Alcohol Is A Drug, Too
By Rebecca J. Stigall
al-co-hol [al-kuh-hawl] – noun
1. Also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, ethanol, fermentation alcohol. a colorless, limpid, volatile, flammable, water-miscible liquid, C2H5OH, having an etherlike odor and pungent, burning taste, the intoxicating principle of fermented liquors, produced by yeast fermentation of certain carbohydrates, as grains, molasses, starch, or sugar, or obtained synthetically by hydration of ethylene or as a by-product of certain hydrocarbon syntheses: used chiefly as a solvent in the extraction of specific substances, in beverages, medicines, organic synthesis, lotions, tonics, colognes, rubbing compounds, as an automobile radiator antifreeze, and as a rocket fuel. Compare denatured alcohol, methyl alcohol.
2. whiskey, gin, vodka, or any other intoxicating liquor containing this liquid.
3. Chemistry. any of a class of chemical compounds having the general formula ROH, where R represents an alkyl group and –OH a hydroxyl group, as in methyl alcohol, CH3OH, or ethyl alcohol, C2H5OH.
-Source: The Random House Dictionary
drug [druhg] – noun
1. Pharmacology. a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being.
2. (in federal law)
a) any substance recognized in the official pharmacopoeia or formulary of the nation.
b) any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animals.
c) any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals.
d) any substance intended for use as a component of such a drug, but not a device or a part of a device.
3. a habit-forming medicinal or illicit substance, esp. a narcotic.
4. drugs,
a) chemical substances prepared and sold as pharmaceutical items, either by prescription or over the counter.
-Source: The Random House Dictionary
From the two definitions above, it's obvious that alcohol is a drug. But alcohol is legal for some people to use as long as they abide by certain limitations – like the person using alcohol is over the age of 21, they don't use alcohol and drive, and they don't get out of control while using alcohol. Yet because alcohol is cheap and easy to get, it is the most abused drug in the United States.
When you walk into a store, you'll find shelves stocked with beer, wine, and liquor. People on TV drink all the time. Parents and other adults drink a beer after work or while watching the game. People use champagne to make toasts at parties and weddings. So many people drink alcohol, for so many different reasons, that we often forget that alcohol is in fact a drug.
If you take a closer look at the definition of "drug," you might notice that it says that a drug is "any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals." This ability to change the way the body works is what makes drugs serious business. What can make any drug, even alcohol, scarier is the fact that, until you use it, you don't know how your body will react to it.
Alcohol affects different people in different ways. One person can have a certain type of reaction to alcohol while another has a completely different reaction. Some people like to drink alcohol because it makes them feel relaxed and they’ve never had a problem with it. Other people get sick from drinking alcohol. Either way, alcohol is what is called a "recreational drug." This means that alcohol is not used as medicine, but as a way to get high. People drink it hoping they'll feel good.
But, like the definition of alcohol indicates, alcohol can affect the way the body works. This means that, at best, alcohol can make you say and do risky things. At worst, alcohol can kill you. Because alcohol comes with certain dangers, it can only be used by adults. Most adults can make good decisions about how and when to use alcohol. But kids might not have enough experience to know what situations might not mix well with alcohol. And, since kids are smaller and still growing, their bodies might react to alcohol differently than an adult's body.
Many people think it's funny to act silly and temporarily lose control. But alcohol doesn't change anything around you, and it doesn't make anything better, especially if you are underage. In addition to dealing with all the stuff that was there before you got drunk, you'll probably have to deal with the fallout from whatever stupid things you did while you were drinking, plus a nasty hangover.
Ultimately, any drug, including alcohol, should be avoided until you're old enough to understand, and accept responsibility for, any consequences that might come from using it. Although there are many legal drugs that we use on a daily basis, for a headache or another medical condition, some drugs just aren't worth the risk. Alcohol is one of those drugs.
