The Dangerous Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol is a very serious and dangerous drug, although it is not treated this way anymore. College students have taken drinking to a new level in which, for many, is very scary. Alcohol is much more dangerous than many would think. Kids see a night of drinking as a great way to have fun and party but do not see the consequences. Getting drunk and even blacking out can lead to many problems. When alcohol is consumed in unhealthy amounts, it can lead to not only short-term effects, but long-term ones as well.

Many people could tell you what alcohol will do to you. Blurred vision, memory loss, slurred speech, difficulty walking, and slow reaction times are all very common side effects depending on how much one consumes (National Institute on Alcohol abuse, 2004). To most, there is nothing wrong with this. Party all night, have a good time, find somewhere to sleep, pass out, and wake up in the morning. A couple of Advil and a glass of water and you are good to go, no harm done. This is where many are wrong. These effects are not just short term, they all add up in the long- run. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety (National Institute on Alcohol abuse, 2004).

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol, or most often known as simply alcohol can come in the form of beer, wine, or liquor. A depressant affects the central nervous system although many would believe it to be a stimulant. Many people get more energetic and stimulated but this is only because alcohol affects parts of the brain that control judgment. The stimulate...

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...tion. It has not only short-term effects but long-term ones as well. Alcohol can lead to serious problems with the central nervous system, blood, muscles, the liver, and more. Underage drinking is a huge problem that needs to be taken seriously and no one should ever feel pressured into drinking in order to look cool or fit in. One could only wish that more people were educated on the issue and maybe it would be taken more seriously than it is right now.

Works Cited

Dunlap, M. P. (n.d.). Retrieved from Biological Impacts of Alcohol Use: An Overview: www.oregoncounseling.org/articlespaper/documents.etohbiof.htm

National Institute on Alcohol abuse. (2004, October). Retrieved 2012, from Alcohol Alert: http://pubs.niaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

Zelman, K. (1995, Dec). Retrieved from The Alcohol Debate: Should You or Shouldn't You: www.medicine.net