8 Things about Your Brain that You Never Heard in a Beer Commercial
Addiction/Alcoholism: Anyone’s brain can become addicted to alcohol and there are 14,000,000 alcoholics and problem drinkers in the US alone. The earlier someone starts drinking the more likely they are to have a drinking problem later in life.
Risk of Alcohol Poisoning: A person can drink enough to shut off the part of the brain that tells your heart to beat – resulting in death within minutes.
Impaired Decision Making: Alcohol affects the part of your brain that makes judgments and assesses risk.
Falls and Accidents: Alcohol impacts the part of the brain that controls balance, coordination and reflexes. It also affects your brain’s ability to assess danger. When combined, these 2 affects often result in falls from windows, balconies, and other accidents.
Reduction in Learning Potential: Alcohol affects a young, developing brain more easily than a person in their mid-twenties of older. Research suggests that underage people who drink impair their ability to learn.
Depression: Alcohol has a depressant effect of the brain. A person may temporarily feel more carefree but alcohol is a depressant drug and can make things worse for someone who is already depressed.
Increased Risk of Violence: A person who has been drinking is more likely to get in a fight, take a swing or respond violently to a situation – because the part of the brain that restrains you is “turned off”.
Someone Taking Advantage of You: A person who is drunk has lost the ability to protect themselves or look our for themselves because their brain is not aware or they passed out unconscious. People can steal from a person who is drunk or take advantage of them sexually.