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The alcohol consumed in beverages is ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol. It is an organic chemical compound from the group of alcohols, colorless, with a tart taste. The ethanol used for food purposes is obtained in the process of natural alcoholic fermentation. For this purpose, primarily sugar beets, sugar cane, potatoes and other plants are used. If consumed in greater amounts, it can lead to alcohol poisoning as well as death.
Alcohol poisoning
Alcohol is a poison and its effect on the human body is detrimental. Alcohol is absorbed very quickly; approximately 5-10 minutes after ingestion, it is already metabolized in the liver. Ethanol is intoxicating, narcotic and consciousness-altering. In this regard, it falls into the category of depressants. Consumed in small amounts (30-35 ml, equivalent to about 0,5 l of beer or two glasses of vodka), it stimulates the body, accelerates the heart rate, dilates the pupils, relaxes and reduces fatigue, and improves mood.
Higher doses of alcohol may cause a feeling of light headedness, partial loss of consciousness, deterioration of mobility and the ability to maintain balance, loss of control over one’s own behavior and emotions. Along with successive doses of alcohol, there may also be complete loss of consciousness, memory loss, inability to assess the situation, inability to think logically, problems with expressing oneself, blurred vision, aggressive and impulsive behavior. In people who have never drunk alcohol before, drinking about 100 g of ethanol causes a feeling of severe blackout.
In addition, alcohol significantly affects the work of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. By accelerating circulation in the human body, it causes blood vessels to dilate, which causes a feeling of warmth. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol may also result in gastric poisoning and vomiting, and in extreme cases, lead to hemorrhagic gastritis. Alcohol also has a negative effect on the liver, it causes steatosis and, in extreme cases, cirrhosis of its tissues.
It is estimated that consuming less than 80 g of ethanol per day causes only minor and reversible changes in the liver and is therefore not harmful to health. This amount is equivalent to 4 beers, 250 ml of vodka or 5 glasses of wine consumed daily. Consuming more than 160 g of ethanol daily for more than 10 years leads to severe and irreversible damage to the liver. The main symptoms of liver cirrhosis include: edema, jaundice, discoloration of the skin and eyes, abdominal swelling, vomiting with blood. In addition, alcohol weakens the immune system and increases the risk of cancer.
It is strongly discouraged to consume alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, even in the smallest amounts.
In addition, frequent alcohol consumption may be associated with the occurrence of addiction symptoms and withdrawal syndrome in the case of alcohol withdrawal.
The presence of alcohol in the blood
The presence of alcohol in the blood is given in per mille. As the alcohol level increases, further symptoms appear:
- 0,3 per mille: distracted attention,
- 0,8 per mille: hyperactivity, problems with motor coordination,
- 1,5 per mille: imbalance, problems with rational thinking and feeling time, aggression,
- 2 per mille: problems with expressing themselves, drowsiness, lack of control over behavior, problems with movement,
- 4 per mille: drowsiness, coma.
It is estimated that doses above 4 per mille may be lethal. However, there are known cases of significant exceeding of this limit. An example is a Polish citizen – Tadeusz S., who drove a car under the influence of alcohol and caused an accident. The man had 14,8% of alcohol in his blood at the time and died a few days later from injuries sustained in the accident.
Another known record case comes from South Africa. On December 22, 2010, a man driving a car with 15 stolen sheep was arrested near Queenstown. During the blood test, it turned out that the driver had 16 alcohol levels in his blood.
The amount of alcohol in the blood depends not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on various other factors. First of all, the properties of our body should be mentioned, such as age, height, weight, gender, physical condition. Also, the consumption of food before and during alcohol intake affects the level of its absorption and presence in the blood. It is estimated that we burn about 0,12-0,15 per mille of alcohol per hour.