Alcohol Information
Alcohol is the intoxicating element produced by the yeast fermentation of certain carbohydrates. Alcohols are not used just in beverage drinks, but have a much wider use in industry and science as reagents, solvents, and fuels.
Because of its low toxicity, ethanol (component from alcohol series) is often used as a solvent in medical drugs, perfumes, and vegetable essences. As more important alcohol information, it should be mentioned that ethanol acts as a depressant in the human body, slowing the function of the central nervous system.
Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person’s perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.
How alcohol is produced
Many alcohols can be created by fermentation of fruits or grains with yeast, but only ethanol is commercially produced this way, chiefly for fuel and drink. Other alcohols are generally produced by synthetic routes from natural gas, oil, or coal feedstock. The concentration of alcohol in drinks varies widely. Wine and beer have between 5% and 15%, while ‘hard’ liquor usually has up to 40%, and sometimes more.
How does alcohol work?
Alcohol, unlike food, is not digested in the body, but gets absorbed fast into the bloodstream. The blood carries the alcohol to all-important organs, such as liver, heart and brains. Like that the nervous system gets affected and thus influences the activity of the person. The drinker’s blood alcohol concentration depends on:
- The amount consumed in a given time
- The drinker’s size, sex, body build, and metabolism
- The type and amount of food in the stomach.
Once the alcohol has passed into the blood, no food, coffee or beverage can retard or interfere with its effects. Fruit sugar, in some cases, can shorten the duration of alcohol’s effect by speeding up its elimination from the blood.
Alcohol intoxication
Ethanol in the form of alcoholic beverages has been largely consumed by humans since pre-historic times, for a variety of hygienic, dietary, medicinal, religious, and recreational reasons. Occasional use of small amount of ethanol is harmless or even prescribed by the doctors, as a supplement diet. A glass of wine creates a mild euphoria, you become more relaxed, confident and less anxious. Large amounts of alcohol cause however drunkennes or, in extreme cases, coma or death.
Heavy drinking makes you lose your coordination, stagger, confused, disorientated. The more you drink, the great will be your loss of normal mental and physical control. Further it can give dependency which many societies consider as a serious health problem for the individual as well for the society.
Long term damage starts with the following effects:
Physical: delirium tremens, cramps, vomiting, elevated blood pressure, sweating, dilated pupils, sleep problems, convulsions.
Psychological: irritability, preoccupied with alcohol, short-term memory loss, blackouts are common, loss of control.
Statistics related to alcohol in general
- More than 100,000 deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year in the U.S.
- Alcohol related problems cost the United States $175 Billion every year;
- Nearly 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders
- 2% to 3% of the current American college population will die from alcohol related causes;
- 30% of college failure is alcohol related;
- In the U.S., 70 people are killed daily in drunk driving accidents, which is roughly one person killed every 22 minutes;
- 69% of all drowning are alcohol related;
- 1 in every 3 suicides involves alcohol;
- 75% to 90% of campus rapes involve alcohol use;
- 75% of men and 50% of women involved in sexual assaults had been drinking prior to the assault;
- The abuse of alcohol is present in 70% of all murders and other violent crimes;
- 90% of the vandalism that occurs on college campuses is a result of alcohol use.
Breathalyzers.net – distributes several different hand-held alcohol testers, including the highly regarded AlcoMate Digital hand-held unit for consumers, and the Lifeloc FC for professional use.
Why do those in recovery from 12 steps programs say they are still an alcoholic or addict and never a EX-alcoholic or EX-user? Here’s an at-home recovery program that gives you a natural and permanent cure for a drug or alcohol problem.
