 Can you think of one way that alcohol affects the body? In this video, we're going to learn about alcohol's long-term and short-term effects. Alcohol belongs to the class of drugs known as depressants. Depressants slow down reaction times, decrease in ambitions, damage brain cells, relax users and make them more sociable. Which organ or organs in the body do you think this affects? If you set our brain and nervous system, you're right. Your brain has three main divisions that are all affected by alcohol. Firstly, alcohol affects the forebrain, which is responsible for motor control and decision making. Drinkers become clumsy, slow their speech, lose their inhibitions and ability to make sensible choices. Secondly, alcohol affects the midbrain. Causing drinkers to lose emotional control and increases the chances of them passing out. Thirdly, it affects the hindbrain, including the brainstem, which controls appetite, body temperature, heart rate and consciousness. People might look red after drinking alcohol because it causes vasodilation, increased blood flow to the skin. This shouldn't be confused with the alcohol flush reaction, which is very common in East Asia. This is a syndrome where the body is unable to process alcohol properly and a symptom of this is a very red, blotchy face and other body parts. Drinking alcohol can be dangerous, as people may do things they would not usually do, as they are unable to judge risks and make reasoned decisions. If people consume a large amount of alcohol, they may become unconscious and this can also be fatal, particularly if they vomit while asleep when they can choke on their own vomit. Drinking alcohol can have serious consequences for people around the drinker too. It can make people more violent and is linked with reports of domestic violence. Drinking alcohol before driving is dangerous because it impairs the speed of processing information and so increases reaction time. It also affects coordination, vision, concentration and judgement. The long term effects of drinking on the body can also be severe. Alcohol rubs the body of Vitamin B complex, a vital group of nutrients, deficiency of which can cause skin damage, diarrhea and depression. The liver removes alcohol from the bloodstream. It has enzymes that break down alcohol but the products of the reactions involved are toxic. They damage the liver and over time this leads to cirrhosis. It can also cause hepatitis and liver cancer. Stomac ulcers can be caused as alcohol irritates the stomach lining. Heavy drinking can cause heavy and irregular periods in women and also affect fertility in both sexes. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have consequences for the fetus. Drinking alcohol, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. Drinking heavily throughout pregnancy can cause the baby to develop a serious condition called fetal alcohol syndrome. People with fetal alcohol syndrome have poor growth, facial abnormalities, learning and behavioural problems. Alcoholism is a disorder where people cannot control the amount of alcohol they drink. They are addicted to alcohol. They have a very strong urge to consume it and without help and support these people may suffer for the long term problems mentioned before. So now you know the long term and short term effects of drinking alcohol, both for the drinker and the individuals around them.