Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that for different periods of times disables the body or brain from functioning in the right way. High blood alcohol content is usually considered to be illegal drunkenness because it slows down the reaction speed of the human body and brain greatly. Alcoholic beverages can be addictive, and the state of addiction to alcohol is known as alcoholism.

Alcohol has been used for centuries all around the world for many different reasons which include drinking because of being medical reasons or religious rituals as well as being lazy or ignorant.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption

The consumption of Alcohol can have both short and long term bad effects.

Short-term effects of alcohol consumption include intoxication, dehydration, and finally alcohol poisoning. Long-term effects of alcohol include changes to metabolism in the liver, the brain, and possibly addiction (alcoholism).

Short term effects

Alcohol intoxication affects the brain, causing slurred speech, feeling dizzy, and bad vision. Alcohol stimulates insulin production, which speeds up the glucose metabolism and can result in low blood sugar, causing irritability, and even death for diabetics in normal subjects.

Feelings of anger and depression arise. Balance, judgment and coordination are also negatively affected. One of the most significant side effects of alcohol is reduced inhibition.

Death rates

A 2001 report estimates that the consumption of alcohol led to 76,000 deaths in the USA. In the U.K., heavy drinking is blamed for up to 34,000 deaths a year.

A study in Sweden found that 30% to 45% of the “unnatural” deaths (deaths not related to illness) were related to alcohol; the causes of death included suicide, falls, traffic injuries, asphyxia, intoxication and murder.

Other studies have concluded that 3.7% of all cancer cases worldwide are caused by alcohol drinking. In the U.K., cancer caused by Alcohol consumption is killing over 10,000 people a year.

Dementia disease

Long-term moderate or short-term excessive drinking has been linked to dementia which is estimated that in between 11% to 25% of dementia cases are caused by alcohol consumption, with women being at greater risk than men.

The consumption of alcohol does not kill brain cells but rather damages them very badly.  

Cancer caused by Alcohol

Alcohol consumption has been linked with seven different types of cancer: mouth cancer, pharyngeal cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer, breast cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer. The risk of developing cancer increases even with a consumption of up to 3 small glasses of alcohol a day. Heavy drinkers are more likely to develop liver cancer.

Women who regularly consume even low amounts of alcohol have an increased threat of cancers of the upper digestive tract, rectum, liver, and breast. For both men and women, consuming two or more drinks daily increases the threat of pancreatic cancer by 22%.

Alcoholism

Alcohol addiction can also lead to malnutrition as it can change digestion and metabolism of most nutrients. Severe thiamine deficit is common due to deficiency of riboflavin, vitamin B6 and selenium and can direct to some kinds of syndromes. Muscle cramps, nausea, appetite loss, nerve disorders and depression are some common symptoms. It can also lead to osteoporosis and bone fractures due to vitamin D deficiency (vitamin D helps in calcium absorption).

Diabetes

People with diabetes are at risk from drinks containing sugar, sweet wines, and liqueurs.

Stroke

A study found that heavy drinkers were 2.88 times more prone to suffer a stroke than moderate drinkers.