Alcohol has widespread and varied effects on the gastrointestinal tract.
Alcohol relaxes both the upper and lower sphincters.
In addition to being a depressant drug, alcohol is also a chemical irritant and a solvent. At this concentration alcohol produces a direct erosion of the stomach mucosa. This internal coating protects the walls of the stomach from the digestive juices and acids which it secretes. As the protective mucosal lining is compromised the stomach actually begins to digest its own tissues. Stomach tissues are eventually digested away through one or more levels of the smooth muscle that surrounds the stomach.