Alcohol

Street names

•    Booze
•    Hooch
•    Moonshine
•    Tipple
•    Toddy
•    Red-eye
•    Juice

Terms for describing someone as being “drunk”
•    Hammered, Tanked, Trashed, Wasted, Plastered, Canned, Sloshed, Housed, Juiced Up & Crocked.

Description
Alcohol is a depressant drug. This means it slows down the parts of your brain that affect your thinking and behavior, as well as your breathing and heart rate. Alcohol also affects the central nervous system by inhibiting the signals between the brain, nerve endings and spinal cord. Alcohol is absorbed and carried through the bloodstream via small blood vessels in the walls of the stomach and small intestine as well as in the liver, kidneys and brain. When alcohol reaches the brain, it interferes with the receptors on some cells resulting in an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, all of which are essential to mood regulation. An excess of dopamine causes feelings of euphoria and can also make users relax, loosen up, and feel more comfortable.  Conversely, the set and setting of the user while drinking alcohol (user’s frame of mind and physical place of use) can cause users to become hostile and more aggressive. Alcohol consumed in large amounts, especially on an empty stomach, makes it easier for alcohol to rush into the bloodstream and increases the chance of becoming poisoned or intoxicated. Alcohol is used in a liquid form. A standard drink contains 13.6 grams of alcohol. Beer contains about 5% alcohol, wine contains 12% to 17% alcohol and hard liquor usually contains 40% alcohol.

Origin and medical usage
Alcohol, also known as ethanol, comes from organic sources including grapes, grains and berries. These organic sources are fermented and distilled into a liquid. The exact origin of alcohol is not known although some archaeological discoveries show that grapes were being fermented into wines sometime around 10,000 BC.  As for beer, it originated around 9000 BC and was produced in ancient Egypt. Alcohol is no longer used as a medicine but today alcohol is combined with other ingredients in cough syrup or elixirs.

Short-term effects
The short-term effects of alcohol include, but are not limited to; slurred speech, headaches, drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, distorted vision and hearing, decreased perception and coordination, unconsciousness and blackouts.  Impaired judgment and decision making is another prevalent short term effect of alcohol use. It can affect the ability to make healthy decisions and choices on such things as driving, finances, relationships, school work, sexual partners and situations.

Long-term effects
The long term effects of alcohol include, but are not limited to; alcohol poisoning, high blood pressure, stroke, sexual problems, liver disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, malnutrition, arthritis, permanent damage to the brain, gastritis and vitamin B1 deficiency. When the amount of alcohol in the blood exceeds certain levels, the respiratory (breathing) system slows down, restricting oxygen to the brain and can lead to coma or death.

Withdrawal
Withdrawal is what happens when a person stops drinking alcohol. A person may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety. Depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and the period of time over which it was used, these withdrawal symptoms can last from two to seven days and can range from mild to severe. Life threatening withdrawal symptoms can include convulsions, hallucinations, and agitations. Delirium Tremens (D.T.’s) is an acute, fatal episode of delirium that is caused by withdrawal from alcohol after a period of excessive drinking. It is characterized by hallucinations, seizures, rapid body tremors, rapid heart rate and quick mood changes. If symptoms are not treated, severe alcohol withdrawal can result in death.

Legal status
Alcohol is legally available in Canada. An individual convicted of supplying alcohol to a minor is guilty of an offence that is punishable by up to life in prison. The legal drinking age in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon is 19 years of age. The legal drinking age in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec is 18 years of age.

Signs that a person might be using
Signs that a person may be using alcohol, but are not limited to; mood changes, physical appearance changes, money or valuables go missing from home, school and work performance has declined, hostile and aggressive behaviour, lost motivation, depressed, anxious and unusual sleeping habits.