Alcohol
Pronunciation:AL-kuh-hall
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:64-17-5
Formal Names:Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol, Hydroxy Ethane
Informal Names:Liquor
Type:Depressant.Seep. 19
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Freely available to adults; various jurisdictions limit access to
minors; some pharmaceutical preparations are prescription
Uses.Various kinds of alcohol exist; many are poisonous, such as wood
alcohol, and are not intended for drinking. Those types are not substances of
abuse and are not discussed in this book.
In former times physicians prescribed alcohol as a treatment for assorted
afflictions. That usage is largely outmoded, but alcohol is still a common in-
gredient in cough remedies, is applied to skin as a disinfectant, and is a com-
ponent of some injectable solutions. Alcohol is used as a partial antidote for
methanol poisoning associated with inhalant abuse, and it is used to combat
glycol poisoning. In some medical procedures alcohol is administered to create
a form of anesthesia called a nerve block. Around 1970 at one hospital a com-
bination of alcohol andchloral hydratewas routinely given to make pregnant
women unconscious during labor, although alcohol is also a treatment for
stopping premature labor. The substance can be a sleep aid (a “nightcap”
drink), but researchers have found that it interferes with dreaming, which is
an important component of sleep. Tolerance can develop to sleep-inducing
actions, and dream content can become disturbing for awhile after usage stops.
Some persons drink alcohol to cope with stress. Evidence exists that moderate
consumption of wine may help people live longer by reducing risk of heart
disease and cancer.
Drawbacks.As with many other drugs, moderate recreational use can be
pleasurable while causing little harm. In contrast, excessive use can not only
have psychological effects harmful to family and social functioning but also
injure the stomach, liver, kidneys, heart, and brain. Rat experiments have dem-
onstrated damage to the pancreas, damage that is boosted by cigarette smoke.
A study found that men with spinal osteoporosis, a disease increasing the
likelihood of broken bones, drink more alcohol than persons without the dis-