Question

What are harmful effects of drinking alcohol? [5 MARKS]

Answer 1

Each point: 1 Mark

• When large quantities of ethanol are consumed, it tends to slow metabolic processes and depress the central nervous system.
• This results in lack of coordination, mental confusion, drowsiness, lowering of the normal inhibitions and finally stupor.
• The individual may feel relaxed but does not realize that his sense of judgment, sense of timing and muscular coordination have been seriously impaired.
• Unlike ethanol, intake of methanol in very small quantities can cause death. Methanol is oxidized to methanal in the liver. It causes the protoplasm to get coagulated. Methanol also affects the optic nerve, causing blindness.
• Even small amount of alcohol can show fatty changes in liver. Long term effect is hepatitis and lastly irreversible damage to liver. Since liver is major organ in detoxification and also involved in several other metabolic functions, this leads to deterioration of other body organs thus leading to death.