A short message about the dangers of alcohol. Harm of alcohol to human health. Zhdanov about the dangers of alcohol, video. How alcohol affects health

Uncontrolled intake of alcoholic beverages adversely affects the human body. Everyone knows this, but only a few consciously limit themselves in drinking alcohol. Doctors and scientists everywhere talk about the dangers of alcohol, give special lectures in schools, conduct diagnostics among the adult population, but this does not solve the problem. The harm of alcohol is so strong that it can lead to irreversible consequences.

How alcohol affects health

Alcohol is not harmless. Many doctors are convinced that the benefits of alcoholic beverages are unreasonably small compared to its harmfulness. A glass of dry red wine daily can reduce the risk of hypertension. A glass of cognac can prevent a stroke. Periodic intake of strong drinks cleans blood vessels and prevents the appearance of cholesterol plaques. But uncontrolled reception leads to irreversible consequences.

The toxic effect of alcohol on the human body leads to irreversible changes in the liver, heart and brain. There are many reasons for drinking, and there are many reasons to stop. Why don't people do this? Why not drink alcohol only in small doses?

The answer lies in the chemistry of the body. Ethanol is very quickly integrated into all metabolic processes of the body, like nicotine, and without this extraneous additive, uncomfortable sensations often arise in the form of an unhealthy need. These are the first signs of addiction, which must be treated and stopped. Bad habits can ruin your life very quickly. The scourge of alcoholism is known all over the world.

The well-to-do strata of the population, the children of wealthy parents, the poor, the unjustly offended, and the successful suffer from it. Alcoholic drinks will not give answers to questions, but, thanks to them, a person forgets the questions themselves for a while and is able to relax and unwind. Sometimes, in moments of extreme stress, alcohol can be necessary and helpful. But such cases and situations are extremely rare.

Why is alcohol harmful? Ethanol easily penetrates the membrane of any cell. It can split only in combination with water. Therefore, in the morning with a hangover, you are always so thirsty. Alcohol literally sucks the life force out of the cells in the form of a liquid, which is necessary for metabolic processes. Dehydration develops.

How does alcohol affect the body? Frequent use of alcohol leads to pathological dependence, with which a person is not able to fight on his own. The help of a doctor, medication and psychological counseling is required. Ethanol is built into metabolic processes very easily and quickly, after which the body feels the need for it. Alcoholism is a disease that has the irresponsible nature of the victim.

They talk about the dangers of alcohol at school, but teenagers continue to succumb to addiction with persistence. Undoubtedly, the family also has a role to play. Children often copy the behavior of their parents. And if adults drink beer every day, then a teenager from an early age will follow their example.

Alcohol kills slowly but surely. Often, by the time people recognize a problem, it's too late to change. Ethanol causes such harm to the body that it is impossible to fight. Half of the liver has to be removed, as well as part of the intestines and stomach. Not to mention the high risk of cancer.

Statistics and facts

Craving for alcohol has terrible consequences. In alcoholism, the unconscious approach of the victim to his own actions is terrible. A person is not able to restrain himself and control his desires and actions.

What is dangerous alcohol:

• 92% of all cases of violence occur in a state of intoxication.
• 85% of all first sexual experiences for teenagers fall under the influence of alcohol.
• 73% of unplanned pregnancies are due to alcohol.
• Half of the accidents are caused by drunk drivers.
• Half of families break up due to the fact that one of the spouses suffers from alcoholism.
• Half of all murders are committed while intoxicated.
• A quarter of suicidal cases also account for this terrible disease.

The statistics are intimidating. There is no other bad habit more harmful and worse than alcoholism. The drugs act quickly and are illegal. Nicotine addiction is easier to treat. It is alcoholism that brings the most destructive harm.

According to WHO, beer alcoholism is the most common in the world.

It is believed that a light alcoholic drink - beer - is less harmful to the body. But it's not. A small percentage of ethanol in this drink smooths out the bad impression. But it is beer alcoholism, according to WHO, that is the most common in the world, especially among adolescents. The mind is gradually clouded. The effect of alcohol is not felt so clearly. And only in the morning a person realizes that yesterday he was not quite adequate.

Harm to the female body

Women are especially susceptible to alcohol addiction. This is due to the characteristics of the organism, the hormonal background. Women do not have the same power to resist bad habits as men. It is harder for them to fight the disease. What is the safe dose for a woman? A glass of red wine on a holiday will do you good. A glass of champagne will allow you to relax. But a bottle of martini drunk for two with a friend will undoubtedly affect your well-being.
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Doctors and biologists say that in the female body there is a certain supply of eggs, which remains unchanged throughout life. This means that any portion of alcohol will affect the egg, which in the future can become a full-fledged person. You can often see young girls with a bottle of beer in their hands. They seem like adults. In fact, it turns out that they are too young and stupid, short-sighted.

The harm of alcohol for women lies in every serving of alcohol, because the toxic effect tends to accumulate. This primarily affects future offspring. And it doesn't matter if the girl stopped drinking or not. What she has already drunk in her life is reflected in her children. And this fact is terrible. It is necessary to inform the younger generation about it. Perhaps then their actions will not be so irresponsible.

Harm to the male body

The harm from alcohol for men is first of all obvious when erectile dysfunction occurs. This is a nasty disease. In men who abuse alcohol from an early age, this disease can manifest itself relatively early - at 35 years old. Often a man ignores such precedents, but over time the problem becomes more and more obvious. And then it becomes too late to see a doctor.

Is it harmless to have a rare party with friends, after which you need another day to rest? Hardly. Even rare feasts can seriously impair the function of the prostate gland. Alcohol is harmful to reproduction. On average, a spermatozoon matures for about forty days. This means that when drinking alcohol during this period, the risk for the unborn child to be born handicapped increases.

Regular consumption of beer reduces potency by 50%

Often men think that the health of the child depends entirely on the mother, who must lead a correct lifestyle without making such demands on herself. Negligence leads to horrendous consequences: malformations, heart defects, allergies - the few that can manifest themselves in an unborn child. Alcohol is harmful to health, especially for men.

Due to the peculiarities of the male hormonal background, men are much more likely than women to have a lack of thiamine or B vitamins, which leads to polyneuropathy, which, in turn, can lead to irreversible changes in the body. The man is literally dumbfounded. His mental faculties are degrading. Reactions decrease, speech becomes confused.

He doesn't take care of himself. The look becomes hazy and faded. Over time, in addition to problems with the prostate, ulcers on the legs or arms may occur. Even a small dose is harmful, not to mention the regular intake of alcohol. A large male body is able to digest large amounts of alcohol, which reduces perception and dulls the adequacy.

Impact on the body of a teenager

A young developing organism needs vitamins and good nutrition, observing the daily routine. Instead, teenagers are looking for ways to get beer or other liquor. Drink alcohol at events, which is completely unacceptable. Drinking alcohol during adolescence is especially dangerous. The young organism is just beginning to mature and form. Hormones are produced unevenly, which causes emotional outbursts or depression. Exacerbation of the situation with alcohol can lead to hormonal failure.

Why alcohol is bad for teenagers:

• Inhibits growth processes.
• The growth of the neural network in the brain slows down.
• Puberty is not correct, which in the future can cause infertility.
• Hormonal dysfunctions.
• False habits and addictions are formed.
• Formation of an environment that leads to degradation.
• Lack of healthy interest in sports and achievement.
• Damage to internal organs.

Is alcohol harmful to a teenager and how much? The consequences could be catastrophic. A badly formed habit in youth can lead to a series of mistakes in adulthood.
Adolescents are not able to rationally assess the situation and take responsibility for their actions. Under the influence of alcohol, a teenager becomes uncontrollable. Cases of fights and injuries, wounds are becoming more frequent. Girls turn to doctors with a request to have an abortion.
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Parents and educators should more carefully monitor the mood of a teenager and his inclinations

How is alcohol harmful to health, because if you drink it moderately, then it is pleasant and the consequences do not appear in any way? This is a typical rhetorical question most often faced by professionals dealing with alcohol abuse problems. But it is obvious that the wording would be more correct not as harmful and not even dangerous, but when the harm of alcohol manifests itself, scientists already have quite real answers to this question. But we will not be boring to present the results of scientifically proven facts of the harmful effects of drinking alcoholic beverages, but we will try to describe this important topic in a simpler way. Health is harmed by everything that does not help him, alcohol and a healthy lifestyle are mutually exclusive concepts.

Signs of the effects of alcohol in small doses

In the digestive system, alcohol is more rapidly absorbed into the blood and carried to the brain cells. This is manifested by excitement, joyful mood (euphoria, talkative, etc.). A person loses a sense of self-control, shame, becomes rude and can do things that, being in a sober state, he would never do.

All diseases in people who drink develop faster

It has long been noticed that people who have an addiction to alcohol are more likely than others to get sick with various colds of the respiratory system, because alcohol weakens the body's resistance. How alcohol harms health - everyone, alcoholic beverages do not provide health benefits at all, because these alcoholic poisons are consumed in such quantities that intoxication is caused, and this is a direct sign of intoxication of the body. The saying, the more you drink, the more you want, characterizes the dynamics of relations with drinking in the best possible way. Sheer stupidity, hiding behind alcohol myths, referring to your own good health, or not showing clear signs of harm at first when drinking beer or something stronger. When the symptoms of an alcoholic disease can no longer be ignored, it will be too late for the majority, and those few who can get out very much regret the mistakes of youth.

There is a widespread opinion about the usefulness of alcohol as an appetite stimulant. Indeed, after drinking alcohol, the secretion of gastric juice increases, and in most cases appetite improves.

However, this can only be observed at first, until the body is overloaded with alcoholic poison. The systemic use of alcohol leads to the fact that the gastric juice stimulated by alcohol, it irritates the gastric mucosa and leads to gastritis. Simultaneously with the development of gastritis, the function of the pancreas is disturbed, which leads to pancreatitis.

Also, alcohol abuse leads to peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, to cirrhosis of the liver and other diseases. A person who abuses alcohol for a long time cannot be healthy, and if his sick psyche does not recognize the harm of alcohol, this only confirms this unfortunate fact.

Dear visitors of the site, we offer you to watch this video - “You can’t buy health” in order to look at life a little more fun:

Alcoholism is spreading like a contagious disease

Research conducted by a group of scientists from different countries found a disturbing trend almost simultaneously. By questioning more than 2,000 teenagers in various cities, it was found that if among adolescents aged 14-15 years, about 30% of respondents periodically drink alcoholic beverages, then at 16-17 their number increases by 2.7 times and is about 80 %. Such harmful effects simply cannot be ignored.

The results of the analysis of the main reasons for the use of alcohol by minors show that for most adolescents this is a desire for independence and self-affirmation, imitating the example of elders (including parents). A tense psychological atmosphere and frequent conflicts in the family. It is characteristic that the majority of high school students got to know the taste of alcohol in the family, and then the company became the place to drink alcohol.

The use and abuse of alcoholic beverages is especially dangerous in childhood and adolescence, when the formation of the body has not yet been completed, during this period the special enzyme for the utilization of alcohol, alcohol dehydrogenase, is almost completely absent in the liver, this enzyme breaks down ethyl alcohol into simple non-toxic compounds. That is why even a small amount of alcohol consumed by a child can lead to very dangerous consequences.

Child and youth alcoholism

In the body of a person who has been drinking alcohol since childhood, alcohol dependence is formed much faster. Scientists have studied the biographies of several hundred patients who were treated for alcoholism, found that most of them began to drink alcohol at the age of 12-18 years. They got treatment only at the age of 25-35, having severe lesions of the central nervous system and internal organs, mental disorders, and in a state of pronounced social degradation.

Extremely dangerous is acute alcohol poisoning. The use of a large dose of alcohol first causes a deep alcoholic sleep, and each can cause the development of cardiac weakness, even paralysis of the heart muscle and breathing. Cases of sudden death among alcoholics are very common.

Thus, the main danger of the use and abuse of alcoholic beverages, especially in adolescence and youth, is the occurrence of alcohol dependence, which gradually turns into serious illness - alcoholism - and manifests itself in irreversible damage to the central nervous system and all organs and systems. Alcoholics become indifferent to work, family, children, pushing aside and niche the diversity of human life.

Consequently, a person who is not able to say “no” to alcohol abuse embarks on a path that can lead to its physical, moral, spiritual, social degradation and, ultimately, to death.

Alcoholism does not remain at the initial stage for long and entails the development of a serious and dangerous disease - chronic alcohol dependence. This, as a rule, is accompanied by a significant professional and professional level, distorted life priorities and guidelines, the destruction of the individual and, ultimately, social, spiritual and mental degradation, which lowers a person to the “bottom” of society and inevitably leads to the death of a person. About 5% of teenagers who start drinking alcohol at this age end up in drug dispensaries, psychiatric hospitals, or on the street. It is very difficult to escape from this pool. It's much easier to miss it. And it depends on you, your will, your beliefs, your worldview.

Many people know that alcohol is harmful to the whole organism and the human psyche. Harm from alcohol begins with memory impairment and ends with serious diseases that may not respond to treatment, and in some cases lead to death. According to recent studies, even small doses of alcohol can lead to some changes in the human brain and other body systems. The harm of alcohol is caused not only to the drinker, but also to the people around him, to the whole society as a whole.

In 2009, more than 12,000 accidents were recorded in the Russian Federation due to drivers who were driving while intoxicated.

The harm of alcohol on the body can be enormous. The alcohol molecule is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. The absorption process begins in the oral mucosa, the gastric mucosa absorbs about 20% of alcohol, and the main part falls on the small intestine. Alcohol easily penetrates the cell membranes of any tissues, but its content depends on the amount of water in the cell. Therefore, most ethanol is absorbed in the brain tissue: 1.5 - 2 times more than in the tissues of other organs. The liver also has a high alcohol content, as it serves as a filter for the body and neutralizes substances that are harmful to it.

Parkhomenko Oleg Viktorovich, narcologist
Drinking alcoholic beverages is harmful, regardless of the frequency of consumption and age. The positive impact is incredibly meager compared to the harm caused to the human body by drinks containing ethanol (ethyl alcohol). The negative impact of alcohol is especially noticeable at a young age, when the internal picture of the world is distorted from drinking alcohol for life.

Other organs and systems of the body can suffer from drinking alcohol:

1. vessels and heart;
2. urinary system;
3. stomach and intestines;
4. reproductive system;
5. nervous system.

After the first intake of alcohol, its molecule is oxidized at a rate of 85-100 mg / kg per hour. If alcohol is consumed frequently, the rate of oxidation increases, resulting in resistance to large doses of alcoholic beverages. The first consequence of harm from alcohol is memory impairment even after a small amount of alcohol. The higher the dose of alcohol, the more often a person suffers from memory lapses. According to the facts about the dangers of alcohol, one glass of alcohol can kill 1000-2000 cells in the brain. 95% of alcoholics and 85% of moderate drinkers have this figure.

The harm of alcohol on the central nervous system is manifested primarily by the fact that alcohol molecules at the initial stage enter the nerve cells. This is due to the high property of alcohol to dissolve fats, which are most found in the shell of the nerve cell and account for more than 60%. Alcohol penetrates into the neuron and lingers in it, since its cytoplasm contains an increased level of water. Alcoholic drinks quickly excite the nervous system, because of which a person becomes cheerful and relaxes. Over time, alcohol accumulates in nerve cells and begins to slow down their functioning.

Liver cells suffer significantly from alcohol, as they are forced to process its molecules, although they are not adapted for this. As alcoholism develops, the liver wears out, and its cells begin to regenerate. In place of the affected liver cells, fragments of adipose tissue appear. As a result, the working liver decreases in size and is unable to process harmful toxins. Liver disease can affect the state of the brain, causing irreversible damage.

Harm from taking alcohol with certain drugs.

The harm of alcohol to the body is manifested in the lack of thiamine, which plays an important role in the activity of the body. Thiamine or vitamin B1 is extremely important for many processes, its deficiency leads to various pathological conditions and diseases. With a lack of thiamine, the activity of the brain and nerve cells decreases, which leads to various disorders of the nervous system. Lack of vitamin B1 occurs due to malnutrition, metabolic disorders in the body, as a large amount of alcohol is consumed and a person eats poorly.

Alcohol and smoking

Alcoholic beverages and cigarettes in themselves are harmful to the body. Tobacco smoking in combination with alcohol causes a double blow to the body. Alcohol molecules and nicotine are absorbed into the blood, interact with red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and carbon dioxide back from the tissues. Ethanol dissolves the protective layer from the outer surface of red blood cells, removing electrical stress from them, which is why the red blood cells stick together and form large balls. With an increase in the dose of drunk and smoked cigarettes, their sizes increase. This leads to the formation of blood clots in the vessels, the blood supply to some parts of the brain and other human systems is disrupted.

The harm of alcohol and smoking is expressed in the effect of mutual reinforcement. According to information about the dangers of alcohol, the risk of developing cancerous tumors in the lungs, larynx, in drinking smokers is 7-9 times higher than in those who do not smoke; in alcoholics - 5-6 times higher than in non-drinking people. When two bad habits are combined, malignant tumors can occur in 40% of cases. Eliminating at least one factor, the risk is significantly reduced.

Alcohol and drugs

Drugs in combination with alcohol cause tremendous harm to the body and can lead to frequent deaths. Addicts can dilute drugs in liquor to get double the pleasure. Either similar in action or opposite are used to reduce the effect of one of them. Most often, cocaine is combined with alcohol. After such a cocktail, the nerve cells of the brain are instantly affected, since two types of substances act on the body: restraining and exciting, absolutely opposite to each other.

Restraining substances calm and relax the nervous system, stimulating substances make it active. Alcohol in this case is a deterrent, suppressing the nervous system, and cocaine is a stimulant, stimulating and activating nerve cells. This combination often ends in the death of a person.

Combining alcohol with drugs, a person suppresses the simplest reflexes and important functions in the body. Even with small doses of alcohol and drugs, respiratory functions can be impaired. In a state of intoxication, a person is not able to control the dose of the drug taken, and alcohol enhances the effect of even a small dose of a narcotic substance. Therefore, the harm of alcohol and drugs develops into a mortal threat to life.

Harm of alcohol for women

Researchers have found that the harm of alcohol on a woman's body is much higher than on a man's. This is due to the structure and characteristics of the female body. Alcohol tolerance in women is much lower than in men, so female alcoholism develops faster and is much more difficult to treat. In women with alcohol addiction, liver cells are more quickly affected, the heart muscle is weakened, blood vessels are destroyed, and the nervous system is depleted. The harm of alcohol for women is manifested in skin aging, rapid withering of the whole organism, changes in voice and appearance. A woman becomes ugly, aggressive and unable to control herself.

Everyone knows about the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy leads to negative consequences for the fetal brain, later they are expressed in the poor development of the organs, psyche and behavior of the child. If the mother systematically drank during pregnancy, the child develops (fetal alcohol syndrome). In children with this syndrome, malformations of external organs are often observed, the arms and legs are small, the head is disproportionate compared to the body. They grow and develop slowly compared to their peers. Such children are not able to adequately perceive information, do not remember well and adapt to the outside world more difficult.

In a child with fetal syndrome, the volume of the brain is less than normal, while the number of brain cells and neurons is much lower than normal. Neuronal brain cells in such children are not able to function normally, which leads to behavioral and psychological disorders. The child may be aggressive, the ability to think logically and abstractly is reduced. It is more difficult for him to get used to communicating with other children, to be socially active. Such a child often becomes an alcoholic himself, since addiction is inherited.

The harm of alcohol for teenagers is higher than for an adult organism, since the child is at the stage of formation. The harm of alcohol for adolescents is manifested in growth inhibition, delayed development of mental and sexual functions, muscles, and affects the appearance of a person. The young body perceives alcohol worse and is not able to resist its influence. 100 grams of wine or vodka is enough to make a teenager drunk. Teenage alcoholism develops 5-10 times faster than in adults. Especially it is necessary to highlight the harm of alcoholic energy drinks, which seem harmless. However, this is not the case, they contain ethanol and can pose a threat to the life of the child.

The harm of alcohol on the body of a child and adolescent is expressed in the following:

• violation of chemical processes in the brain and nervous system of the child, causing developmental delay, memory impairment;
• the ability of a teenager to study and other areas of science and creativity is reduced;
• the ability to logical and abstract thinking decreases;
• manifestation of psychoses and depressions;
• children and adolescents emotionally degrade, the real perception of the world around them decreases.

It is very important in the family and educational institutions to talk about the dangers of alcohol for teenagers and schoolchildren. Regular preventive conversation about the dangers of alcohol will help protect children from addiction and further alcoholism.

Harm of alcohol to others

Experts say that alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, because it depresses the body, causes attacks of aggression in a person, makes him unable to control his actions, prone to violence and even murder. The harm of alcohol is manifested not only for the person himself, but also for others. In a state of extreme intoxication, a person can attack another person, start a fight for no reason.

About 80% of cases of domestic violence occur under the influence of alcohol, about 60% of all crimes are committed in a state of extreme intoxication. A person is not able to control his actions and deeds. About 50% of all traffic accidents occur due to alcohol effects on the driver's body. A drunk person driving can harm other drivers and pedestrians.

The harm and benefits of alcohol

Many researchers and modern scientists argue about the dangers and benefits of alcohol. Recent studies have shown that drinking wine several times a week can significantly reduce the risk of heart and vascular disease, and protect against diabetes. Red wine contains a large amount of antioxidants that slow down the aging process and kill cancer cells. The number of blood clots is reduced, which means that the risk of blood clots is prevented. But is it really so?

Alcohol, even in small doses, causes emotional dependence. Academician Pavlov found that after drinking a small dose of alcoholic beverages, reflexes disappear and return to normal after 7 to 11 days. Gradually, the amount of alcohol consumed may increase. According to data in people who drink moderately alcoholic beverages, after 4 years, the probability of shrinkage of brain cells is 85%. Alcoholic beverages in low doses are harmful to the liver, blood vessels and human skin. The risk of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pancreatitis and cancer increases. Whether you get harm or benefit from alcohol is up to you, but it is better to protect yourself from addiction.

Alcohol is an insidious thing: on the one hand, a glass of beer is simply an indispensable remedy for overexertion after a hard working week. But on the other hand, it is an invisible, but quite tangible blow to health, hitting the most vulnerable places in our body.

About seven reasons why you should give up alcoholic beverages and how they can harm your life - later in our article.

1. Impact on the cardiovascular system. As soon as alcohol enters the body, the heart begins to increase in size (beer is especially insidious). Numerous scars appear on the tissues of the heart, which are the culprits of a heart attack and can lead to death.

2. Clouded mind. Alcohol is not in vain considered a kind of narcotic substances: alcoholic beverages have a euphoric effect on the psyche, the duration of which is from an hour to an hour and a half. Soon after this, the person falls into a depressive state, accompanied by aggression and panic attacks. Reactions are reduced, clear thinking in such a situation is out of the question. It is for this reason, as you know, that drivers should not drink: drunk driving can end in the most deplorable outcome.

6. Obscene behavior. We are sure that you have seen more than once what a drunk person is like: alcohol affects the moral centers of the brain, in connection with which his further behavior becomes absolutely unpredictable. At best, everything ends with a peaceful snore in a secluded corner. At worst - uncontrolled aggression, outbursts of anger and other unpleasant things that a sober person would never allow himself.

As you can see, there are many reasons to touch alcohol as little as possible, or even to refuse it altogether. Yes, alcohol creates a relaxing effect. Yes, it liberates and removes internal clamps. But the harm that the body receives in parallel nullifies the already small benefits. In addition, you can relax in other ways - yoga, swimming, a hot bath, sauna, massage or a leisurely walk in a calm green park are the best helpers in this matter. Take care of your own health now, and in the future you will be many times more likely to avoid a hospital bed and a host of other unpleasant “bonuses” acquired over the years of drinking.

Created on 09/25/2010

Alcoholism is a problem affecting different aspects of life. Alcohol also affects the body itself. Let's take a closer look at the harm that alcohol does.

What are alcoholic drinks?

These are drinks that contain ethyl alcohol. There are 4 types of alcoholic drinks:

• beer contains 3-6% alcohol
• wine contains 12-14% alcohol
• fortified wine (port and others) due to the added alcohol has a higher alcohol content - 18-20%
• spirits (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc.) contain 40-50% alcohol.

Why do people drink alcohol?

People use alcohol to escape from stress, loneliness, boredom, family troubles, illness, and aging. There is a traditional use of alcohol - from New Year's Eve to weddings and wakes.

When does a person usually taste alcohol for the first time?

Most often during adolescence. In America, 37% of teenagers aged 12-17 regularly drink alcohol. A survey conducted in some Russian educational institutions revealed that 3% of the respondents started drinking alcohol at the age of 10, 3% at the age of 13, 88% at the age of 15, and 5% at the age of 17 and older.

According to statistics, 10% of those who try alcohol for the first time later turn out to be alcoholics. Think about it.

What happens to alcohol in the human body?

Unlike food, alcohol does not need to be digested. It is absorbed directly into the blood in the stomach and small intestine. With the blood flow, alcohol enters all organs and tissues, where it slows down the activity of processes in cells.

The main part of alcohol is neutralized in the liver, and the rest is excreted by the kidneys, lungs and sweat glands. The human body removes an average of 7.4 - 14.8 ml of alcohol per hour.

What effect does alcohol have on the human body?

Alcohol destroys the substance of the brain and exacerbates age-related disorders of its blood supply.

Even a small amount of alcohol impairs peripheral vision, reaction speed (including to sound), the ability to perceive and process information, reason sensibly, and control oneself.

Alcohol abuse for a long time leads to damage to the nerves that control muscles, pain, temperature, pressure and orientation in space. In addition, long-term drunkenness leads to the development of Korsakov's syndrome, when, as a result of the destruction of certain brain structures, a person loses the ability to master new material and almost does not remember recent events.

Alcohol abuse can also cause hallucinations.

Alcohol increases the risk of myocardial infarction. Moderate doses of alcohol do not contribute to the prevention of heart attack, as is now established. The useful fraction of cholesterol contained in the blood - high-density lipoprotein HDL2 - protects against a heart attack. The level of this fraction increases due to physical exercises, and not alcohol at all. On the contrary, alcohol leads to an increase in the harmful fraction of cholesterol - HDLV lipoproteins, which can increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

Further, as a result of chronic poisoning of the heart muscle with alcohol, it can no longer effectively contract, heart failure develops. Arrhythmias may occur, as well as pain behind the sternum as a result of insufficient blood flow to the heart.

Alcohol causes an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke. Studies have shown that in young healthy men, systolic blood pressure (upper number) increased significantly as the amount of alcohol consumed daily increased. A moderate drinker is three times more likely to have a stroke than a non-drinker.

Alcohol disrupts the processes of food digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. It causes increased production of acidic gastric juice, which leads to gastritis - inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Gastritis is accompanied by pain, leading to ulcers and bleeding.

Alcohol causes inflammation of the pancreas; in this case, there may be disturbances in the production of the hormone insulin.

Drinking alcohol can cause esophageal varices. With a strong cough or vomiting, they can break through, leading to bleeding, even death.

Since the liver plays the main role in the detoxification of alcohol, the damage it causes to this organ is especially evident. May occur:

• fatty degeneration of the liver due to the fact that the body uses alcohol calories as an energy source, and not its own reserves of fats
• inflammation of the liver is accompanied by the death of liver cells, can cause jaundice. Left untreated, inflammation of the liver can lead to death or cirrhosis.
• Cirrhosis of the liver occurs when liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue. Symptoms of the disease include weight loss, weakness, fatigue, and decreased sex drive. If you do not give up alcohol in time, the disease often becomes fatal. Men in Russia die from alcoholic liver cirrhosis 4 times more often than women

Alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

Especially significantly increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus when drinking alcohol in combination with smoking. Cancer of the esophagus is characterized by rapid progression and is very rarely curable. Signs of it are difficulty swallowing, a feeling of obstruction in the sternum.

It is known that not only cancer of the esophagus, but also cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, stomach, liver, large intestine, as well as cancer of the pancreas, thyroid and breast are more common in those who drink alcohol.

A person who abuses alcohol is more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Alcohol often contributes to obesity, as it is the most concentrated source of calories after fat. For example, one 237 ml can of imported beer contains 114 "empty" calories.

Drinking alcohol by a person taking medication can lead to serious consequences. Alcohol interacts with many drugs, increasing their effect, or, conversely, reducing their effectiveness. Among them are anticoagulants, barbiturates, antibiotics, salicylates, various psychotropic and other drugs. In combination with sleeping pills and tranquilizers, alcohol can even lead to the death of a person. Alcohol also causes a lengthening of the recovery period after anesthesia (narcosis).

Moderate doses of alcohol increase sexual desire in men, but at the same time reduce their ability to have sexual intercourse. In women, alcohol can exacerbate infertility and contribute to spontaneous miscarriages.

How does alcohol affect children?

Any amount of alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman can cause what is known as "fetal alcohol syndrome". This concept combines a group of congenital anomalies, such as small eyes, a small skull, defects in the face, ears, joints. Low birth weight, heart defects (heart disease), lag in physical growth and mental development are also characteristic. Such children cannot concentrate, are impulsive, hyperactive, and study poorly.

As for the consumption of alcohol by children themselves, it is especially destructive for them. For example, one 5-year-old boy died from just one drunk glass of vodka, which he quietly took from the festive table.

Often a teenager gets his first glass of alcohol from the hands of his parents. In Russia, selective studies among students showed that 29% of the respondents had relatives drinking alcohol in their presence, and 24% of parents did not condemn their children for taking alcohol. And in adolescents, alcoholism manifests itself much faster than in adults.

Other negative consequences of addiction to alcohol

Alcohol causes great damage to the economy due to a drop in labor productivity, absenteeism, and an increase in injuries.

Most serious crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. In Russia, according to selective data, violent death in 77% of cases occurred in a state of intoxication. Violent crimes such as wife and child mutilation and incest are often the consequences of alcohol intoxication.

Since alcohol depresses the central nervous system, negatively affecting common sense and perception, a person loses control over his actions. He becomes aggressive, his behavior goes beyond the social framework. This leads to the destruction of the family and relationships with others, the loss of work.

Alcohol consumption is associated with higher deaths from traffic accidents, accidents and suicides.

Studies by the Swedish National Institute of Roads and Transport have shown that even if 24 hours after drinking alcohol, the level in the blood has dropped to zero, a person drives a car much worse than before drinking.

In Russia, alcohol is often the cause of many of the accidents, poisonings and injuries that rank 3rd among all causes of death for men and 4th for women, second only to diseases of the circulatory system and cancer.

Respiratory arrest, coma and death can result from too much alcohol taken in a short amount of time.

Can alcoholism be cured?

First of all, everything depends on the person himself, on his desire to change his life and give up alcohol. It happens that people quit drinking without anyone's help. But such cases are rare. Most often, the fight against alcoholism causes great difficulties, especially for women.

Now offer many methods to combat alcoholism. Many promise to "cure alcoholism in one session", which is so in line with people's desire for quick results with little effort on their part. However, the very presence of an inexhaustible stream of such services casts doubt on their effectiveness; otherwise we wouldn't have a single alcoholic left.

Studies by Russian scientists say that despite the variety of methods of anti-alcohol therapy, its effectiveness remains low. Abstinence from alcohol for more than 3-5 years occurs, according to various authors, only in 1-4% of cases, more than 1 year - 20-25% of cases. On average, abstinence from alcohol rarely exceeded 3-6 months, especially among women. The disadvantage of a number of methods, according to scientists, is the setting when "coding" a certain period of refusal from alcohol and leaving a person with hope for the possibility of drinking small doses of alcohol in the future.

Taking a glass of alcohol in your hand, think about the harm that you are doing to your body. Even if you do not have an alcohol addiction today, in the future you may not notice how you get used to alcohol and join the numerous ranks of people suffering from alcoholism. The words "this will not happen to me ..." are inappropriate here!