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Alcohol
Street
Terms: Booze,
brews, hard stuff, hooch, juice and sauce.
Alcohol
is
created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented, a
process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the
food into alcohol. Alcohol has different forms and can be used
as a cleaner or antiseptic; however the kind of alcohol that
people drink is ethanol, which is a sedative. When alcohol is
consumed, it's absorbed into a person's bloodstream. From there,
it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal
cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Alcohol
actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain.
This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision,
and hearing.
Alcohol
withdrawal
occurs as a result of
neuro-adaptation resulting from chronic exposure to alcohol. A
withdrawal syndrome occurs upon declining blood levels of
alcohol which can be alleviated by reintroduction of alcohol or
a cross-tolerant agent. Alcohol withdrawal is characterized by
neuropsychiatric excitability and autonomic disturbances similar
to other sedative-hypnotic drugs. Dependence on other
sedative-hypnotics increases the severity of the withdrawal
syndrome.
Alcohol
withdrawal syndrome
is the set of symptoms seen when an individual reduces or stops
alcohol consumption after prolonged periods of excessive alcohol
intake. Excessive abuse of alcohol leads to tolerance, physical
dependence, and an alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The withdrawal
syndrome is largely due to the central nervous system being in a
hyper-excitable state. Alcohol withdrawal
can include seizures and can be fatal.
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