Effects Of Drinking Too Much Alcohol

For many, the college years are not only to pursue education in your chosen field but also a time to gain independence and practice the decision making process. For some, that decision includes moderate to heavy alcohol consumption. Some students can easily handle the amount of time spent socializing and taking time away from their studies; however, the majority of students’ academic performance suffers greatly from alcohol consumption.

The total cost of alcohol abuse, is around $184.9 billion. Physical changes after two drinks are: Changes in judgment, loosened restraint, slow reaction time, dulled senses. For four drinks it is: Exaggerated feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety. For eight drinks it is: Significant impact on motor functions, significant impairment of judgement, blacking out, and nausea. For twelve drinks it’s: Confusion, blacking or passing out, overdose, impairment of brain’s ability to manage even basic bodily functions. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more that one drink per day for adult women and no more that two drinks per day for adult men. Most people retain some alcohol in their blood up to two to three hours after a single drink. The people who should avoid alcoholic beverages completely are: Children and adolescents, recovering alcoholics, people who plan to drive, women who may become pregnant, or are pregnant, and anyone taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol. Difference in levels of drink are: Abstinence is 0, Light is less than 1, Moderate is less than 2, and Heavy is 2 or

The continuous or excessive use of alcohol (ethanol) with associated pathologic results. Alcoholism is characterized by constant or periodic intoxication, although the pattern of consumption varies markedly. Individuals admitted for the first time to an alcoholism treatment center typically have been consuming 3–4 oz (80–100 g) of pure alcohol per day, corresponding to seven to nine drinks or bottles of beer or glasses of wine. Studies have shown that problem drinking in these populations starts at about 2 oz/day (60 g/day), that is, four to five drinks per day, and that these are consumed in rapid succession, leading to intoxication on three or more days per week. Individuals who consume these levels of alcohol have a greater-than-average

Alcohol has been around for many centuries, involving tradition, religion, and social gatherings. For many using alcohol is not a problem because they fall into the categories listed above. In some churches, the use of wine is used to represent the blood of Christ, although many have turned to grape juice now. Others use alcohol as a custom for watching football or perhaps traditionally within some cultures like the Irish, who drink daily for continued health. And lastly, social gatherings are also an excuse to ‘drink up’ and celebrate any event in one’s life. What most people fail to realize is that drinking can lead to health issues and dependence.

“Excessive drinking includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking by pregnant women or people younger than age 21. Binge drinking, the most common form of excessive drinking, is defined as consuming: for women, 4 or more drinks during a single occasion, and for men, 5 or more drinks during a single occasion. Heavy drinking, however, is defined as consuming: for women, 8 or more drinks per week, and for men, 15 or more drinks per

Chronic, prolonged exposure to alcohol can result in serious detrimental outcomes for the client 's health (Gilpin & Koob,

Alcohol plays too significant a role in society today and should be an after thought as opposed to the most essential addition to any social event. Alcohol creates numerous social, economic, and health problems that could very easily be stopped if it played a less influential role in every day events. The use of alcohol is prominent in, but not limited to three social circles that include students, family groups, and religious gatherings. Experts have much to say about alcohol use and abuse in these three categories, including all of the negative aspects of drinking.

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

While many people view consuming alcohol as charming, it is indeed detrimental to a person’s health and well-being. “[As of] 2013, 86.6 percent of people ages eighteen and older have drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime…56.4 percent reported that they drank in the past month” (NIAAA). Drinking is the cause of many accident inflicted hospital visits, increases the risk for a plethora of illness, and is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States (NIAAA).

As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder our thoughts move away from beach bodies and turn to mince pies and mulled wine. While it's a great excuse to have fun and let our hair down, we shouldn't forget that there are serious consequences to binge drinking which go beyond a killer hangover. Follow these 5 top tips to ensure you have a great party season, without doing any permanent damage, and remember, the government's recommended daily limit it 2-3 alcohol units for women and 3-4 units for men.

Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that fits in the depressant classification. Depressants slow down brain and body functions. The consumption of alcohol has various effects on the body like altering mood and behavior, making it harder to think clearly and make coordinated body movements. Alcohol usage also increases high blood pressure and long time effects of consuming alcohol can increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke and can cause inflammation of the liver, and pancreas. Long-term usage of alcohol abuse can lead to alcoholism, which can cause harm to health, interpersonal relationships and work.

Underage alcohol drinking can have devastating effects on teenagers. It can affect teens' grades, health and many other things as well. The reasons why teenagers consume alcohol are pretty clear. What aren’t clear are the solutions to eliminating, or at least reducing the number of underage drinkers. It is vital that we do something to at least suppress this problem. By taking action, we can greatly reduce the number of underage drinkers and it could also save not only their lives, but also someone else's life as well. Underage drinking can cause many health problems as well as educational problems in a teen’s life; therefore our country needs to decrease the number of underage drinkers by increasing both the price of alcohol as well as the legal drinking age.

It is unfortunate that in today’s society binge drinking is considered the new normal. Alcohol is advertised in almost every social media, and it is used to show how a stressed mother unwinds after a stressful day, or a group of friends celebrating or enjoying themselves. This consistent advertisement largely affects college students and people aging 26 and older (JAMA). Due to these societal pressures and the resulting addictions, binge drinking has a detrimental effect on the health and control of one’s

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the United States; it affects the entire body, including the brain, nervous system, liver, heart, and the individual’s emotional well-being. Alcohol assists in making bad decisions, cancer, injuries, chronic illness, and of course hangovers. Some people believe drinking in moderation and sometimes regularly is alright, but that is definitely not the case.

Excessive alcohol consumption can be very damaging to human beings as when consumed, the alcohol goes through the bloodstream which then can lead the alcohol to anywhere in the body. Alcohol is a depressant, meaning that it slows the body’s functional ability to complete a task. It slows down the brain’s activity, and depending on how fast they drink, or what they are drinking, it results in the person having slower reaction times, poor memory, slurred speech, mood swings and more. The effects of the symptoms are proportional to the blood alcohol concentration levels in your body. So the more blood alcohol concentration you have, the slower your brain will function for example.