Alcohol :: essays research papers

A class is chemical compounds, all(a) if which consists of chemically bonded atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen all inebriant molecules contain at least one hydroxyl group. When people say alcohol they usually think of beer, wine, or liquor, but there atomic number 18 several types of alcohol. An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethyl alcohol. They are mostly made of grains or from grapes or other fruits. There are dickens main groups fermented and distilled drinks. Fermented drinks contain from five percent to twenty percent ethyl alcohol. Distilled contains twelve percent to fifty-five percent or more ethyl alcohol.The expending of beverages containing alcohol has been practiced in all parts of the world for thousands of years. The first alcoholic beverages were fermented. Scenes showing fermentation appear on pottery made in Mesopotamia as early as 4200 B.C. Mankind early discovered that drinking the fermented juices of certain fruits, berries, and grain produce d an extremely pleasant effect. Among primitive peoples, alcoholic drinks increased the devotion of tribal festivals. In more civilized nations, beers and wines in the daily diet were believed beneficial to health. During the 1800s, a movement began in the United States to prohibit the manufacture and change of alcoholic beverages. A constitutional amendment banning the beverages went into effect in 1920, but thousands of Americans defied the prohibition law. In 1930, the federal government estimated that about 800 million gallons of alcoholic beverages were be produced in the country annually. The prohibition amendment was repealed in 1933.When alcohol is taken into the stomach and intestines, it is absorbed and distributed rapidly by dint ofout the entire body fluids and tissues. The body disposes of alcohol through oxidation. This process lasts as long as the alcohol remains in the system, it may require several hours after the last drink is taken.Small amounts of alcohol may relieve tension or fatigue and increase appetite. Large amounts inhibit or depress the higher mental processes, causing a beginning in self-confidence and a reduction of feelings of anxiety and guilt.