Alcohol

Alcohol is a CNS depressant that acts through the GABAₐ receptor, and is one of the most common strong psychoactives used by humans. It has a long history of use and its intoxicating effects are well-studied and documented. It remains legal in most parts of the world.

Harm potential

moderately addictive with a high potential for abuse

Dosage

This dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy.

Duration

Effects

• At low and medium doses, alcohol can cause general well-being, relaxation, elevated mood, increased sexual desire, and sociability; Inhibitions and fears are reduced, risk tolerance and aggressiveness can increase.
• With increasing dosage, the dampening and sedative effects of Alcohol become more present. These include coordination and balance problems, speech disorders (slurred speech), impairments of memory, hearing, visual performance and the sense of smell.
• Short-term side effects: Even with small quantities, problems with distance assessment, self-overestimation and reduced self-criticism can occur unnoticed as well as an increased need to urinate. Memory loss ("black out"), nausea and vomiting may occur. The body temperature drops, but due to an expansion of the blood vessels of the skin there is a feeling of warmth - risk of freezing to death! Increasing drowsiness or sudden falling asleep (in dangerous places) possible - risk of accidents!
• With very high doses or overdoses, respiratory paralysis or death from respiratory arrest is possible! A fatal blood alcohol concentration is between 3 and 4 per thousand, but can also be higher if you have a high tolerance. After the effects have subsided, there can be a hangover in the form of headache, nausea, dizziness and dullness.
• Alcohol consumption (even in small quantities) during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (spontaneous abortion, growth retardation, premature infant, physical deformities and permanent mental disorders).
• Long-term side effects: Long-term heavy use of alcohol damages the liver (liver cirrhosis, fatty liver possible), the nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, the heart and the pancreas and increases the risk of cancer of these organs. It can cause impotence in men and infertility in women.
• Furthermore, premature aging, skin changes as well as sleep disorders, irritability and depressive moods / depression are possible. The mental performance drops; If you drink alcohol for many years or decades and take a high dose, you can develop Korsakow syndrome (including severe memory disorders and personality changes). With permanent consumption, the intensity of action decreases continuously - the dose must be increased in order to achieve the same effect (development of tolerance). There is a risk of physical and psychological addiction!
• Alcohol withdrawal should only be done under medical supervision, as serious, sometimes life-threatening physical withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, sweating, tremors, acoustic and visual hallucinations ("white mice") as well as restlessness, irritability, anxiety and depressive moods, including thoughts of suicide, can occur.

Interactions

Tolerance

full

develops with prolonged and repeated use

half

3 - 7 days

zero

1 - 2 weeks