• Alcohol is readily absorbed into the bloodstream, travelling to all parts of the body. The brain and sensory organs are soon affected.
• Alcohol is a depressant when abused.
• Alcohol is high in calories, and is used as the first form of fuel by the body, so foods eaten with alcohol is generally stored. Eating while drinking causes the alcohol to be absorbed into the blood stream more slowly.
• Alcohol dehydrates the cell of the body and therefore increases urine production.
• The liver is the only organ in the body that can metabolises alcohol, in most adults the liver can only deal with two standard alcoholic drinks in an hour.
• Because the liver is the only organ that metabolises alcohol it can easily become overloaded. When this happens, the excess alcohol is circulated into the blood waiting its turn to be processed. The circulating alcohol affects every organ in the body.
• Drinking to much alcohol over a long period of time can lead to nutrients deficiency, overweight (especially around the tummy), reduced sexual performance, and osteoporosis resulting from loss of calcium. Heavy drinkers are likely to develop brain dysfunction, pancreas dysfunction and cirrhosis of the liver.