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The 2010 DrugScience study ranking various illegal and legal drugs based on statements by drug-harm experts. Alcohol was rated to be the 4th most harmful drug to users, the drug most harmful to others, and the most harmful drug overall. [74] Alcohol causes a plethora of detrimental effects in society. [25]
After oral ingestion, ethanol is absorbed via the stomach and intestines into the bloodstream. Ethanol is highly water-soluble and diffuses passively throughout the entire body, including the brain. Soon after ingestion, it begins to be metabolized, 90% or more by the liver.
The term "alcoholism" was split into "alcohol abuse" and "alcohol dependence" in 1980's DSM-III, and in 1987's DSM-III-R behavioral symptoms were moved from "abuse" to "dependence". [116] Some scholars suggested that DSM-5 merges alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence into a single new entry, [ 117 ] named "alcohol-use disorder".
Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH 3 CH 2 OH. It is an alcohol, with its formula also written as C 2 H 5 OH, C 2 H 6 O or EtOH, where Et stands for ethyl. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic wine-like ...
Alcohol (from the Arabic word al-kuḥl, الكحل), sometimes referred to by the chemical name ethanol, is one of the most widely used and abused psychoactive drugs in the world. It is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, decreasing electrical activity of neurons in the brain.
The causes of alcohol abuse are complex and multi-faceted. Alcohol abuse is related to economic and biological origins and is associated with adverse health consequences. [45] Peer pressure influences individuals to abuse alcohol; however, most of the influence of peers is due to inaccurate perceptions of the risks of alcohol abuse. [48]
Even within the realm of scientific inquiry, the common phrase "drugs and alcohol" persists, implying that alcohol is somehow separate from other drugs. Criticism of the alcohol industry may note that the industry argues that "alcohol is not a drug". [38] [39] Also, some religious organizations, such as the Catholic Church, requires alcoholic ...
Because ethanol is mostly metabolized and consumed by the liver, chronic excessive use can lead to fatty liver. This leads to a chronic inflammation of the liver and eventually alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol consumption can cause hypoglycemia in diabetics on certain medications, such as insulin or sulfonylurea, by blocking gluconeogenesis. [65]