Alcohol Explained: What Is Alcohol?

What Is Alcohol?

Alcohol is a depressant drug. It slows the brain's activities and the activity of the spinal cord. Alcohol isn't always used in a bad way though. People have been known to use alcoholic beverages throughout history. It is used with meals, at social gatherings, in religious ceremonies, to celebrate, for medical purposes, and on ceremonial occasions.

Alcohol comes in different varieties. Beer and ale (4-7% alcohol), wine and champagne (9-14%), and hard liquor (40-50%) are the most common kinds of alcohol. Alcohol affects the brain so it has the potential to be abused.

Alcohol rapidly enters the bloodstream and circulates to various parts of the body in a few minutes. Therefore, to avoid intoxication, the average 150 pound person could consume one drink in one and a half hours with no accumulation of alcohol in the blood. Drinking faster than this would result in intoxication.

Driving is a big problem when alcohol is involved. Even small amounts of alcohol can reduce coordination, slow reflexes, and lead to overconfidence. Alcohol is a factor in half of all highway fatalities and one-third of all highway injuries. There are still many other consequences of drinking. Falls, sickness, fires, suicide, and lost productivity are other examples. Today in the U.S., there are one hundred million drinkers and ten million are chronic abusers of alcohol.

Why do people drink? People drink for positive and negative reasons. Some positive reasons are to compliment meals, at social outings, and to relax with friends and family. Most of the time this kind of drinking is NOT abused. Negative reasons for drinking are to escape from family problems, as a "cure" for fears, to block out painful feelings, and as a substitute for close relationships. Alcohol can leave a sense of guilt which may lead to more drinking. This kind of drinking is very often abused. People drink to take their problems away, but, drinking doesn't solve anything- it just makes matters worse. Alcohol can be harmless and enjoyable, if it is used responsibly.

Everyone who drinks or is thinking about drinking should know alcohol is a drug that is potentially addicting. Every drinker should ask himself if alcohol is doing more good than harm, or more harm than good. And if you choose not to drink, you have plenty of company.