Alcohol What is it?
Alcohol is the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the country.

What does it look like?
Alcohol is used in liquid form.

What are the street names/slang terms for it?
Booze

How is it used?
Alcohol is drunk. Types include beer, wine and liquor.

What are the short-term effects?
When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects are dependent on a variety of factors, including a person's size, weight, age, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, and vomiting. It will also at low doses, significantly impair the judgement and coordination required to safely drive a car. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol consumption and a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue.

What are its long-term effects?
Prolonged heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism). Sudden cessation of long term, extensive alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol, especially when combined with poor nutrition can lead to permanent damage to vital organs such as the brain and liver. In addition, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. In addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

What is its federal classification?
Alcohol is a legal purchased product for adults.