What Is Alcohol?
 The term alcohol refers to ethyl or grain alcohol.
Ethanol is the chemical name for the active ingredient found in alcoholic
beverages. It is the only member of a large family of chemical compounds that
can be safely consumed by humans - and only within limits. Other members of
this chemical family, methanol for example, are extremely poisonous. Alcohol
forms naturally when a few key ingredients ferment. Fermentation occurs in ripe
fruits, berries and honey. The natural fermentation process stops when the
alcohol concentration reaches about 12 percent by volume. Alcohol is a
depressant, not a stimulant. The effect of alcohol on the central nervous
system is similar to that of other depressants. In small to moderate amounts,
alcohol slows the reflexes, coordination, and motor activity - which can
seriously impair one's driving skills and ability to react. In large amounts
alcohol poisoning can lead to death. Alcohol affects the body in two ways.
First, alcohol enters the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines, creating a
numbing effect. Second, alcohol rapidly enters the bloodstream from the stomach
and even faster from the small intestine. The rate at which alcohol enters the
bloodstream is a key factor in the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) exposed to
the brain. Alcohol has almost no vitamins, minerals, protein, or fat - just
large amounts of carbohydrates. The body's cells cannot use alcohol. Only an
enzyme in the liver can metabolize alcohol from the body. Since alcohol does
provide calories, drinkers are likely to not eat properly, which often leads to
malnutrition.
What Is Alcohol's History?
People have
consumed alcohol since the beginning of history. The first alcoholic beverage
may have been fermented honey called mead. The Egyptians had breweries 6,000
years ago, and credited the god Osiris with introducing wine to humans. Ancient
Babylonian tablets document the process of brewing beer from malted barley. The
ancient Greeks used a large amount of wine and credited the god Bacchus (or
Dionysus) with introducing the drink. Even the Bible says that Noah, just nine
generations after Adam, made wine and became drunk. Ancient man's original use
for alcohol was not recreational, but rather practical- to preserve food. Man
discovered grape juice would soon spoil, but fermented juices, or wine, would
keep. They noticed too, that persons who drank fermented juice did not become
sick as often as people who drank water. This was not because alcoholic
beverages were healthful, but because they were less dangerous than water. Many
of the springs and wells of Europe and Asia contained contaminated water. Some
early people, like North American Indians who lived in less populated areas,
never learned to make alcoholic beverages because there was simply no need.
Hundreds of years ago people discovered that they could distill fermented
products and increase alcohol concentrations much higher than the 12 percent
found in the natural process. Distillation of fermented products is the way
beverages such as whiskey, gin, and rum is made. These beverages may contain as
much as 45-50% alcohols.
What Is Alcoholism?
Most people think of an
alcoholic as a skid row bum or home- less person. However, this type of
alcoholic makes up less than five percent of America's problem drinkers. Most
alcoholics work, have families, and lead relatively normal lives. Alcoholism is
a mental and physical addiction to ethanol. It is one of the world's oldest
social problems, with a history running from the drunken depravity of ancient
Rome to today's college campuses. Society once believed, that alcoholism was
sinful and a sign of a morally weak person. Today, alcoholism is often viewed
as a drug addiction and an illness.
Alcohol Is The Most Commonly
Abused Drug In Society Today!
Alcohol is the most commonly abused
substance in the United States. The most common reasons people drink alcohol
are socializing, peer pressure, anxiety or tension, and addiction. Many
Americans over the age of 21 drink alcohol occasionally; others may drink
alcohol moderately on a more regular basis. However, even moderate drinking
under certain circumstances is risky. Drinking that exceeds moderate levels
puts you at risk for serious health problems as well as social problems with
family, friends, co-workers, and law enforcement.
What Is The
Difference Between Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism?
Many people may
become intoxicated, but are not alcoholics. Alcohol abuse occurs when a person
drinks large quantities of alcohol at one time. Alcoholism when the drinking of
alcohol becomes compulsive. Alcoholism is characterized by a person's inability
to choose whether or not to drink and how much to drink.
Even though
other people drink for such reasons as socializing, experimenting, or
enjoyment, alcoholics must drink. They may dislike the beverage, but the urge
to drink is so strong they cannot control it. The more heavily and often
alcoholics drink, the greater the potential for problems at home, at work, with
friends, and even strangers. These problems may include:
- .Frequent arguments with or estrangement from spouse
and other family members
- Strained relationships with coworkers
- Frequent absences or tardiness from work
- Decreased productivity and loss of job
- Increase of violent behavior.
Alcoholism affects more than the individual himself,
it damages the alcoholic's friends and family as well.
The people who
care the most, frequently find themselves excusing the alcoholic's behavior and
enabling them to drink.
Does Alcohol Interact With Medications?
Alcohol interacts negatively with more than 150 medications. For
example, if you drink alcohol while taking cold medications with
antihistamines, the alcohol will increase the drowsiness the medication causes.
This mixture can make driving, operating machinery, and equipment very
dangerous. If you drink alcohol while taking large doses of acetaminophen, you
risk serious damage to your liver. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before
drinking alcohol with any over-the- counter or prescription medication.
What Are The Long-term Risks Of Alcohol Use?
Heavy
drinking contributes to liver disease, heart disease, certain forms of cancer,
pancreatitis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some kinds of stroke.
Since alcohol affects many organs in the body, long-term heavy drinking puts a
person at high risk for developing serious health problems. More than two
million Americans suffer from liver disease caused by alcohol. Some drinkers
develop alcoholic hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver. Its symptoms include
fever, jaundice (an abnormal yellowing of eyes, skin and urine), and abdominal
pain. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause death if the person continues to drink. If
the person stops drinking, alcoholic hepatitis is often reversible. Ten to 20
percent of heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. Cirrhosis
can also cause death if the person continues to drink. Although cirrhosis is
not reversible, the person's life expectancy will increase if he or she stops
drinking.
Alcohol Affects Everyone Differently
The effects of alcohol on behavior are unpredictable. A drinker's
behavior depends on his or her mental state and social setting. For example,
alcohol can cause one person to become friendly and talkative, while another
may become angry and violent. Often, these symptoms are not apparent to the
drinker. Alcohol increases the heart rate and dilates the blood vessels. Taken
in large amounts, alcohol makes walking, talking, and thinking difficult. It
also causes drowsiness. A person consuming large amounts may lose coordination,
become confused and disoriented. In some cases, a person can fall into a coma
or even die. Remedies such as coffee, cold showers, or eating will not make a
person sober. Coffee may keep a drinker awake, but will not improve the side
effects. Nothing but time will lessen the effects of alcohol. The liver
eliminates ninety percent of alcohol at a constant rate of .015 percent per
hour - one drink per hour. |
