The Effects Of Alcohol On The Body

Alcohol acts primarily on the nerve cells within the brainby interfering with communication between nerve cells and all other cells, suppressing the activities of excitatory nerve pathways and increasing the activities of inhibitory nerve pathways.

Alcohol enhances the effects of inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA, and weakens the effects of excitatory neurotransmitters like Glutamine. Enhancing an inhibitor, or weakening an excitor, will have the external effect of making the person sluggish, which matches the behavior you see in a drunk person, and slowing down the overall functioning and reflex responses of the body.

The body responds to alcohol in stages, which correspond to an increase in BAC:

BAC (%)	Stage	Clinical Symptoms
0.01 - 0.05	Subclinical	Behavior basically normal by ordinary observation.
0.03 - 0.12	Euphoria	Mild euphoria, sociability, talkativeness, increased self-confidence; decreased inhibitions. Diminution of attention, judgment and control. Beginning of sensory-motor impairment. Loss of efficiency in finer performance tests.
0.09 - 0.25	Excitement	Emotional instability; loss of critical judgment. Impairment of perception, memory and comprehension. Decreased sensitory response; increased reaction time. Reduced visual acuity; peripheral vision and glare recovery. Sensory-motor incoordination; impaired balance. Drowsiness.
0.18 - 0.30	Confusion	Disorientation, mental confusion; dizziness. Exaggerated emotional states. Disturbances of vision and of perception of color, form, motion and dimensions. Increased pain threshold. Increased muscular incoordination; staggering gait; slurred speech. Apathy, lethargy.
0.25 - 0.40	Stupor	General inertia; approaching loss of motor functions. Markedly decreased response to stimuli. Marked muscular incoordination; inability to stand or walk. Vomiting; incontinence. Impaired consciousness; sleep or stupor.
0.35 - 0.50	Coma	Complete unconsciousness. Depressed or abolished reflexes. Subnormal body temperature. Incontinence. Impairment of circulation and respiration. Possible death.
0.45 +	Death	Death from respiratory arrest.