Meigs Health Matters… Alcohol Awareness
By Terri Hoschar BSN - Contributing columnist
Alcohol awareness is knowing the effects and risks that drinking alcohol can have on you or someone you know. A drink is defined as one 12 oz. beer, 8 oz. of liquor, 5 oz .of wine and 1.5 oz. of 80 proof. A drink considered for the average female is one daily and for the average male is two daily. It is recommended to drink in moderation. The legal drinking age is 21 years old in the U.S.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and it affects every organ in the body. It is absorbed in the stomach and small intestines and therefore absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver which happens slowly leaving the excess amount to circulate in the body. The intensity of the effect is determined by how much an individual consumes.