A depressant made from fermented grains or fruit. Alcohol is the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the country and includes beer, wine, and liquor.
What can happen while you're drinking?
When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the blood stream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects of alcohol are dependent on a variety of factors, including a person's size, weight, age, height, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed. The disinhibiting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence if a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.
What can happen long term?
Prolonged, heavy use of alcohol
can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive
alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe
anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and convulsions. Long-term effects of
consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when combined with poor
nutrition, can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and
liver. In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to
infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental
retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research
indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other
children of becoming alcoholics.