Alcohol is a drug, then a toxic substance and, like all toxic substances, has different effects at different doses. Its effects are comparable to those of any other drugs because, like drugs, acts on the central nervous system, creates psychological and physical dependence, addiction and behavioral disorders also very serious.

Alcohol, taken in small doses, has euphoric effects, the language melts and can also have stimulants or sedatives. Even with assiduous use, alcohol leads to an attenuation of the provision and readiness to self-control in a person. The loss of inhibitions and self-control often lead to aggressive behavior in some individuals and increase the predisposition to violence.

In a state of intoxication, the perception is very small, the coordination of movements is disturbed, diminish alertness and sensitivity to pain. In case of heavy intoxication begins to stutter and stumble, you become very talkative, speaking for themselves.

If drunkenness is too much can cause vomiting, severe loss of balance and lead to a state of despair. Finally, they cease to operate the motor nerves, turns off the consciousness and threatened by poisoning with lethal consequences.

Chronic alcohol intoxication cause very serious and irreversible damage to the body. The toxicity of this substance is too often overlooked, as well as the problems or causes of addiction.

Each year are attributable directly or indirectly to the consumption of alcohol: 10% of all diseases, 10% of all cancers, 63% of liver cirrhosis, 41% of murders and 45% of all accidents , 9% of disabilities and chronic illnesses (long term): (World Health Report, World Health Organization, Report 2002)

• Dementia associated with alcoholism, with impaired short-term memory and long-term deficits of abstract thinking, ethical and social decay;
• Alcoholic epilepsy and delirium tremens;
• Loss of sensation, numbness, muscle cramps, muscle atrophy;
• Optic neuropathy, difficulty in reading and color recognition;
• Delusions of jealousy (related to an ever more frequent sexual impotence);
• Psychosis with delusions of interpretation, delirium, hallucination, delirium, paranoia;
• Aggression with suicidal conduct.
  

In most big country, alcohol related driving is currently the leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 years. In particular, alcohol is responsible for about 50% of the deaths resulting from traffic accidents. And every year related deaths due to alcohol consumption (cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, suicide, abortion, murder, accidents in the workplace, domestic and traffic accidents) are about 70% . There is a mortality of 5% for cardiac arrhythmias, digestive bleeding, infectious complications.
Alcoholism and Social Evil

Alcohol, a drug that unfortunately is socially accepted. What does not accept the company, however, are in fact marginalizes the damage that it causes short and long term. Diseases and accidents are a cost in economic terms and human lives that are increasingly difficult to sustain.