Humans discovered alcohol very early on. They determined that particular fruits, grains, and sugars made an intoxicating beverage when fermented. Its name came from the Arabic word al-kohl, which means "a powder for painting the eyelids." It was also used for medical purposes. In 1988 the government passed a law requiring beer manufacturers to label their products with the Surgeon Generals' warnings about the effects of alcohol.
             Alcohol is one of the most common drugs today. It is a depressant drug, one that slows down the work of the central nervous system. Also, the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure decrease. Since some over-the-counter drugs may also have the same effect, ingesting them with alcohol may have such harmful effects as unconsciousness and death. It is quickly absorbed into the blood; twenty per cent is immediately absorbed through the stomach, the rest is absorbed by the small intestine. It is carried to all extremities and parts of the body through the blood until it is broken down by the liver (it usually takes about an hour for the liver to break down all of the alcohol). The lung and kidneys also play a small part in the elimination. The brain, kidneys, and liver are damaged the most by excessive indulgence.
             Because alcohol affects the brain first, some people talk more freely and sometimes reveal personal things that they would not reveal otherwise. It can cause drastic mood changes and make some good-tempered people moody. The more that people drink, the less control they have over their actions, as well as affecting their judgment and memory. Alcohol can make people drunk, losing of control of him or herself's physical and mental actions (and the alcohol gains control over the body), after multiple drinks of alcohol. Many drunk, and otherwise innocent, Americans die because of alcohol. The alcohol in a person's body decreases his reaction time; therefore their ability to react quickly
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