Alcohol is not only legal, but is also one of the most abused drugs in the world. People from various cultures perceive drinking in different contexts, and huge amounts of alcohol are consumed annually around the world.
             Ethyl alcohol is produced through fermentation of the sugar contained in fruits and grains. Beverages such as wine and beer have low alcohol content, but hard liquor such as vodka and whiskey is distilled in able to increase the alcohol concentration. Alcohol is usually consumed orally, and in rare cases injected. It distributes itself fast and evenly through body water, and it easily trespasses the blood-brain barrier and the placental barrier. Even at low levels, alcohol disrupts performance and interferes with complex activities. It generally causes feelings of happiness and reduces the ability of aversive events to control behavior. High doses cause loud, energetic behavior, and even higher doses cause loss of consciousness and death.
             Tolerance to alcohol develops after regular and large amounts of consumption. It also creates physical dependence and serious withdrawal symptoms that can cause death if left untreated.
             Excessive drinking, or alcoholism has many explanations. The disease model claims that alcoholism is a disease and that alcoholics are different from nonalcoholics even before they start drinking. In addition, because of the "loss of control", alcoholics can never drink in moderation and are unable to control their drinking. There is little evidence to support alcohol loss of control in alcoholics, but there have been findings that alcoholism is a genetic condition.
             Alcohol has many harmful effects. Continuous use of alcohol can cause cirrhosis of the liver, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, and various types of cancer and heart disease. If taken during pregnancy, it can cause various malformations in the fetus known as fetal alcohol syndrome.
             Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 by...