Alcohol and Illicit Drugs - Alcohol Australian Institute of Criminology Alcohol Description Alcohol is a drug produced by fermentation, a process in which water and yeast act on sugars from some kind of grain, vegetable or fruit. Alcohol is found in widely differing concentrations in many different beverages. Alcohol is the most widely used recreational drug in Australia.
Alcohol is also responsible for a large proportion of drug-related health problems and deaths.
Because alcohol is a depressant, its primary effect is to slow down the brain and nervous system. This leads to reduced inhibitions, as well as a deterioration in co-ordination and reflexes. People who have consumed large amounts of alcohol can become aggressive, get involved in fights, or engage in atypically risky behaviour, including unsafe sex. Heavy doses of alcohol can lead to confusion, nausea, vomiting, and passing out. In extreme cases, someone who has drunk a very large amount of alcohol may even stop breathing.