Hangover Essay

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Alcohol abuse that continues and becomes a habit can result in long-term effects on the body. If this abuse continues, it can result in physiological, psychological, and social consequences. As a person’s blood-alcohol level rises with continued consumption, the physiological effects of alcohol cause lowered self-consciousness and may damage a person. These individuals are incapable of consenting to any sexual act. A person that is under the influence can lose control of their body, allowing the alcohol to take over (Bliss 1). Abusing alcoholic beverages can result in long-term effects on an individuals’ health; for example, it can affect the liver, brain, and has a possibility of leading to death. Alcohol can cause many different health problems …show more content…

A hangover describes a group of symptoms experienced by a person after a heavy consumption of alcohol. Symptoms of a hangover often consist of nausea, fatigue, thirst, headache, diarrhea, and sensitivity to light and noise. The severity of a hangover depends on several factors; these factors include the amount of alcohol consumed, the level of hydration in the body at the time of alcohol consumption, and disease. Although hangovers are the most common short-term effect, blackouts are also a short-term result of alcohol abuse. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to temporary amnesia where the person is unable to recall events that occurred after he or she began drinking. Blackouts can lead to serious repercussions, especially if the person is engaged in sexual activity during that time. “Blackouts are much more common among social drinkers than previously assumed and should be viewed as a potential consequence of acute intoxication regardless of age or whether the drinker is clinically dependent on alcohol” (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1). Drinkers who experience blackouts typically drink too much and too quickly, which causes their blood alcohol levels to rise very rapidly. Typically, college students are at risk for experiencing a blackout, as an alarming number of college students engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking, for a typical adult, is defined as consuming five or more drinks in about 2 hours for men, or four or more drinks for women (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1). Another short-term effect is alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person consumes large amounts of alcohol in a relatively short period of time. Ethanol is a depressant that affects the central nervous system when a person over-consumes a drink to the point where his or her body is unable to

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