Alcohol is a depressant, which slows down the central nervous system and can cause drowsiness, relieve pain and induce sleep.

- Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond appropriately. Large doses cause sleep, anesthesia, respiratory failure, coma and death.

- Impaired or distorted visual ability and hearing; dulled smell and taste and loss of pain perception; altered sense of time and space

- Impairs fine motor skills, and slows reactions.

- Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs caused by nerve damage from depletion of thiamine; when severe, can damage other nerve endings, causing staggering, etc.

- Long term drinking may result in permanent brain damage, serious mental disorders, and addiction to alcohol.

- Liver damage causes fluid to build in extremities.

- Decreases production of blood-clotting factors; may cause uncontrolled bleeding

While alcohol in excess is harmful and damaging to your health, red wine in moderation has some good health benefits to it. I believe it is the grapes that make the wine that contain antioxidants that are good for your health. When you think about alcohol and how it is made from healthy, natural foods like wheat, barley, grapes, corn and potatoes; it's hard to believe that it's bad for you. But the bad part is the fermentation of those ingredients which creates the final alcohol product that makes it hard for your liver to process.

Alcohol is a substance that is created through fermentation and is present in many popular beverages, such as beer, wine and liquor. Alcohol has many effects on the human body and psyche, and its impact may vary from one person to the next. In the short term, alcohol use leads to delayed reaction times and decreased ability for precise motor function, which often leads to stumbling and accidental bruises or joint sprains. This makes it very dangerous for someone who has consumed alcohol recently to drive a car or operate any other machinery. Alcohol use also leads to impaired judgement, mood swings and in excessive amounts, vomiting, passing out and potentially death.