Alcohol ? Is A Danger to Everyone and Dangerous for the Mind ???

[Bible Speaks]

Alcohol ? Is A Danger to Everyone and Dangerous for the Mind

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Speech, vision, coordination, thought, and behavior are all connected with an incredibly complex series of chemical reactions in the brain’s neurons, or key cells. The presence of ethanol modifies those reactions, suppressing or enhancing the role of certain neurotransmitters—chemicals that relay signals from neuron to neuron. The stream of information in the brain is thus altered, preventing the brain from functioning normally. That is why when a person drinks too much, he or she develops slurred speech, blurred vision, sluggish movement, and weakened behavioral restraints and inhibitions—all common symptoms of intoxication.

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With prolonged exposure to alcohol, brain chemistry adapts to counter the poisonous effect of ethanol and to maintain normal nerve function. This leads to tolerance, whereby the same amount of alcohol has less of an effect than it would have had previously. Dependence occurs when the brain has adapted so much to the presence of alcohol that it cannot operate properly without it. The body craves alcohol to maintain the chemical balance. When a person is deprived of alcohol, his brain chemistry is totally destabilized and withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, trembling, or even seizures, set in.

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Besides causing modifications of brain chemistry, alcohol abuse can lead to cell atrophy and destruction, altering the brain’s very structure. While partial recovery is possible with abstinence, some of this damage seems to be irreversible, further affecting memory and other cognitive functions. Damage to the brain is not just the result of long-term exposure to alcohol. Research seems to indicate that even relatively short periods of alcohol abuse can be harmful.

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Alcohol’s effect on the liver has another insidious side effect—the liver is less capable of playing its defensive role in counteracting the effect of cancer-forming agents. 

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Various sources define moderate drinking as 0.70 ounce [20 g] of pure alcohol per day, or two standard drinks for men, and 0.35 ounce [10 g], or one drink, for women. French and British health authorities suggest “sensible limits” of three drinks per day for men and two for women. The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism further recommends that “people aged 65 and older limit their consumption of alcohol to one drink per day.”* However, we all react differently to alcohol. In some cases, even these lower limits may be too high. For example, “moderate amounts of alcohol can be harmful to people with mood and anxiety disorders,” notes the 10th Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health. Age, medical history, and physique are factors to be taken into consideration.—See the box “Limiting the Risk.”

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Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your driving ability. Alcohol affects your eyesight. Road signs appear to be smaller. Peripheral vision as well as your ability to judge distances and to focus on distant objects is reduced. Information processing, reflexes, and coordination are slowed down.

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If you have an accident after having imbibed alcohol, your injuries are likely to be more serious than if you had been sober. Moreover, your chances of surviving any emergency surgery diminish because of the effect of alcohol on the heart and the circulation. “Thus, contrary to generally accepted ideas, the majority of alcohol-related deaths are of drunk drivers themselves,” notes a report by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. In view of the dangers, the report gives the following recommendations:

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No matter what your age, gender, or nationality, you are not free from the risks of hazardous drinking. Just what does alcohol do to the body? What are the health dangers of overdrinking? And what is generally considered a safe level of alcohol consumption?

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Safe Drinking

The list of health risks mentioned above is by no means exhaustive. In 2004 an article in Nature magazine pointed out that “even small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of injury and boost the chances of developing about 60 diseases.” In view of this, what constitutes safe drinking? Today millions of people worldwide safely enjoy having an occasional drink. The key to good health is moderation. But just what is moderation? Most people would consider their personal consumption to be moderate, perhaps reasoning that as long as they do not get drunk or are not alcohol dependent, there is no problem. Nevertheless, in Europe 1 man out of 4 has an alcohol consumption rate that is considered hazardous.

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Various sources define moderate drinking as 0.70 ounce [20 g] of pure alcohol per day, or two standard drinks for men, and 0.35 ounce [10 g], or one drink, for women. French and British health authorities suggest “sensible limits” of three drinks per day for men and two for women. The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism further recommends that “people aged 65 and older limit their consumption of alcohol to one drink per day.”* However, we all react differently to alcohol. In some cases, even these lower limits may be too high. For example, “moderate amounts of alcohol can be harmful to people with mood and anxiety disorders,” notes the 10th Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health. Age, medical history, and physique are factors to be taken into consideration.

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ONE FOR THE ROAD?

Restrictions on driving under the influence of alcohol have existed nearly as long as cars have. The first country to introduce such legislation was Denmark in 1903.

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When you drink on an empty stomach, the alcohol in your blood reaches its highest level within about half an hour after it is ingested. Contrary to popular opinion, drinking coffee, taking in fresh air, and doing physical exercise will not help you to sober up. The only thing that will reduce the effect of alcohol on your body is the passing of time. Don’t forget, too, that “a drink is a drink is a drink.” That is, if you have a standard drink of wine, beer, or spirits, the alcohol content is the same.*

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Even small amounts of alcohol can impair your driving ability. Alcohol affects your eyesight. Road signs appear to be smaller. Peripheral vision as well as your ability to judge distances and to focus on distant objects is reduced. Information processing, reflexes, and coordination are slowed down.

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If you have an accident after having imbibed alcohol, your injuries are likely to be more serious than if you had been sober. Moreover, your chances of surviving any emergency surgery diminish because of the effect of alcohol on the heart and the circulation. “Thus, contrary to generally accepted ideas, the majority of alcohol-related deaths are of drunk drivers themselves,” notes a report by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. In view of the dangers, the report gives the following recommendations:

▪ Don’t drink and drive.

▪ Don’t get into a car with a driver who has been drinking.

▪ Don’t let friends or parents drive under the influence of alcohol.

▪ No more than two standard drinks a day*

▪ On at least two days of the week, do not drink

In the following circumstances, even one or two drinks can be too much:

▪ When driving or operating machinery

▪ When pregnant or breast-feeding

▪ When taking certain medications

▪ When you have certain medical conditions

▪ If you cannot control your drinking

HOW ALCOHOL CAN DAMAGE YOU

Brain ????

Cell loss, memory loss, depression, aggressive behavior

Vision, speech, coordination impairment

Cancer of throat, mouth, breast, liver

Heart

Muscle weakness, potential heart failure

Liver

Fatty, then enlarged, then scarred (cirrhosis)

Other risks

Poor immune system, ulcers, inflammation of pancreas

Pregnant women

Risk of deformed or retarded babies

“Alcohol is far worse for the developing fetus than any other abused drug”

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https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102005722?q=alcoholism&p=par