Alcohol Affects Brains

The blood flow of the brain is below average and can cause significant damage to tissues in the brain. The flow of the blood cannot efficiently reach the brain and brain functions are altered. Light and heavy drinkers suffer from poor spatial working memory. Alcohol can also affect the verbal part of the brain and there can be poor verbal learning and processing (Mattson 2). A study compared adolescents that drink with adolescents that do not drink and found that the adolescents that drank remembered 10% less information than the kids that did not drink. These findings have been consistent over the years (Squeglia 3).

     Long-term effects of alcohol are liver cirrhosis, stomach ailments, impotence, vitamin deficiency, increased stroke risk, decreased mental performance, heart disease, peptic ulcers, hepatitis, and various forms of cancer. Alcohols effects on the brain are loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, and even blackouts. Long-term effects of marijuana are mouth, throat, and lung cancer, increased heart rate, decrease in testosterone levels for men, increased testosterone levels for women, diminished sexual pleasure, increased blood pressure, increased stress, decreased motivation, and respiratory problems. The THC in marijuana damages the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed, making it hard to remember things.

Alcohol impairs judgment, memory, concentration and coordination, as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional

Long-term effects of alcohol are liver cirrhosis, stomach ailments, impotence, vitamin deficiency, increased stroke risk, decreased mental performance, heart disease, peptic ulcers, hepatitis, and various forms of cancer. Alcohols effects on the brain are loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, and even blackouts. Long-term effects of marijuana are mouth, throat, and lung cancer, increased heart rate, decrease in testosterone levels for men, increased testosterone levels for women, diminished sexual pleasure, increased blood pressure, increased stress, decreased motivation, and respiratory problems. The THC in marijuana damages the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed, making it hard to remember things.

Many negative effects come with drinking alcohol. Since teenagers’ brains are not fully developed until they are in their mid 20’s, it is especially dangerous to them. The legal alcohol age should not be eighteen because it harms the teenage brain and body, it has negative (and potentially fatal) effects on school, and it has negative effects on driving.

“Each year in the U.S., nearly 80,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in our country” (Alcohol Facts 1). Alcoholism is a major controversy in the United States, and many debate whether alcoholism is a disease or choice. Accordingly, based on scientific evidence, alcoholism is a disease because it has major long-term effects on the brain, it is an addiction, and it is treated medically.

Alcohol can cause alterations in the structure, and the consequences may be evident beyond adolescence. Even though alcohol appears to be a stimulant, really it is a central nervous system depressant, depressing the brains inhibition control center (“too smart to start”). Neuron connectivity is vital to every human. Connectivity can be slowed down by alcohol consumption, which leads the person to think, speak, and move slower (“too smart to start”). Long term effects include memory loss and continuity of poor judgement. The cerebral cortex works with the senses; when the senses are debilitated, information is forgotten and senses do not function properly. The hippocampus regulates a person’s memories. When consuming too much alcohol, or even just one or two drinks, the hippocampus will damage, and a person will struggle remembering minor and large details. Teenagers often gloat over not being able to remember the night before. Even though their night may have been an “awesome blackout” their hippocampus has already been permanently damaged. The person now, can not hold on to knowledge and learn the same as before. The cerebellum controls coordination, thoughts and awareness (“too smart to start”). On most occasions, people have problems with these skills when consuming alcohol. In grade school, D.A.R.E. representatives brought “drunk goggles” to school. Studies show that alcoholism in the cerebellum

Alcohol is classified as a depressant, known to slow the function of the central nervous system. The effects of long-term alcohol use impact the brain 's ability to function properly, while limiting the capacity for comprehension of information and processing of memories. Reports from the National Institute of Health have shown that the deficiency of Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is commonly seen with alcoholism, and can be linked to dementia-like symptoms associated with alcoholic encephalopathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (U.S. Natl. Library of Medicine). Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for disturbances

The brain is a crucial area in psychological development. Although the entire organ can be affected the frontal lobes which are responsible for a “higher level” of thinking are most affected. Higher level of thinking can be planning, decision making, and judgement. The other important area of the brain affected is the hippocampus which is a crucial area of learning. People who have severe damage to this part of the brain are unable to retain any new information and have a hard time remembering what they just learned. However, they can still retrieve old memories. When these two areas of the brain are affected because of alcohol consumption, students are unable to be successful in school. Data form several national studies indicate that drinking and academic impairment are associated (Engs et al., 1996; Perkins, 1992; Presley et al., 1996a,b; Wechsler et al., 1994, 1998,2000b). Students that once had a high GPA get lower grades after consuming

Alcohol’s effect on the body and mind is different from those effects that marijuana leaves. Consuming too much alcohol in a fast manner can lead to fatality. Alcohol being consumed too quickly, the body is unable to metabolize the alcohol quickly enough which can cause a buildup of alcohol within the brain that discontinues areas that are required for survival, such as heartbeat and breathing (Brownstein, 2014). Drinking an abundant amount of alcohol can have consequences. Alcoholism can cause liver disease, which can later change to liver cancer. Drinking alcohol affects portions of the brain that regulates speech, judgment, movement, and memory. These effects than lead to the acquainted drunkenness symbols which are rash behaviors, inaudible speech, trouble walking, and memory lapses. The national institute on drug abuse did a survey that stated 21 percent of drivers that were in traffic accidents, had alcohol levels that were above what the legal limits were (Kroll, 2014). Alcohol obstructs with the way brain communicates through its pathways, and can distress the way the brain

Alcohol interferes with the brains communication pathways such as motor loss, memory loss, and impaired judgement.

Over several years, the scientific research of alcohol and its affects on the human body and brain have gradually progressed. Most people who indulge in alcoholic beverages do not think of the consequences it may have on their bodies over time. Alcohol can affect the nervous system, as well as the peripheral nervous system, which controls the nerves throughout your entire body. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol over an extended period of time can lead to a series of problems that impair the muscle tissue and brain. Neuroimaging and advanced technology has shown changes in blood flow in and around the brain, the brains metabolism, and the neurophysiological measures in the brain. Alcohol remains a poisonous toxin that affects the nerves

Alcohol is a drug, just like any other type of drug it affects it affects the central nervous system (CNS). According to Banerjee (2014), “Alcohol interacts with several neurotransmitter system in the brain’s reward and stress circuit. These neural circuits include the dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic and GABaergic neural circuits. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter primarily involved in a circuit called the mesolimbic system, this circuit affects incentive motivation, how an organism reacts to incentive changes in the environment.” (p.22). Dopamine plays a key role in our reinforcement and motivational behavior, and it also an important neurotransmitter involved in reward mechanism in the brain. Chastain (2006) states, “ administration

The effects of alcohol on 'complex intellectual functions' cause an impaired memory for words, impaired fluency, impaired word association, impaired conversation etiquette, impaired discrimination and impaired arithmetical ability. Judgement will be lost with each progressive drink and risk-taking will

The four most commonly used substances as described from the course textbook are alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and opioids. Alcohol is a translucent liquid in appearance and has a bitter acquired taste which suppresses brain activity. The intake of alcohol effects the cerebral cortex by ceasing the inhibition of user and develops a relaxed and more social characteristic in the way the user interacts with others. As a depressant, the use of alcohol with its relaxing effect causes impairment in cognition and ability to make effective decisions. Another effect caused by the intake of alcohol are increased sex drive prior to the frontal lobe of the brain being under the influence of chemicals and damage to the major brain neurotransmitters, which can lead to impairment of new memories. The effects that alcohol are accountable for on the body are on the cardiovascular system and massive amounts of alcohol use leading to intoxication can cause severe damage to the liver including the nervous system resulting in death (Stevens, P., & Smith, R. L., 2013).