The drug effects that occur in people who do drugs depend on how the brain processes the chemicals in each drug. The amount of drugs needed to cause certain effects vary as well.
What a person feels, hears, smells, tastes, thinks, and sees depends on what the brain is saying to the person's body. The brain and body have normal functioning patterns and operate according to very specific patterns when a person does not consume substances that cause any type of chemical disruption. However, when chemicals are introduced to the brain, the chemical messengers in the brain are changed, causing the brain to send a different set of signals to the body. Chemicals can cause people to see, think, and act very differently than they normally would, which is why drug abuse affects people and the world around them. When alcohol enters the bloodstream, it causes a wide range of effects across many different
bodily systems. The effects begin as soon as the alcohol gets into your blood. However, the speed at which alcohol enters the bloodstream depends on a few factors. Carbonated alcoholic drinks, such as champagne, enter the bloodstream faster than noncarbonated drinks. When you have a full stomach, alcohol is absorbed more slowly than when you have not eaten in a while. Once alcohol is in your bloodstream, your breathing and heart rate slow down and you experience feelings of drowsiness, mental confusion, and intoxication. The effects begin about 10 minutes after consuming alcohol and last until the alcohol is processed by the liver and leaves the body. The effects of alcohol abuse are distinct from the effects of moderate alcohol consumption, but the basic way that alcohol affects the body is the same whether you have a single drink or many drinks. The difference lies in the degree of the effects and in the additional impact that alcohol abuse has on many areas of your life.
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