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░ Definition
Alcohol may be the world's oldest known drug. Fermented grain, fruit juice and honey have been used to make alcohol for thousands of years.
░ Effects of alcohol
Low doses:
Produces a relaxing effect, reduces tension, lowers coordination and reflexes, impairs concentration and reaction time.
Medium doses :
Alcohol produces slurred speech, altered emotions and causes drowsiness.
High doses :
Vomiting, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness and even coma.
░ Nervous system
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. Because of its properties, alcohol gets into the bloodstream very easily and acts on the reticular formation, spinal cord, cerebral cortex and cerebellum, and on many neurotransmitter systems.
Alcohol consumption can lead to dependence. In that case the situation gets worse, including typical symptoms of nauseas, tremors, sleep problems and even hallucinations and seizures.
Some damages caused on the nervous system are:
- Damages the frontal lobes of the brain.
- Overall reduction in brain size.
- A vitamin deficiency because of the digestion system of alcoholics is unable to absorb vitamin B-1. This may cause a syndrome known as ‘Wernicke´s Encephalopathy’, characterized by impaired memory and lack of coordination, and further can lead to ‘Korsakoff´s Syndrome’, characterized by apathy, disorientation and amnesia.
░ Important: "If you drink..."
Alcohol-driving mixture has become a decisive cause of death on roads (involved in 1 of every 5 deaths) and one of the first tasks of prevention and awareness in contemporary societies. So you know: “If you drink, don´t drive”.
More information (University of Washington) >>
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░ Alcohol
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