What is alcohol and what does it do?

Alcohol is, strictly speaking, ethanol – a chemical produced by brewing or distilling using grains, fruits or vegetables - with the following impacts on your physical and mental health:

• It affects your brain function, with a major result being lowered inhibitions and increased risk-taking. The more you drink, the greater the chances of finding yourself in dangerous situations through poor decision-making or misjudgement, as well as making yourself vulnerable to crime or being exploited.
• Alcohol is toxic and contributes to or causes more than 60 serious or chronic medical conditions, including:
  • mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers
  • high blood pressure
  • cirrhosis of the liver
  • depression.
• Your liver and kidneys must work to filter it from your blood and remove it from your body. The more alcohol you drink, the harder your body has to work. Your liver can only process alcohol at a certain rate, so if you drink heavily over a long period of time your body will be unable to process the toxins in your bloodstream and you risk causing long-term and irreparable damage to your liver and other organs.
• Drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time also often leads to weight gain, with an increased risk of developing diabetes. It can also interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients, meaning your body doesn't get the minerals it needs to work properly. This can lead to serious health conditions.
• Because alcohol is a ‘depressant’ (disrupting your nerve transmission in the brain) it is especially dangerous when mixed with any illegal drugs or prescription medications which have a similar effect. The combination can easily and rapidly lead to drowsiness, unconsciousness, vomiting and even death.

Find out more about the health effects of alcohol here.