Effects of Alcohol

The effects of drinking depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to the:

Amount of alcohol consumed
Time taken to consume it
Individual’s gender, weight, body size, and percentage of body fat
Amount of food in the stomach
Use of medications, including non-prescription drugs
Mindset of the individual at the time of consumption
Setting in which the drinking takes place

Also, mixing alcohol with other drugs can drastically increase the damaging effects of drinking. For example, combining alcohol with narcotics (i.e., heroin, OxyContin®, methadone) can cause slowed breathing, heart attack, and death. For some, even the combination of alcohol and aspirin can be extremely dangerous.