ALCOHOL
Source: drugs.indiana.edu
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive (mind-altering) substance
used in the United States. Ethyl alcohol is the active psychoactive drug
found in alcoholic beverages. It is produced as a waste product of the
fermentation of carbohydrates, and is consumed worldwide for the social
and psychological effects it produces. Beer is a low potency alcoholic
beverage made by fermenting grains and then extracting the liquid from the
mash. Wine is a relatively low potency alcoholic beverage made by
fermenting fruit juices (or other sugary liquid). Distilled spirits are
high potency alcoholic beverages that are made by fermenting grains or
fruit juices and then distilling the resulting liquid to reduce its water
content and to concentrate its alcohol.
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