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Dangers of Alcohol

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Submitted By enaira12
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Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic. It is a powerful drug available to virtually anyone who wants to try it. Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy describes the effects of alcohol on the body:
 About 20 percent of alcohol is absorbed through stomach, and most of the rest is absorbed through the small intestine. Alcohol molecules are carried through the bloodstream and come into contact with the cells of virtually all the organs. When someone drinks on an empty stomach, the blood absorbs the alcohol rapidly. The body also absorbs higher concentrations of alcohol, such as mixed drinks or shots, very quickly
Ethanol Dose
(oz/hour) Ethanol Dose
(mg/100ml) Function Impaired Physical State
1-4 up to 100 Judgment, fine motor coordination, reaction time Happy, talkative, boastful
4-12 100-300 Motor coordination, reflexes Staggering gait, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting
12-16 300-400 Voluntary responses to stimulation Hypothermia, hyperthermia, anesthesia
16-24 400-600 Sensation, movement, self-protective reflexes Comatose
24-30 600-900 Breathing, heart function Dead
 After drinking, people usually feel pleasure and become talkative at first. The feelings are usually replaced by drowsiness as the alcohol is eliminated from body, and the drinker may become withdrawn. This pattern often encourages people to drink more to keep the buzz going.
 Immediate medical attention is necessary if a person becomes unconscious, is impossible to arouse or seems to have trouble breathing.
 Drinking a high concentration of alcohol in a short period of time can suppress the centers of the brain that control breathing and cause a person to pass out or even die.
 When people pass out, their bodies continue to absorb alcohol. The amount of alcohol in the blood can reach dangerous levels, and they can die in their sleep.

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