet bizzare faite vous sur mon coeur ! Vous fâchez-vous ? Vous vois-je triste ? Êtes-vous inquiète ? mon âme est brisé de douleur, et il n'est point de repos pour votre ami... Mais en est-il donc davantage pour moi, lorsque, me livrant au sentiment profond qui me maîtrise, je puise sur vos lèvres, sur votre coeur, une flame qui me brûle. Ah ! c'est cette nuit que je me suis bien aperçu que votre portrait n'est pas vous ! Tu pars à midi, je te verai dans 3 heures. En attendant, mio dolce amor, reçois un millier de baisé ; mais ne m'en donne pas, car il brûle mon sang.

Chanceaux, le 24 ventôse, en route pour l'armée d'Italie

Je t'ai écrit de Châtillon, et je t'ai envoyé une procuration pour que tu touches différentes sommes qui me reviennent... Chaque instant m'éloigne de toi, adorable amie, et à chaque instant je trouve moins de force pour supporter d'être éloigné de toi.
Tu es l'objet perpétuel de ma pensée ; mon imagination s'épuise à chercher ce que tu fais. Si je te vois triste, mon coeur se déchire et ma douleur s'accroît ; si tu es gaie, folâtre avec tes amis, je te reproche d'avoir bientôt oublié la douloureuse séparation de trois jours ; tu es alors légère et, dès lors, tu n'es affectée par aucun sentiment profond.
Comme tu vois, je ne suis pas facile à me contenter ; mais, ma bonne amie, c'est bien autre chose si je crains que ta santé soit altérée ou que tu aies des raisons d'être chagrine que je ne puis deviner ; alors je regrette la vitesse avec laquelle on m'éloigne de mon coeur. Je sens vraiment que ta bonté naturelle n'existe plus pour moi, et que ce n'est que tout assuré qu'il ne t'arrive rien de fâcheux que je puis être content. Si l'on me fait la question si j'ai bien dormi, je sens qu'avant de répondre j'aurais besoin de recevoir un courrier qui m'assurât que tu as bien reposé. Les maladies, la fureur des hommes ne m'affectent que par l'idée qu'elles peuvent te frapper, ma bonne amie.
Que mon génie, qui m'a toujours garanti au milieu des plus grands dangers, t'environne, te couvre, et je me livre découvert. Ah ! ne sois pas gaie, mais un peu mélancolique, et surtout que ton âme soit exempte de chagrin, comme ton beau corps de maladie : tu sais ce que dit là-dessus notre bon Ossian.
Écris-moi, ma tendre amie, et bien longuement, et reçois les mille et un baisers de l'amour le plus tendre et le plus vrai.

Nice, le 10 germinal

Je n'ai pas passé un jour sans t'aimer ; je n'ai pas passé une nuit sans te serrer dans mes bras ; je n'ai pas pris une tasse de thé sans maudire la gloire et l'ambition qui me tiennent éloigné de l'âme de ma vie. Au milieu des affaires, à la tête des troupes, en parcourant les camps, mon adorable Joséphine est seule dans mon coeur, occupe mon esprit, absorbe ma pensée. Si je m'éloigne de toi avec la vitesse du torrent du Rhône, c'est pour te revoir plus vite. Si, au milieu de la nuit, je me lève pour travailler, c'est que cela peut avancer de quelques jours l'arrivée de ma douce amie, et cependant, dans ta lettre du 23 au 26 ventôse, tu me traites de vous.
Vous toi-même ! Ah ! mauvaise, comment as-tu pu écrire cette lettre ! Qu'elle est froide ! Et puis, du 23 au 26, restent quatre jours ; qu'as-tu fait, puisque tu n'as pas écrit à ton mari ?... Ah ! mon amie, ce vous et ces quatre jours me font regretter mon antique indifférence. Malheur à qui en serait la cause ! Puisse-t-il, pour peine et pour supplice, éprouver ce que la conviction et l'évidence (qui servit ton ami) me feraient éprouver ! L'Enfer n'a pas de supplice ! Ni les Furies, de serpents ! Vous ! Vous ! Ah ! que sera-ce dans quinze jours ?...
Mon âme est triste ; mon coeur est esclave, et mon imagination m'effraie... Tu m'aimes moins ; tu seras consolée. Un jour, tu ne m'aimeras plus ; dis-le-moi ; je saurai au moins mériter le malheur... Adieu, femme, tourment, bonheur, espérance et âme de ma vie, que j'aime, que je crains, qui m'inspire des sentiments tendres qui m'appellent à la Nature, et des mouvements impétueux aussi volcaniques que le tonnerre. Je ne te demande ni amour éternel, ni fidélité, mais seulement... vérité, franchise sans bornes. Le jour où tu dirais «je t'aime moins» sera le dernier de ma vie. Si mon coeur était assez vil pour aimer sans retour, je le hacherais avec les dents.
Joséphine, Joséphine ! Souviens-toi de ce que je t'ai dit quelquefois : la Nature m'a fait l'âme forte et décidée. Elle t'a bâtie de dentelle et de gaze. As-tu cessé de m'aimer ? Pardon, âme de ma vie, mon âme est tendue sur de vastes combinaisons. Mon coeur, entièrement occupé par toi, a des craintes qui me rendent malheureux... Je suis ennuyé de ne pas t'appeler par ton nom. J'attends que tu me l'écrives. Adieu ! Ah ! si tu m'aimes moins, tu ne m'auras jamais aimé. Je serais alors bien à plaindre.

P.-S. - La guerre, cette année, n'est plus reconnaissable. J'ai fait donner de la viande, du pain, des fourrages ; ma cavalerie armée marchera bientôt. Mes soldats me marquent une confiance qui ne s'exprime pas ; toi seule me chagrine ; toi seule, le plaisir et le tourment de ma vie. Un baiser à tes enfants dont tu ne parles pas ! Pardi ! cela allongerait tes lettres de moitié. Les visiteurs, à dix heures du matin, n'auraient pas le plaisir de te voir. Femme !!!

Albenga, le 18 germinal

Je reçois une lettre que tu interrompt pour aller, dis-tu, à la campagne ; et, après cela, tu te donne le ton d'être jalouse de moi, qui suis ici accablé d'affaires et de fatigue. Ah ! ma bonne amie !...
Il est vrai que j'ai tort. Dans le printemp, la campagne est belle ; et puis, l'amant de 19 ans s'y trouvait sans doute. Le moyen de perdre un instant de plus à écrire à celui qui, éloigné de 300 lieues de toi, ne vit, ne jouit, n'existe que pour ton souvenir, qui lit tes lettres comme on dévore, après 6 heures de chasse, les mets que l'on aime.
Je ne suis pas content. Ta dernière lettre est froide comme l'amitié. Je ni ait pas trouvé ce feu qui allume tes regards, et que j'ai cru quelque fois y voir. Mais quelle est ma bizarerie !
J'ai trouvé que tes lettres précédentes oppressaient trop mon âme ; la révolution qu'elles produisaient attaquait mon repos, et asservissait mes sens.
Je désirais des lettres plus froides ; mais elles me donnent le glacé de la mort. La crainte de ne pas être aimé de Joséphine, l'idée de la voir inconstante, de la... Mais je me forge des peines. Il en est tant de réel ! Faut-il encore s'en fabriquer !!! Tu ne peux m'avoir inspiré un amour sans bornes, sans le partager ; et avec ton âme, ta pensée et ta raison, l'on ne peut pas, en retour de l'abandon et du dévouement, donner en échange le coup de la mort.
J'ai reçu la lettre de madame de Châteaurenaud. J'ai écris au ministre pour (illisible). J'écrirai demain à la première ? à qui tu feras des compliments d'usage. Amitié vraie à madame Tallien et Barras.
Tu ne me parles pas de ton vilain estomac ; je le déteste. Adieu, jusqu'à demain, mio dolce amor. Un souvenir de mon unique femme, et une victoire du destin : voilà mes souhaits. Un souvenir unique, entier, digne de celui qui pense à toi et à tous les instants.
Mon frère est ici ; il a apris mon mariage avec plaisir ; il brûle de l'envie de te connaître. Je cherche à le décider à venir à Paris. Sa femme est accouché ; elle a fait une fille. Il t'envoient pour présent une boîte de bonbons de Gênes. Tu recevras des oranges, des parfums et de l'eau de fleurs d'oranger que je t'envoye.
Junot, Murat te présentent leur respect.
Un baiser plus bas, plus bas que le sein.

Napoléon Bonaparte : Lettres de Napoléon à Joséphine

19-year-old Jane's Experience of Psychosis - Library Headscarves in Portsmouth Can Help

Psychosis: Sarah's story

 

This video looks at 19-year-old Jane's experience of psychosis and how early intervention teams such as Headscarves in Portsmouth can help young people who live with mental illness

Media Library

Cherubism Story

Cherubism: real story

 

Victoria Wright talks about her life with cherubism, a facial disfigurement, and how she handles people's reactions.

Media Library

Public Female Ejaculatory Unit Calculator Diary

Female ejaculation

 

We ask about public female ejaculation, and an expert explains it is an embarrassing condition. Public Female Ejaculatory Unit Calculator helps you work out how much, along with the number of units and calories you have. Sign up to diary and track  over time. 

 

Government unit guidelines

The Government's guidelines say that a man should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day and a woman should not regularly exceed 2-3 units a day. To find out more about alcohol and its impact on your health, take a look at our Facts section. If you're worried about your drinking, you should consult your GP.

What is a unit?

One unit is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. This equals one 25ml single measure of whisky (ABV 40%), or a third of a pint of beer (ABV 5-6%) or half a standard (175ml) glass of red wine (ABV 12%).

Can’t find your drink?

Work out your units for yourself with this handy sum: Strength (ABV) x Volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = No. of units

E.g.  Pint of Stella - 5.2 x 568 ÷ 1000 = 2.95 

Everyone who drinks too much knows the unpleasant flip side of a night on the tiles – the dreaded hangover.

That horrible morning-after feeling can range in strength and intensity and vary from person to person, but it usually involves a banging headache, sickness, dizziness, dehydration, mild diarrhoea, tiredness and weakness.

A hangover can also leave you struggling to concentrate, irritable and sensitive to light for a prolonged period after your last drink – not a good combination if you want to enjoy the next day and not spend it suffering in bed.

So, what causes a hangover and how can it be treated?

The principal cause is ethanol – the alcohol in your drinks. It is a toxic chemical that works in the body as a diuretic, causing the headache, dry mouth, dizziness and constant nausea. Your hangover eases as the body turns the ethanol into a less toxic chemical. The other factor that affects a hangover is the type of drink you have been downing. Dark drinks tend to make hangovers worse. So does mixing drinks.

What precautions can you take to prevent a hangover?

The Government recommends that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day, and women not more than two to three. Units can be complicated to understand, so arm yourself with knowledge before you go out and find out how many units are in your chosen tipple. It may be more than you realise – a large glass of wine, for instance, contains around three units. Follow these guidelines to kick hangovers into touch:

• Keep well within the Government’s recommended limits. That’s the best way to avoid a hangover altogether.
• Try not to drink on an empty stomach; eat something – preferably carbohydrates - before you start drinking. The food will help slow the body’s absorbtion of the alcohol.
• Avoid dark coloured drinks if possible. They contain natural chemicals (congeners) that can worsen the hangover.
• Drink plenty of water or soft drinks in between alcoholic drinks.

What can you do to treat the symptoms?

• Drink as much water as you can before hitting the sack and keep more by the bed to slurp if you wake in the night.
• Take a painkiller – a soluble one in water is best.
• Take an antacid to settle your stomach.
• Remember alcohol is a depressant. A tea or coffee may give you a slight temporary lift, but they may also dehydrate you further, so keep up with the water to counteract this.
• Go for a gentle stroll if you feel able and get some fresh air and light on the face.
• Avoid hair of the dog – you might think it helps but all you’re doing is easing the alcohol withdrawal and delaying the problem.
• Get plenty of rest and relaxation and stay away from booze for at least 24 hours after a heavy session.

  

  Alcohol and cancer

  • There is no doubt that alcohol can cause seven types of cancer.
  • The more you cut down on alcohol, the more you reduce your risk of cancer.
  • There is limited risk if you only drink a little - such as one small drink a day for women or two for men.
  • You don’t need to be drunk to increase your risk.
  • Drinking and smoking together are even worse for you.

  The consequences of drinking too much alcohol go well beyond the evening’s embarrassing antics or the morning’s hangover. Scientific studies have confirmed that alcohol can also cause cancer.

  Obviously, not everyone who drinks will develop cancer. But on the whole, scientists have found that cancer is more common in people who drink alcohol than people who don’t.

  

  Test your knowledge

  How much do you know about the effects of alcohol?

  Which cancers are affected?

  Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of:

• Mouth cancer
• Pharyngeal cancer (upper throat)
• Oesophageal cancer (food pipe)
• Laryngeal cancer (voice box)
• Breast cancer
• Bowel cancer
• Liver cancer

Every year, alcohol causes about 6% of cancer deaths in the UK, killing over 9,000 people.

Along with smoking, alcohol causes the vast majority of mouth and food pipe cancers. In the last decade, mouth cancer has become much more common and this may be because of higher levels of drinking.

Can light drinking increase the risk of cancer?

Alcohol can increase the risk of cancer at levels far too low to make an average person drunk. It’s not just people who have ‘drinking problems’ who have higher risks.

As little as 3 units a day can increase the risk of mouth, throat, food pipe, breast and bowel cancers. That’s the amount in one pint of premium lager or a large glass of wine!

Alcohol has a weaker effect on the risk of breast cancer than on other cancers, but it starts having an effect at a lower level.

What about heavy drinking?

The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of developing cancer. Heavy drinking can cause cirrhosis of the liver, which can in turn cause liver cancer.

Heavy drinking can also cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis and, of course, injuries.

Are there safe limits?

There is limited risk if you only drink a little, such as:

• one small drink a day for women (about two units a day).
• two small drinks a day for men (about three to four units a day).

But remember that:

• your risk increases the more you drink, and
• some drinks may contain more alcohol than you imagine.

Which is worse: binge drinking or spreading my drinking across the week?

Research tells us that the total amount of alcohol you drink over time has a much bigger effect on cancer risk than when or how it is drunk.

People are more likely to develop cancer if they drink a lot of alcohol, no matter whether they save it up and drink it in one go, or drink it steadily over a week.

Does drinking matter if you smoke?

People who smoke and drink multiply the damage they receive, because tobacco and alcohol work together to damage the cells of the body. Alcohol makes it easier for the mouth and throat to absorb the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco.

Studies have found that, on average, people who smoke and drink are up to 50 times more likely to get some types of cancer than people who neither smoke nor drink.

Do all types of alcohol increase the risk of cancer?

All types of alcohol increase the risk of cancer, even red wine. It is the alcohol itself that does the damage, regardless of whether it is in the form of beer, wine or spirits.

Elsewhere in this section, you can read about whether alcohol has any benefits for your health.

Why are women recommended to drink less than men?

The slightly different recommendations for men and women are based on biological differences between the two sexes.

• A woman’s liver produces less of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase that breaks down alcohol. So alcohol stays in a woman’s body for longer.
• There is some evidence that drinking just one unit of alcohol a day can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. Smaller bodies can absorb less alcohol than large ones and on average, women are smaller than men.
• Because of their curvy shape, women also tend to have more body fat and less body water than men. This means that any alcohol a woman drinks becomes more concentrated in her body that it would be in a man of the same size.

Find out more

• What is a unit?
• How does alcohol cause cancer?
• Can alcohol be good for you?
• Why should I cut down?

Unit calculator & drink diary | Drinkaware

Cirrhosis of the liver: one man's story

After years of drinking at what he thought were 'normal levels', Andy Ball was diagnosed with the liver disease cirrhosis. He shares his story:

Click here for a video on liver disease.

"I don’t have a history of alcoholism in my family and I had a normal relationship with alcohol – it was never taboo. As I got older, though, it became apparent I could drink more than other people.

"At teenage parties, I'd turn up with four cans of beer and after three cans other kids would be getting merry, but I'd be thinking, 'I just feel the same as before'. So I started having a few cans before I went to parties, and then stronger stuff as I got older.

"I started drinking heavily-ish around 17, the last year of my A-levels. I would drink every day, but again, I didn’t think it was a problem. I had four close mates, and I was aware that we drank more than other people. I wasn’t a nasty drunk, I rarely lost my temper and I never got into trouble over alcohol.

"I got four A-levels and started university, and no one commented on my drinking. I was doing weight training and exercise so I didn’t really look like I had a problem. I could drink half a bottle of vodka and nobody would know.

"But by the time I left university I was beginning to feel unwell. I gave up playing rugby and I went to the doctor because I was getting pains in my gut. I had what’s called a fatty liver – which can progress to hepatitis and cirrhosis – but because my health was OK for the next few years, I continued drinking.

'I turned yellow'

'I haven’t had a drink since I went into hospital. It was easy to give up drinking, because I wasn’t an alcoholic – I was just drinking a huge amount'

 

Andy Ball

"In 2001 I became very sick. I literally turned yellow and my hair started falling out. My nails went translucent, and I looked just like a hollow lemon. 

"I was admitted to hospital, and told that I had cirrhosis. I’ve also got a condition known as portal hypertension (very high blood pressure in the large veins that take blood to my liver) because my rigid liver can’t process my blood fast enough.

"The most dangerous thing is that I have swellings, ‘varicose veins’, in my throat (called varices), which are caused by the high pressure in the vein that transports blood from the gut to the liver. If one of them bursts I could die.

"I haven’t had a drink since I went into hospital. It was annoyingly easy to give up drinking, because I wasn’t really much of an alcoholic – I was just drinking a huge amount.

"My liver is quite delicate. I have to eat healthily and take care of myself. I also have to take beta blockers and go to the hospital fairly regularly to check that my varices are OK.

"People do live in denial about the amount they drink. A lot of us are alcohol-dependent to some extent because few of us would choose to socialise without a drink in our hand. But if you continue drinking at a high level, you could end up where I am.” 

Watch the video

Consultant hepatologist Mark Wright talks about how to reduce your risk of developing liver disease.

 

Last reviewed: 15/08/2008

Cirrhosis of the liver: one man's story