Types of Depressants

Alcohol is also a depressant. It has been around for centuries. Before modern medicine, it was used to ease tension and help put people to sleep. At one time, it was also the only drug doctors could give to patients to ease the pain of surgery. Today, it is no longer used for medicinal purposes.

Alcohol is used and enjoyed in a responsible way by many people, but many others abuse it. Some people drink alcohol for the same reasons that others take barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Alcohol makes them feel relaxed and happy.

A responsible drinker knows what alcohol does to the body and drinks with caution. The effects of alcohol are measured by determining the body's blood-alcohol content (BAC). For instance, a BAC of .07 to .13 percent often indicates that a person's speech is impaired, and that he or she is suffering from depression or nervousness and is unable to make rational decisions, such as whether to drive an automobile. Legal intoxication in most states is between .08 and .10 percent. Drinking alcohol with caution begins with knowing how much you should or shouldn't drink. This amount depends upon a person's overall body weight. For instance, if a person weighs 125 pounds or less, chances are that he or she could consume less than two cocktails before becoming significantly impaired by the effects of alcohol.

Responsibility also means knowing when and where it's okay to drink. Because alcohol is legal, teens may think that it is always safe. But alcohol can be very dangerous if abused. That's why the law says you must be over twenty-one years of age to drink. Alcohol causes more than 500 deaths every day in the United States.

As with other depressants, it is easy to develop a tolerance for alcohol and abuse it. Abusing alcohol can mean drinking too much or needing to drink to face difficult situations. Abusing alcohol can progress into the disease of alcoholism. An alcoholic is a person who cannot control his or her drinking. When an alcoholic starts drinking, he or she cannot stop. More people are addicted to alcohol than any other depressant.