The Effects of Alcohol

Unlike most over the counter drugs that we buy such as painkillers or cold remedies, alcohol does not come with instructions on how to use it, how much to take or what side effects it can have.

Alcohol can effect people differently in terms of how it makes them feel and behave as well as how much they can tolerate, this can be due to factors such as size, age or sex as well as biological factors which determine how the body reacts to alcohol and how well it removes it. The way someone reacts when they have been drinking may also depend on their emotional state at the time and the environment that they are drinking in.

Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and its effects generally start to be felt around 5-10mins after consumption. The extent of its effects in an individual  depends on how much is consumed and also their tolerance to alcohol, which may be higher if they drink alcohol regularly. The time taken for these effects to wear off also depends on the individual. The liver is responsible for clearing the majority of alcohol from the body, although 1-2% may be lost by sweating and breathing it out. On average a healthy liver takes about one hour to remove one unit of alcohol from the body.

Although alcohol seems to lift people’s moods initially it is in actual fact a depressant. Early on, after a few drinks alcohol acts on the areas of the brain that are involved in mediating our response to anxiety, by reducing the response to things that would normally cause worry or concern it can relax people and make them feel more disinhibited. The result of this is that people may say or do something they would normally be too nervous or ashamed to do. At this point alcohol may also be starting to affect concentration, which would make it dangerous for someone to drive or operate other heavy machinery.

After a few more drinks alcohol begins to affect the areas of the brain that are involved in logic and reasoning this may lead to people being unable to judge situations correctly and responding to them in an unsuitable or unreasonable way, they may also get confused and disorientated because they cannot think clearly. At this point alcohol may also be starting to affect memory causing the individual to forget what has been said and loose track of conversations.

After several more drinks alcohol will start to affect co-ordination and  movement this may result in the individual walking into things, staggering, falling over and / or slurred speech. If an individual continues to drink at this point the alcohol may make them feel tired and it will also be starting to affect more basic functions in the brain such as breathing, heart rhythm and reflexes. This can lead to stupor, unconsciousness, coma and death.