LIVING WITH DIABETES: DRINKING, DRUGS, AND SMOKING
Some doctors say that people with diabetes should drink no alcohol. Others permit a drink or two. But drinking has some special pitfalls for someone with diabetes. First of all, alcohol has calories, and they count in the diet. In addition, alcohol lowers blood sugar at first. Alcohol also impairs a person’s judgment. Dr. Raymond Herskowitz at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston points out that teens are more likely to have a serious insulin reaction when they’ve been drinking. A person who is “high” may not be alert to the warning signs, and other people might mistake the effects of low blood sugar for drunken behavior.
Marijuana, like alcohol, can dull your judgment and make you forget about eating a meal or taking an insulin injection. Or it may make you so hungry that you forget to stick to your diet.
Cigarettes have been linked with so many damaging effects on the heart, lungs, and other body systems that smoking is not a very good idea for anyone. It is an even worse idea for people with diabetes, who are already at risk for heart disease.
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