Summary

Although drinking alcoholic beverages is legal for those 21 years and older in the United States, alcohol is a dangerous drug when misused or abused by those of any age. One of the most commonly used drugs among teens and adults, alcohol affects areas of the brain that influence pleasure, impulses, and coordination. Though moderate, social use of alcohol can have a beneficial effect on health, drinking to excess can lead to headaches, nausea, severe memory loss, or even death from alcohol poisoning or accidents. Long-term abuse of alcohol has devastating effects on one's health and can be fatal to the user. Alcohol, Third Edition explains all sides of using this powerful social lubricant.

Chapters include: 

• Past and Present Status of Alcohol Use
• The Neuroscience of Alcohol
• Alcohol and Addiction
• Treatment for Alcohol Addiction
• Alcohol and the Law

Specifications

eBook

About the Author(s)

Christine Adamec is a freelance writer and author who has written and coauthored books for Facts On File about substance abuse and addiction, including The Encyclopedia of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, The Encyclopedia of Drug Abuse, and The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors. She has also authored books for Chelsea House Publishers about opium, amphetamines, barbiturates, and phencyclidine (PCP).