Alcohol abuse, dependency is a nationwide problem

As a substance that most adults can easily obtain from their neighborhood store, or order off the menu at a favorite restaurant, the hard facts about alcohol use and abuse are frequently overlooked. Statistics about alcohol abuse can be quite alarming, however.
Placing a spotlight on the damaging effects of alcohol consumption helps bring awareness to, and hopefully helps to fight this nationwide problem. The drug ethanol is more commonly called ‘drinking alcohol’ or simply “alcohol.”
Alcohol is an organic compound, produced in various ways from the fermentation of sugars. Its chemical structure makes it easy for alcohol to cross human cell membranes and, therefore, highly diffusible into all tissues in the body, including the brain.
Ethanol acts as a central nervous system depressant, with a wide range of alcohol use effects based on dosage, speed of ingestion and the resultant concentration in the blood over time. The concentration of alcohol is

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