alcohol addiction | alcohol abuse effects | alcohol abuse treatment | drinking problem signs Click here to read september 2006 articles Click here to read october 2006 articles ALCOHOL ADDICTION & SOLUTIONS 2006 - alcohol addiction and solutions Home : What is alcohol - The chemistry of alcohol - Alcoholic liver disease - Consequences of alcohol abuse or dependence - Drinking and driving - links RELATED ARTICLES Alcohol harms women's brain Teenagers and alcohol abuse Are specific groups of people more likely to have problems ? How to tell if someone has a drinking problem ? / Can a problem drinker simply cut down ? If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help , what can you do about it ? How much alcohol is safe during pregnancy ? / Fetal alcohol syndrome at a glance NEW : click here for the alcohol survey and answers Alcohol is a liquid made by fermenting or distilling grains, fruit or even some kinds of vegetables. The chemical name for alcohol is ethyl alcohol or ethanol. In beverages, the pure alcohol is diluted with other ingredients. Alcohol enters the bloodstream through the stomach and intestine. Once in the bloodstream, it is carried to other parts of the body quite quickly. In fact, it reaches the brain almost immediately. Alcohol stays in the body until it is metabolized (broken down) by the liver and eventually leaves the body through breath, sweat and urine. The brain is the body's control centre and so alcohol has a dramatic impact on the way we behave. The more alcohol in the blood, the greater the impact. Judgment, inhibitions, reaction time, coordination, vision, speech, balance, walking and standing are all affected by alcohol

. Beer commercials make it seem like drinking beer will make you feel great but it is hard to know how people will act after drinking alcohol

. A lot depends on the drinker's mood and where they are drinking. After a couple of drinks, one person might be more relaxed, another depressed, another more wild, another angry. In general, you'll feel more of what you were feeling before you started drinking. People who are depressed can feel even worse. Sometimes, you will feel whatever you expect the alcohol to make you feel. It is important to be very careful about mixing two kinds of drugs. Remember alcohol is a drug

. There are hundreds of different kinds of drugs, some legal and some illegal. Some drugs will cause serious problems when used with alcohol. Don't mix alcohol with other drugs unless you know for sure what could happen. Remember street drugs (illegal drugs) are sometimes mixed with other substances, so you may not know what you are buying. If you don't know what you're buying, you can't be sure what will happen when you mix these street drugs with alcohol. Tranquilizers and antihistamines are two types of legal drugs known to be dangerous - and in some cases fatal - when taken with alcohol. The first stop for both food and alcohol is the stomach. Having food in the stomach means the alcohol won't enter the bloodstream as quickly as when people drink on an empty stomach. The food means the relaxing effects of alcohol may be felt longer. It is always a good idea to serve snacks or meals at a party where people are drinking.

alcohol addiction | alcohol abuse effects | alcohol abuse treatment | drinking problem signs