Alcohol is one of the oldest and most widely used psychoactive substances. Alcohol differs from most other psychoactive substances because its use is generally accepted and it is considered a legal recreational substance in most parts of the world. Despite its current acceptance, alcohol is not without its problems. Historically, societal responses to alcohol have ranged from prohibition to unrestricted drinking. Millions of Americans currently suffer from drinking problems, including abuse and dependence. In addition, alcohol use is correlated with a variety of social and health problems, including polysubstance use, fetal alcohol syndrome, aggression and violence, and driving-related accidents.

Alcohol is the popular name for beverages containing the psychoactive ingredient ethanol or ethyl alcohol. For purposes of human consumption, alcohol is produced either through the process ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles