HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR BODY
YOUR BRAIN: alcohol, even in small amounts, causes irreparable damage to brain cells; some die and others are altered.
YOUR HEART: alcohol increases the risk of hypertension, stroke, and damage to the heart muscle.
YOUR LUNGS: alcohol depresses respiration functions.
YOUR REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: in men, alcohol can damage cells in the testes, causing impotence, sterility, and possibly enlarged breasts. In women, alcohol can cause irregular menstrual cycles and malfunctioning of the ovaries. Alcohol has also been linked to birth defects in infants and to fetal alcohol syndrome.
YOUR LIVER: Because your liver must filter alcohol from blood, alcohol affects it more than any other organ of your body:
Excess calories in alcohol are stored as fat in the liver.
Functioning liver cells die from alcoholic poisoning.
Scar tissue replaces dead cells, causing cirrhosis.
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM: alcohol weakens the body’s defense against infection and breast cancer.
“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”
Alcohol is closely linked with virtually every negative aspect of society: suicide, violent crimes, birth defects, industrial accidents, domestic and sexual abuse, disease, homelessness, and death. It is the number one drug problem for people from all walks of life. It knows no racial, ethnic, social, or economic barriers.