Though traditionally considered a depressant, |alcohol| actually has a wide spectrum of contradictory effects. It may depress or stimulate, tranquilize or agitate. Medically, |alcohol| was long prescribed as a tonic, a sedative, and a soporific. Its traditional role in medicines has now been taken over by barbiturates, minor tranquilizers, and other sedatives and hypnotics.
Alcohol is a clear colorless liquid found in beer, wine, and liquor. Ethyl |alcohol| or ethanol is used for human consumption. Some drinks have more |alcohol| than others. Beer has the least amount, wine has more than twice that of beer, and liquor has the highest content of all-up to eight times that of beer.
There have always been people that have used |alcohol|. The ancient Greeks and Romans drank it. The lords and serfs in the Middle Ages drank it. And when the Puritans came to America in 1620, they brought the practice of drinking |alcohol| with them. In these early days clean drinking water was very hard to find. Everyone drank |alcohol| with their meals.
Alcohol was more than just another drink. It was a way to celebrate important events such as a new house, the fall harvest, weddings, and funerals. It was also used as medicine to ease pain, bring down |fever|, or to soothe an upset |stomach|.
In 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution made it illegal to produce, sell, or ship |alcohol| in the United States. This period was called Prohibition. Only thirteen years later, on December 5, 1933, the Eighteenth Amendment was voted out. One rule remains constant. It is illegal to purchase or consume |alcohol| if you are below the age of 21.
In our society, |alcohol| is taken occasionally and in moderation with few undesirable effects by most users. Its potential for mental and physical harm, however, make it one of the most dangerous drugs to those who are addicted and those around them. An estimated 10 to 12 percent of all drinkers are alcoholics or problem drinkers.
Alcohol |addiction| is second only to nicotine |addiction| in its incidence and prevalence. |Alcohol| addicts are unable to refrain from the drug even though they decide to, want to, and try to quit drinking |alcohol|. The imminent danger of relapse is significant. Also consider the millions of drinkers that are not addicted but get roaring drunk from time to time. |Alcohol| is a gateway drug. It can lead to drinking problems and even drug problems.
When |alcohol| is consumed it goes directly into the |stomach|. |Alcohol| does not need to be digested. It goes straight from the |stomach| to intestines into the bloodstream. From there, it is carried to every portion of the body. The |liver| is then responsible for eliminating the |alcohol| from the body. It does this by changing the |alcohol| into water and carbon dioxide. It takes the |liver| about one hour to process the |alcohol| from one drink. A person gets drunk or intoxicated by drinking |alcohol| faster than the |liver| can dispose of it.
Alcohol |addiction| is utterly destructive to the human mind and similarly destructive to the human body. Overuse can lead to irreversible |brain| and |liver| damage. Most people know that |alcohol| can cause |headaches| and vomiting. But |alcohol| can also hurt the |heart|, the |liver|, the |kidneys|, the |brain|, and the |stomach|. It can cause loss of memory and some kinds of |cancer|. When a pregnant woman drinks |alcohol|, it is passed on to the developing |fetus|. This often can lead to physical or mental problems with the child.
One of the worst problems with |alcohol| is that people develop a tolerance to it. Withdrawal is the sick feeling drinkers get without |alcohol|-headaches, nausea, nervousness, confusion. It is very difficult to overcome these feelings and once someone has stopped drinking |alcohol|, they are considered a recovering alcoholic forever.
Alcohol is a significant factor in the "battered child or spouse" syndromes. In a high percentage of cases where someone is beaten so severely that hospitalization is required or death ensues, the perpetrator was drunk at the time. The relationship between |alcohol| and suicide is also very high.
