Alcohol & Health
See the NIH resources on drinking (Rethinking Drinking) for
- information
- tools
- guidance.
People drink to socialize, celebrate, and relax. Alcohol often has a strong effect on individuals, and throughout history, humans have struggled to understand and manage alcohol’s power.
- Why does alcohol cause us to act and feel differently?
- How much is too much?
- Why do some people become addicted while others do not?
Alcohol enters one’s bloodstream as soon as you take your first sip.
- Alcohol’s immediate effects can appear within about 10 minutes.
- As one drinks, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) increases.
- The higher the BAC, the more impaired one becomes due to the effects of alcohol.
- People who drink too much over a long period of time may experience longer-term effects, such as
- alcohol dependence
- organ injury
- increased risk for certain cancers.
Alcohol-induced organ injury can involve nearly every organ/system in the body. The ULARC is specifically studying nutrition and liver, intestine, lung, and fetal injury.