Alcohol: The socially Accepted Hard Drug (Origin, Effect, Dangers) - Doctor Explains

For some of you it is maybe weird to think of alcohol as a drug. It is so accepted and integrated in our daily world. Social activities, movies, songs, it is almost impossible to escape alcohol.
However, as we all know, this seemingly safe and embraced substance can have devastating effects. Partly because it is so well integrated.

In todays video, we will explore its origin, unravel its effect on our body and discuss its impact on your health. This video is part of a videoseries on the Dangers of Illicit Drugs.

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The origin of Alcohol:
Unsurprisingly, alcohol might be one of the first substances, people discovered. As early as 7000 BCE alcohol was being brewed in northern China. And winemaking dates back to about 6000 BCE. For those wondering, the first evidence of beer being brewed goes back to the 6th century BCE in Egypt.
In most other countries alcohol remains fully legal and available, however its sales are regulated.

What is alcohol?
There are multiple types of alcohol, including ethanol, methanol, isopropanol and isopropyl. Of those ethanol is the only typed which is used for recreational purposes. It is found as the active substance in beer, wine and distilled spirits. The other types of alcohol are significantly more toxic and can quickly cause serious harm.

How does it work?
Which all starts with drinking alcohol. When you drink alcohol, it is absorbed into the bloodstream by your tongue, the mucosal lining of the mouth, your stomach and ultimately your small intestine.
While circulating your bloodstream, alcohol can pass the blood-brain-barrier. In your central nervous system it can bind to and activate GABA-receptors. Furthermore, alcohol also inhibits glutamate and it increases the concentration of dopamine and serotonin.

How is alcohol broken down?
About 10% of the alcohol you consume will be eliminated through your sweat, breath and urine. Which leaves us with the other 90%. This is broken down, or detoxification, by your liver. Liver cells produce the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase which breaks alcohol into ketones at a rate of about 0.015 g/100mL/hour.

BAC-levels:
BAC 0.0%: you’re sober.
BAC 0.02%: you may start to experience an altered mood, relaxation, euphoria and a slight loss of judgment.
BAC 0.08%: reduced muscle coordination.
BAC 0.10%: reduced reaction time, slurred speech, impaired vision, headache, diarrhea and slowed thinking.
BAC 0.15%: altered mood, nausea and vomiting, loss of balance and loss of muscle control.
BAC 0.15% to 0.30%: confusion, memory gaps, more vomiting and drowsiness.
BAC 0.30% to 0.40%: alcohol poisoning.
BAC Over 0.40%: This is very dangerous and potentially fatal.

Long term risks:
It can affect all organ systems, create huge health problems and ultimately could be fatal.

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

Literature:
1: L. Saad. (2022). What Percentage of Americans Drink Alcohol? Gallup.
2: R. Turrisi. (2010). How Alcohol Works in the Body. Colgate University.
3: E. Hartney. (2020). Average Blood Alcohol Content in Men by Weight. VerywellMind
4:Cleveland Clinic medical professional. (2022). Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). Cleveland Clinic
5: WHO. (2022). Global Information System on Alcohol and Health. WHO.
6: A. Pietrangelo. C. Raypole. (2023). What Are the Effects of Alcohol on the Body? Healthline.

* The images in this video are used for educational purposes only. Most of the images and video material in this video come from https://www.canva.com/.

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