Home / Information about... / Substances and addiction / Alcohol

Alcohol

What is it?
Alcohol is formed when yeast transforms the sugars in fruits into alcohol. Different kinds of grains can also be used for the production of alcohol. In that case, starch first has to be converted into sugars.

What are the effects of alcohol use?
Using alcohol makes you feel relaxed and fuzzy. This is due to the fact that alcohol dilates your blood vessels and makes your blood pressure increase. Because of its sedative effect on your natural inhibitions, you will loosen up. You will feel less tense, you will talk easier and you will become more cheerful. This will decrease your ability to assess situations. Alcohol is a toxic substance that has to be broken by the liver.

Excessive alcohol use can cause irrepairable damage to the liver. Apart from that, excessive alcohol use will affect the brains: conditions may range from memory loss to the very serious Korsakov syndrome. With excessive use, the sedative effect of alcohol can cause loss of consciousness. Excessive users also run a serious risk of becoming addicted. Nevertheless, addiction will not happen overnight. Addiction often gradually develops over the course of time.

print react forward previous

add to:

More information

What is addiction?
Addiction... your life gets off track. Drugs, alcohol, medicines or gambling, for example, become the main focus of your life.
When are you addicted?
Before you can determine whether or not you are addicted, you have to know what addiction is.
How can you break with addiction?
It can be very difficult for you to stop using addictive substances. But change is also a possibility for you!
Ecodrugs/mushrooms
Ecodrugs include all natural products with psychedelic effects. This involves plants and herbs with known hallucinogenic, sedative or stimulating effects.
Hashish
Hashish (stuff) is extracted from the hemp plant, which is also called cannabis sativa. Hashish is the resin of the hemp plant that is pressed in chunks and cut into little parts for sale.
Heroin
Heroin is an opioid (narcotic drug), which is extracted from the poppy plant. If you cut into the unripe seedpods of the poppy plant, you derive a milky substance.
LSD
LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid. It is usually eaten as a paper trip. It is also sold as small bright-coloured tablets. Just a small dose of LSD is sufficient to experience a trip.
Smartdrugs/smartproducts
Smartdrugs are often confused with smartproducts. Smartdrugs are medicines, however, that are prescribed to treat forgetfulness, dementia and epilepsy.
Speed
Speed or amphetamine is a chemically manufactured stimulant. Its effects are similar to the effects of cocaine but the effects last longer.
Tobacco
Tobacco consists of the dried and cut leaves of the tobacco plant. Tobacco that is being smoked usually consists of several kinds of tobacco, aromatic substances and flavourings
Weed
Weed is more commonly called marihuana. It is extracted from the hemp plant, also called cannabis sativa. Weed consists of the dried tops of the plant and usually has a green colour.
XTC (ecstasy)
XTC is a chemically manufactured drug, which is most commonly used during weekends and at parties. XTC does not only have a stimulant but also a mind-altering effect.
Gambling
In gambling, there are two core elements: money and chance.
Eating disorder
There are several kinds of eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are the most common ones.