Effects Of Alcohol On Human Health

Many people, including alcoholics, are not fully aware of the devastation caused by alcohol abuse. Not only does alcohol have an impact on physical health, it causes a host of problems from a mental and emotional standpoint. This addiction is not only harmful to the body, it tears families apart, leads to job loss, and often causes isolation for the person who drinks.

** The amount of alcohol in the bloodstream is called the blood alcohol concentration or BAC. BAC is measured in percentages. For examples, a BAC of 0.10 percent means that a person has 1 part alcohol per

Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a result

Alcohol, no matter what form it is in, still has an effect on Americans’ physical health. Regardless if it is hard liquor or of the fruity assortment, people can abuse the consumption of alcohol. The playful fruity drinks are what sneak up on people by thinking because of the playful nature of the drink it will not harm them. The hard core liquor is known for the health risk and the effects it has on a person’s physical health. When you are drunk you have no control, you can cause self-harm both mentally and physically. With America being one of the top countries to consume so much alcohol, it is no surprise that the widespread consumption of alcohol contributes to our physical health problems. What could Americans do to fix the problem?

In Whiting S. Albert’s article “Alcohol Use Is Harmful” he stated that alcohol is a chemical that contains hydrogen and carbon. Whiting stated further that the active ingredient of alcohol is ethyl alcohol, which is also known as ethanol. Alcohol is one of the few things that human being consume that do not need digestion. Alcohol appears the bloodstream immediately, thus, its intoxicating effects are felt instantly (1). “High levels of mortality, morbidity, and social malaise are associated with abuse of alcohol, and increasing numbers of women and youth are abusing alcohol” (Ferreira and Darryn 1). “Alcohol slows down the function of all living cells, especially those in the brain” (Whiting 1), which causes thinking to be impaired. Alcohol is probably the most used drug worldwide. “Three in ten adults 18 years of age and over have had alcoholism and/or engaged in alcohol abuse at some point in their lives …” (“Impact of Alcoholism” 1). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Almost everyone has tried alcohol at some point, and many also use it as a regular basis in parties or other occasions. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused depressant, which are drugs that reduce the activity in the nervous system. Despite the well-known consequences of alcoholism, millions of people still decide to constantly consume it. Even Though, it is affecting people’s mind and changing their behavior, and body. Their are effects that a person will get all based on the amount of alcohol consumed, age, and how long they’ve been drinking, and the family history of drinking problems.

Alcohol abuse can also cause short-term effects to the body. Although there are many different short-term effects, the most common happens to be a hangover which is a “group of symptoms experienced by a person after a heavy consumption of alcohol” (Alcoholic 1). Symptoms of a hangover often consist of nausea, fatigue, thirst, headache, diarrhea, and sensitivity to light and noise. The severity of a hangover depends on several factors; these factors include the amount of alcohol consumed, the level of hydration in the body at the time of alcohol consumption, and disease. Although hangovers are the most common short-term effect, blackouts are also a short-term result of alcohol abuse. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to temporary amnesia where the person is unable to recall events that occurred after he or she began drinking. Unfortunately, blackouts can lead to serious repercussions, especially if the person is engaged in sexual activity during that time. Blackouts are much more common among social drinkers than previously assumed and should be viewed as a potential consequence of acute intoxication regardless of age (National 1). Drinkers who experience blackouts typically drink too much and too quickly, which causes their blood alcohol levels to rise very rapidly. Typically, college students are at risk for experiencing a blackout, as an alarming number of college students engage in binge drinking. Even though these short-term effects do not seem as bad as the

When people drink alcohol, it is absorbed into their bloodstream. It affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain, which alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. In very small amounts, alcohol can help a person feel more relaxed

In the United States alone, 40 million adults are addicted to cigarettes (“Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States”), 14 million are dependent on alcohol (“Drug Addiction Statistics – Alcoholism Statistics and Data Sources”), and 219 million people are overweight or obese (“Overweight and Obesity Statistics”). Worldwide, these statistics triple, double, and nonuple respectively. However, at least in the United States, cigarettes and alcohol are both regulated by age, so the numbers of adolescent smokers and alcoholics are limited. Sugar, on the other hand, is not controlled nearly as strictly as cigarettes and alcohol. Consequently, there are far more overweight or obese adolescents than there are underage drinkers and smokers. The health risks that come with such early exposure to a substance as toxic as sugar include obesity, heart disease and heart failure, kidney disease and kidney failure, liver disease, high blood pressure, depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety, among other physical and mental disorders. These health problems take a toll on the government health care system, which in turn can cause irreparable damage to the rest of the economy. In addition to the negative effects it has on physical health, in terms of addiction, sugar is comparable to nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Sugar production, purchase, and consumption should be regulated the same way other addictive substances are regulated – for example, through taxes, age restriction,

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) after the rapid consumption of different amounts of alcohol by eight adult fasting male subjects. 100 mg% is the legal level of intoxication in most States. 50 mg% is the level at which deterioration of driving skills begins. (7)

For motor skills part, there are two factors to analysis, which include muscle control: leg muscles and heart muscles; eyesight effect by the alcohol consumption. An organization which is named Narconon Reviews (2013) claimed that motor-skills are those functions that muscles, hand, feet, etc work together. They are always executing specific actions, such as walking/running, driving a car, picking up an object/moving it. Motor skills also connect with sensory channels. These channels include sight, sound, touch, smell and even tastes. If an independent drinks alcohol, one of the channels will be limited.

Alcohol is a substance that has numerous diverse affects on the body-both positive and negative. Alcohol not only kills brain cells, but when taken in profusion it has almost no constructive affects. Sure it can make one overlook his/her problems, but the consequences of drinking in excess far outweigh the benefits. It is not a crime to get drunk, however alcohol will almost always cause one to conduct them self in a way he or she would not normally behave. For instance, a sober man will not usually drive ninety-five mph down I-95, however, after consuming a good amount of alcohol, his eyesight, judgement, reflexes and abilities are hindered to the point that he feels

Alcohol is a drug that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. There are three forms of alcohol, beer, wine and distilled spirits. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and has more adverse effects that most other drugs combined. There are many aspects to consider when thinking about alcohol as a drug. There are many myths surrounding alcohol, including who uses it, what its effects are on users, social and sexual situations and the amounts people drink. The vast majority of the American population uses alcohol and in many various ways and this also causes different effects. Alcohol is also has a great causation in crimes committed by users, social, medical, and educational problems as a

Some may have more food in their stomach than others.(Langone, Book 45) Food becomes a big factor when you are drinking. (Langone, Book, 45) If you have a lot of food in your stomach to absorb the alcohol, instead of it being absorbed into your blood stream, then you won't be intoxicated as fast. (Langone, Book, 45) Weight can also determine your tolerance and speed of intoxication(Langone, Book 45) Since our bodies are 70% water, alcohol is diluted some. A small person has less water for the alcohol to dilute in than someone who is bigger. (Langone, Book 45) A single drink may even be all it takes to impair judgment. (www.alcolimit.com November 27) Some people believe that by becoming a "seasoned" drinker they are more tolerant to the alcohol they put into their bodies.(Langone, Book, 85) However being a seasoned drinker does not make you use to alcohol because you can become seriously impair by even the smallest quantities.(Langone, Book, 85) The effects of alcohol is different among all people depending on size, weight, time and amount of alcohol consumed.

The audience will be asked to indicate weather they have been affected by alcoholism directly or indirectly. They will be asked to name the few effects they have experienced that they never liked about people engrossed in alcoholism and the extended effects that they have seen on the family.