In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group (–OH) is bound to a saturated carbon atom. The term alcohol originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the predominant alcohol in alcoholic beverages.
Let’s see some interesting facts about it!
1. Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States: 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems.
2. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent on or has abused alcohol.
3. In late 19th-Century, millions of American children learned in school that just one taste of alcohol could lead to blindness, madness or even spontaneous combustion
4. 88,000 deaths are annually attributed to excessive alcohol use.
5. Alcoholism is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the nation.
6. Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 2.5 million years of potential life lost annually, or an average of about 30 years of potential life lost for each death.
7. Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the United States (except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients) are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption.
8. In 2012, nearly 3/4 of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than 1/3 (37%) have done so by 8th grade.
9. According to a study by Columbia University, underage drinkers account for 11.4% of all of the alcohol consumed in the U.S.
10. About one-third of designated drivers have at least one drink while carrying the title.
11. The U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition in the 20s and 30s, killing over 10,000 people.
12. In professional shooting, Alcohol is considered to be a performance-enhancing drug because it relaxes you and slows your heart rate enough to give you an edge.
13 .Alcohol Poisoning Kills 6 Americans Every Day.
14. The average age teen boys first try alcohol is age 11, for teen girls it’s 13.
15. Alcohol kills one person every 10 seconds worldwide.
16. Amsterdam pays alcoholics in beer to clean streets: 5 cans of beer for a day’s work, plus €10 and tobacco.
17. Nearly 10 million young people, ages 12 to 20, reported that they’ve consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.
18. Teens who start drinking before age 15 years are 5 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after the legal age of 21.
19. It only takes 6 minutes for brain cells to react to alcohol.
20. Over 30% of cancer could be prevented by avoiding tobacco and alcohol, having a healthy diet and physical activity.
21. In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by teens under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.
22. Sigmund Freud recommended Cocaine as treatment for depression, alcoholism, and morphine addiction.
23. Alcohol is not digested, it gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
24. The highest blood alcohol content ever recorded was .91%, more than twice the typical lethal limit and eleven times more than legally drunk.
25. Alcohol doesn’t make you forget anything. When you get blackout drunk, the brain temporarily loses the ability to create memories.
26. Teens who drink heavily are three times more likely to try and hurt themselves (self-harm, attempt suicide etc.) than those who don’t.
27. People with blue eyes have a higher alcohol tolerance.
28. 9 out of 10 American teens report that drinking is not worth the consequences it can cause.
29. There’s a cruise ship that runs between Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki, Finland, just to purchase cheap alcohol.
30. Each Russian consumes 18 litres (4.8 US gal) of alcohol per year, doubling what experts consider dangerous.
31. The 3 leading causes of death for 15 to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides – alcohol is a leading factor in all 3.
32. There are over 500,000 alcohol-related deaths in Russia each year.
33. In 2010, 56% of drivers aged 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.
34. Beer was not considered an alcoholic beverage in Russia until 2013.
35. The rate of current alcohol consumption increases with age, according to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, from 2% at age 12 to 21% at age 16, and 55% at age 20.
36. The strongest beer in the world has a 67.5% alcohol content.
37. Vladimir The Great, Prince of Kiev, considered converting to Christianity or Islam. He sent envoys to study both religions, but upon hearing that Islam forbade alcohol, he got baptized.
38. In the U.K., it is legal for kids over 5 years old to drink alcohol at home or on other private premises.
Got anything to add?