VOA慢速英语2020 专家建议疫情期间不要滥用酒精（在线收听）

Experts: Do Not Misuse Alcohol During Pandemic

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

这里是VOA慢速英语健康生活报道。

In March 2020, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, many people began living under stay-at-home orders. In some areas, restaurants and bars were forced to close or had limited services. These measures were meant to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

2020年3月，在冠状病毒大流行的早期，许多人遵循居家令，开始待在家中。在一些地区，餐馆和酒吧被迫关门或只提供有限服务。这些措施旨在帮助减缓冠状病毒引发的新冠肺炎的传播。

During those early pandemic days, something else happened: On-line sales of alcoholic drinks rose sharply. In the United States, online alcohol sales were up 234 percent compared to the same period a year ago. That information comes from the research company Nielsen.

在大流行初期，还有一些事情发生：酒精饮料的网上销售额急剧上升。与去年同期相比，美国线上酒类销售额增长了234%。这些信息来自尼尔森研究公司。

Victor Karpyak is a doctor and expert on drug addiction at the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. state of Minnesota. He says people have long turned to alcohol to reduce stress and forget about their problems. But he warns about overusing alcohol in difficult times. This, he says, can lead to bad results.

维克多·卡尔皮亚克是美国明尼苏达州梅奥诊所的医生和药物成瘾专家。他表示，长期以来人们一直通过饮酒来减轻压力，忘掉自已面临的问题。但他对在困难时期过度饮酒提出了警告。他说，这会导致不良后果。

His comments appear on the Mayo Clinic's website.

他的评论出现在梅奥诊所的官网上。

Doctor Karpyak noted that during the pandemic, light alcohol use can easily become problematic. He said that if you have three or four drinks today and then three or four more tomorrow, you can quickly hit the limit of what is considered moderate.

卡尔皮亚克医生指出，在新冠疫情期间，少量饮酒很容易成为问题。他说，如果你今天喝了三四杯，明天又喝了三四杯，你很快就会达到被认为是适度的限度。

But what is that limit? How much alcohol is considered moderate?

但这个限度是多少？多少酒精被认为是适度的？

The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines moderate drinking this way: up to one drink a day for a woman and up to two drinks a day for a man. A drink is defined as six tenths of a fluid ounce — or almost 18 milliliters — of pure alcohol.

美国国家酒精滥用与酒精中毒研究所对适度饮酒的定义是：女性每天最多喝一杯，男性每天最多两杯。酗酒的定义是每液量盎司酒精含量十分之六，或近18毫升的纯酒精。

However, the NIH Dietary Guidelines do not recommend that people who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason.

然而，美国国立卫生研究院的饮食指南并不建议不饮酒者以任何理由开始喝酒。

Doctor Karpyak said that an increase in drinking or a pattern of drinking may be a sign of alcohol abuse and development of addiction. Alcohol addiction, he added, can affect relationships as well as the body — the whole body.

卡尔皮亚克医生说，饮酒增加或饮酒模式可能是酒精滥用和成瘾发展的迹象。他补充说，酒精上瘾会影响人际关系，也会影响身体——整个身体。

"There is no organ or system," he said, "which is not impacted by chronic and significant alcohol use."

他说，“没有器官或系统不受长期大量饮酒的影响。”

Alcohol-related liver disease is perhaps the most commonly reported problem. But the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism warns that there are others. Studies have shown that one drink a day increases the risk of breast cancer in women. Research has also shown that alcohol misuse increases the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer.

酒精性肝病可能是最常见的疾病。但美国国家酒精滥用与酒精中毒研究所警告称，还可能引发其他疾病。研究表明，每日饮一杯酒会增加女性患乳腺癌的风险。研究还表明，滥用酒精会增加患心脏病和某些癌症的风险。

Doctor Karpyak, a psychiatrist, added that, "there is a lot of negative impact that long-term, significant alcohol use has on brain tissue."

精神科医生卡尔皮亚克补充说，“长期大量饮酒会对大脑组织产生许多负面影响。”

Addiction experts at the NIH say it is safest to avoid alcohol completely if you are:

美国国立卫生研究院的成瘾专家表示，如果你属于下列情况，那最好完全避免饮酒：

Taking medications that mix badly with alcohol

服用与酒精严重混合的药物

Trying to control a medical condition that can be made worse by drinking

试图控制某种可能因饮酒而恶化的疾病

Under the legal age for drinking alcohol

未到法定饮酒年龄

Planning to drive a vehicle or operate machinery

计划驾驶车辆或操作机械

Doing activities that require skill and coordination

进行需要技巧和协调的活动

Recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control the amount you drink

从酒精使用障碍中恢复或无法控制饮酒量

Pregnant or trying to become pregnant

怀孕或计划怀孕

If you find yourself drinking alcohol at the end of a long, stressful day, you are probably not alone.

并不是只有你会在漫长而紧张的一天结束后喝酒。

However, health experts suggest exploring other ways to reduce stress. Call a friend. Take a walk. Do something you enjoy such as watching a movie, reading a book or listening to music.

然而，健康专家建议寻求其他减轻压力的方法。可以打电话给朋友。散散步。做一些喜欢的事情，比如看电影，看书或听音乐。

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo.