What Is Alcohol?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. When people drink alcohol, it's absorbed into their bloodstream. Because experts now know that the human brain is still developing during our teens, scientists are researching the effects drinking alcohol can have on the teen brain.

Alcohol is a depressant that affects every part of your body.

Drink, booze, brew, hooch, moonshine

If you drink a lot and drink fast (binge drinking) you really put yourself in danger. With binge drinking, the depressant (or dumbing) effects of alcohol can overwhelm the body's defenses.

Alcohol travels through your bloodstream and damages your brain, stomach, liver, kidneys and muscles. One reason is that alcohol can have seriously dangerous, long-term impacts on a body and brain that are still developing.

Alcohol is the name to given a variety of related compounds; the drinkable form is ethanol, or ethyl alcohol. There are three basic types of alcoholic drinks.

Wine is made from fermented fruits and has an alcohol content of 11 to 14 percent. Some wine drinks, such as wine coolers, have fruit juice and sugar added, lowering alcohol content to between four and seven percent. Fortified wines, such as port, have alcohol added, bringing alcohol content to between 18 and 20 percent.

Liquor is made by distilling a fermented product to yield a drink that usually contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol. Five drinks consumed in two hours may raise the blood alcohol level to 0.10 percent, high enough to be considered legally intoxicated in every state. Once a drinker stops drinking, his or her blood alcohol level decreases by about 0.01 percent per hour.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol use and intoxication:

Smell of alcohol on breath, Impaired short-term memory, Signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, experienced by alcoholics and problem drinkers:

What are the Dangers of Alcohol Abuse?

Additionally, alcohol abuse increases the risk of mouth and throat cancer.

How Does Alcohol Affect Pregnancy?

Alcohol is an especially dangerous drug for pregnant women. Chronic abuse of alcohol can lead to addiction or alcoholism. Alcohol addiction can be characterized by increased tolerance, causing the abuser to drink greater amounts to achieve the same desired effect. Chronic abuse of alcohol can lead to addiction or alcoholism.