Dangers Of Alcohol - Save Your Life

Drunk driving is the leading cause of death for young adults, aged 15 to 24 years. In one study, an estimated 6% to 14% of drivers under 21 years of age who were stopped at roadside checkpoints had been drinking. This age-group makes up only one fifth of the licensed drivers in the United States, yet they are involved in almost half of all fatal car crashes.nnAlcohol has many side effects including altering your perceptions, dulling your senses, hindering coordination, and blocking memory functions. If you continue to use alcohol heavily, you could experience stomach ailments, sexual impotence, heart and central nervous system damage, loss of appetite, and blackouts.nnMany people use alcohol to escape from their problems, or to change their personalities. They have an inability to control their drinking, a high tolerance level for alcohol, and may suffer problems at work or in school as a result. If your family and friends are concerned about your problem, you should be too. It is a sad fact that an estimated 6.6 million children under the age of 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent.nnInjury is a type of hazard which can be associated with alcohol use. Injury is different from violence in that injury is most often accidental. Types of accidental injuries caused by alcohol abuse or addiction include burns, injury from a car or boating accident (caused by drunk driving), drowning, and injury from falling.nnViolence is commonly associated with intense alcohol use. Although not all people experience violence as a result of alcohol use, this problem is common among those who are heavily intoxicated. Violent acts may include abuse of family members, assault, and homicide. In order to prevent such occurrences, many people seek out help for alcohol addiction from drug and alcohol rehab centers.nnThere are no two ways about it. Aznd no, it is not alright to take 'just a little drink' when pregnant. The alcohol in your blood can get carried into the baby's bloodstream causing birth difficulties, abnormalities and even a miscarriage. Plus, if you are planning to conceive, it is unclear how early into the pregnancy you must stop drinking. So it is best if you abstain from alcohol when planning a pregnancy, when pregnant and when breast feeding. The best gift you can give your child is that of good health. nnAbuse of alcohol can also lead to malnutrition and lowered resistance to disease, which presents an entirely new set of problems, not only to your looks but your health as well. No one can say for sure, but abstinence may be one of the ways a woman can stay healthier and looking younger longer. Besides, who needs pimples? n nWhen a person takes a drink of alcohol, ethanol (the chemical name for drinkable alcohol) irritates the stomach lining, releasing acids. A small amount is broken down chemically, but most of the alcohol heads toward the small intestine through an opening called the pyloric valve. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can cause the valve to swell and close, causing vomiting.