Drug Class: Sedative hypnotic

Individual Drugs: beer (5% or less alcohol); wine (9% to 12% alcohol); spirits, liquor, whiskey (40% or more alcohol)

Common Terms: liquor, whiskey, booze, hooch, wine, beer, ale, porter

The Buzz: When people drink, they feel pleasure and relaxation during the first half hour or so, often becoming talkative and socially outgoing, but these feelings are usually replaced by sedation (drowsiness) as the alcohol is eliminated from the body, so drinkers may become quiet and withdrawn later. This pattern often motivates them to drink more in order to keep the initial pleasant buzz going.

Overdose and Other Bad Effects: Under most circumstances, the chances of life-threatening overdose are low. However, people get into trouble when they drink a lot of alcohol very quickly - such as in a drinking game, on a dare, or when they can't taste the alcohol (as in punch or Jell-O shots). Drinking on an empty stomach is particularly risky. If a person becomes unconscious, is impossible to arouse, or seems to have trouble breathing, it is a medical emergency and immediate attention is necessary. Some very drunk people vomit, block their airway, suffocate, and die. Call for emergency medical assistance.

When drunk people pass out, their bodies continue to absorb the alcohol they just drank after they are asleep. The amount of alcohol in their blood can reach dangerous levels and they can die in their sleep. Keep checking someone who has gone to sleep drunk because it is during binges that most fatal overdoses occur.

Dangerous Combinations with Other Drugs: It is dangerous to combine alcohol with anything else that makes you sleepy. This includes other sedative drugs, such as opiates (eg, heroin, morphine, or Dermerol), barbiturates (eg, phenobarbital), Quaaludes (methaqualone), Valium-like drugs (benzodiazepines), sleep medication like Ambien, and even the antihistamines found in some cold medicines. Finally, acetaminophen (the pain reliever in Tylenol) should not be used with alcohol, or shortly after drinking, because the combination could damage the liver.