STREET NAMES: Booze, Hooch, Liquor, Gin, Beer, Vodka, Scotch, Wine, Bourbon and hundreds of others.
Other Forms: Moonshine, which is pure alcohol and is illegal.

Alcohol, of course, is 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 (9). Alcohol is the most well known CNS depressant because of its widespread use and legality; it is socially acceptable to drink. Technically a food, ethyl alcohol is colorless, odorless, toxic, and highly caloric. Soon after consumption, alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream 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 quantities of alcohol can permanently damage the liver, stomach, heart and brain. While there is a 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.

Below is the description used in classification of Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse used in the
DSM-IV (3) 305.00 Alcohol Abuse
School and job performance may suffer either from the aftereffects of drinking or from actual intoxication on the job or at school; child care or household responsibilities may be neglected; and alcohol-related absences may occur from school or job. The person may use alcohol in physically hazardous circumstances (e.g., driving an automobile or operating machinery while drunk). Legal difficulties may arise because of alcohol use (e.g., arrests for intoxicated behavior or for driving under the influence). Finally, individuals with Alcohol Abuse may continue to consume alcohol despite the knowledge that continued consumption poses significant social or interpersonal problems for them (e.g., violent arguments with spouse while intoxicated, child abuse). When these problems are accompanied by evidence of tolerance, withdrawal, or compulsive behavior related to alcohol use, a diagnosis of Alcohol Dependence, rather than Alcohol Abuse, should be considered.

303.90 Alcohol Dependence
Physiological dependence on alcohol is indicated by evidence of tolerance or symptoms of withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal is characterized by the development of withdrawal symptoms 12 hours or so after the reduction of intake following prolonged, heavy, alcohol ingestion. Because withdrawal from alcohol can be unpleasant and intense individuals with Alcohol Dependence may continue to consume alcohol, despite adverse consequences, often to avoid or to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. A substantial minority of individuals who have Alcohol Dependence never experience clinically relevant levels of alcohol withdrawal, and only about 5% of individuals with Alcohol Dependence ever experience severe complications of withdrawal (e.g., delirium, grand mal seizures). Once a pattern of compulsive use develops, individuals with dependence may devote substantial periods of time to obtaining and consuming alcoholic beverages. These individuals often continue to use alcohol despite evidence of adverse psychological or physical consequences (e.g., depression, blackouts, liver disease, or other sequelae).

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