Why say no to alcohol.Alcohol impairs mental and physical functions. Even at the lowest measurable level, alcohol affects perception, information processing, learning, judgment, reaction time, sound processing, and peripheral vision peripheral vision n. Vision produced by light rays falling on areas of the retina beyond the macula. Also called indirect vision. Peripheral vision . Most seriously, it reduces your awareness of being impaired. Alcohol damages the brain. Researchers have determined that alcohol-related brain damage begins with social drinking and continues to the stage seen in long-term alcoholics. Alcohol ages the brain. In the normal aging process, blood flow within the gray matter declines. This process is accelerated with the use of alcohol. Alcohol decreases sexual function. Modest doses of alcohol increase sexual drive in men but simultaneously decrease erectile capacity. Alcohol may contribute to obesity. Alcohol is second only to fats as a concentrated source of calories. Alcohol may lead to poor nutrition. Alcohol use can cause malnutrition because of the drug's effect on the total amount of food consumed by the user. Also, it impairs digestion, absorption, and the utilization of nutrients. Alcohol raises susceptibility to infectious diseases. Alcohol use decreases the body's defenses against bacteria and viruses, making you much more susceptible to serious disease. Evidence is growing that because alcohol weakens the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. , it may be a cofactor cofactor An atom, organic molecule, or molecular group that is necessary for the catalytic activity (see catalysis) of many enzymes. A cofactor may be tightly bound to the protein portion of an enzyme and thus be an integral part of its functional structure, or it may in the development of AIDS. Alcohol causes cirrhosis of the liver Cirrhosis of the liver A type of liver disease, most often caused by chronic alcohol abuse. It is characterized by scarring of the liver, which leads to an increase in the blood pressure in the portal veins. Mentioned in: Bleeding Varices . New evidence suggests that as few as three drinks a day for men and one and one-half drinks a day for women increase the risk of developing cirrhosis. Alcohol use increases cancer risk. It is now known that cancer of the oral cavity oral cavity n. The part of the mouth behind the teeth and gums that is bounded above by the hard and soft palates and below by the tongue and the mucous membrane connecting it with the inner part of the mandible. , pharynx pharynx (fâr`ĭngks), area of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts which lies between the mouth and the esophagus. In humans, the pharynx is a cone-shaped tube about 4 1-2 in. (11.43 cm) long. , larynx, esophagus, stomach, large bowel, pancreas, thyroid, and liver are more prevalent in users of alcohol. Alcohol also raises the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol increases the risk of heart attack. Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol does not protect against heart attack. Alcohol increases the damaging kind of blood fat, which may increase the risk of a heart attack. Alcohol increases the risk of stroke. Alcohol robs you of self-control. Alcohol removes restraints that govern behavior. This may lead to broken relationships, loss of jobs, and ultimately, loss of self-esteem. Alcohol encourages violent and criminal behavior. Alcohol increases the loss of life on the highways. Alcohol can lead to suicide. Alcohol use can lead to family abuse. Alcohol use is a major factor in 80 percent of the reported cases of spouse abuse. Alcohol damages the unborn child. Alcohol has a staggering impact on the economy and the workplace. The economic cost of alcohol use is in the billions annually in reduced productivity, absenteeism, and treatment. Drunken Pedestrians The number of intoxicated in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. pedestrians struck and killed by cars has declined in recent years, but it's still a serious problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, often pronounced "nit-suh") is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, part of the Department of Transportation. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. . In 1992 (most recent figures available), 5,546 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles. Of those, 36 percent were intoxicated. More than half the pedestrians killed between the ages of 25 and 34 were drunk at the time of the accident. One-third of 15- to 20-year-old pedestrians killed were intoxicated, even though the purchase of alcohol by much of this age group is illegal. Alcohol and HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. Drinking alcohol may put you at greater risk with regard to HIV, according to a study at Thomas Jefferson University It began as Jefferson Medical College in 1824. On July 1, 1969 the institution officially became Thomas Jefferson University. The university is made up of three colleges:
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