What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a flammable liquid that is the intoxicating composition of wine, beer, spirits and other drinks. Alcohol is classified as a depressant. This is because it slows down the central nervous system, resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly.
Although known to be a depressant, the amount of alcohol consumed determines if your body will fully be under the depressant classification. Otherwise, you can get the stimulant effect from a beer or a glass of wine to “loosen up”. If one consumes more than the body can handle, they start to experience the alcohol’s depressant effect and experience loss of coordination and control.
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the only alcohol used in beverages and is produced by the fermentation of grains and fruits. (chemical process where yeast acts upon certain ingredients in food, creating alcohol). The chemical formula of ethanol is C2H6O.
Alcohol has a high affinity for water and is therefore found in body tissues and fluids considering they contain water. Absorbed alcohol is rapidly carried throughout the body in the blood and once absorption of alcohol is complete, an equilibrium occurs such that blood at all points in the system contains approximately the same concentration of alcohol.