- Alcohol has been used as a medicine.
Alcohol was used for centuries as a medicine in childbirth, sedation,
and surgery.
- Alcohol is digested in the same way that food is digested.
Alcohol is unique because it requires no digestion. It can be absorbed
directly from the stomach, and even more rapidly from the small intestine.
- Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages is generally not harmful to
the body.
Some studies show that moderate drinkers (those drinking no more than
one to two drinks a day) tend to be at less risk for heart attacks than
abstainers or heavy drinkers. However, it's not recommended that you start
drinking for health benefits.
- An estimated 85% of the adult Americans who drink are alcohol abusers.
Of the adult Americans who drink, approximately 15% abuse alcohol. The
majority of people who drink do so in a responsible manner which does not
lead to alcohol-related problems.
The 15% of drinkers who abuse alcohol account for far more than half of
alcohol sales.
- Alcoholic beverages do not provide weight-increasing calories.
Alcohol does contain calories:
- alcohol contains 7 calories per gram
- carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram
- fat contains 9 calories per gram
- A blood alcohol concentration of 0.10% is the legal definition of alcohol
intoxication in most states with respect to driving.
The blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.08% in some states. In Sweden
it is 0.05%. Driving ability can be significantly impaired well below 0.10%
BAC. For most people, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% doubles their
risk of having a car crash. A
chart of BAC limits by US state is provided by the National Commission
Against Drunk Driving.
- Alcohol is not a drug.
Alcohol is a drug. It has been used by most societies and cultures throughout
history. It is our most used and most abused recreational drug.
- Approximately ten percent of fatal highway accidents are alcohol-related.
- Eating while drinking slows the absorption of alcohol in the body.
- It takes about as many hours as the number of beers drunk for the liver
to completely burn up the alcohol ingested.
- Few women become alcoholics.
- Alcohol is considered a stimulant.
- The most commonly drunk alcoholic beverages in the United States are distilled
liquors (e.g., whiskey, gin, vodka).
- To prevent a hangover, one should sip one's drink slowly, eat while drinking,
have no more than one drink an hour, and not over-drink one's limit.
- "Proof" on a bottle of liquor represents half the percent of alcohol
contained in the bottle.
- Alcohol consumption improves sexual performance.
- A person cannot become an alcoholic by just drinking beer.
- Drinking milk before alcohol slows down the absorption of alcohol into the
body because it coats the stomach.
- Responsible drinking can contribute to a state of relaxation, enhanced social
interactions, and a feeling of well-being.
- Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower can be an effective way of decreasing
blood alcohol levels.
