Alcohol of course, is the first and foremost a drug. More specifically, it is a depressant. It is classified in the same category as sedatives and hypnotics. It is a Central Nervous System ( CNS ) depressant; it depresses the overall function of the central nervous system to induce sedation, drowsiness, and coma. Alcohol ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is socially acceptable. Technically a food, ethyl alcohol is colorless, odorless, and highly caloric. Soon after consumption alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream and distributed through the body.

Parts of the anatomy adversely affected and potentially impaired ( though temporarily ) by alcohol are the brain, eyes, ears, and muscles. Extended consumption of large amounts of alcohol can permanently damage the liver, stomach, heart, and the brain. While there is debate about whether alcoholism is an illness and what causes it, all agree that alcoholism is a condition of dependency on alcohol in which the drinker is unable to decide whether to drink or when to stop drinking and therefore usually becomes intoxicated.