The Consumption of Alcohol and its Effects on the Body :: Alcohol Health Drug Abuse Essays

The Consumption of alcoholic beverage and its Effects on the be Alcohol, probably the oldest drug known, has been used at least since the earliest societies for which records exist. Of the many types of intoxicant, ethyl alcohol is the type consumed in make whoopieing. In its pure roll it is a clear substance with little odor. People drink alcohol in three main kinds of beverages BEERS, which ar made from grain by brewing and fermentation and contain from 3% to 8% alcohol WINES, which are fermented from fruits such as grapes and contain from 8% to 12% alcohol naturally, and up to 21% when fortified by adding alcohol and distilled beverages (spirits) such as WHISKEY, GIN, and VODKA, which on the average contain from 40% to 50% alcohol. Drinkers may become addicted to any of these beverages. Physical Effects of Alcohol The effects of alcohol on the human body depend on the amount of alcohol in the blood (blood-alcohol concentration). This varies with the treasure of consumptio n and with the rate at which the drinkers physical dodge absorbs and metabolizes alcohol. The higher the alcohol content of the beverage consumed, the more alcohol exit enter the bloodstream. The amount and type of food in the stomach as well as affect the absorption rate. Drinking when the stomach is filled is less foolhardy than when it is empty the foods in the stomach, which contain fat and protein, delay alcohol absorption. organic structure weight is also a factor the heavier the person, the slower the absorption of alcohol. aft(prenominal) alcohol passes through the stomach, it is rapidly absorbed through the walls of the intestines into the bloodstream and carried to the various(a) organ systems of the body, where it is metabolized. Although small amounts of alcohol are processed by the kidneys and secreted in the urine, and other small amounts are processed through the lungs and exhaled in the breath, virtually of the alcohol is metabolized by the liver. As the alco hol is metabolized, it gives off heat. The body metabolizes alcohol at about the rate of three-fourths of an troy ounce to one ounce of whiskey an hour. Technically it is possible to drink at the same rate as the alcohol is being oxidized out of the body. Most people, however, drink faster than this, and so the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream keeps rising. Alcohol begins to impair the brains ability to function when the blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.