Drugs and Their Effects – Alcohol
March 28th, 2011
Alcohol
Recently named the most harmful drug in general, and the most harmful drug to society, Alcohol is the second most abused drug in the US. Found in liquor, beer and wine, alcohol can be found at social events, bars, clubs, restaurants, and in many household fridges.In small amounts, alcohol gives one eased inhibitions, as well as euphoria, mild stimulation and relaxation. However, it is in the higher amounts where the effects escalate to slurred speech, nausea, emotional volatility, loss of coordination as well as other effects.
Interestingly, alcohol is disputed to have some positive effects as well as negative ones, for example, one study has concluded that men who drink in moderation (about two units of alcohol, or two glasses of wine) three or more times a week were 35% less likely to have a heart attack than those who didn’t drink.
Conversely, excessive drinking has been linked to dementia, 7 different cancers, and cirrhosis of the liver. Ones risk of cancer begins to rise around as little as 3 units of alcohol per day (roughly a pint of lager).
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