Al-kuhl.

“Drinking is fun! It makes me feel horrible and sexy!”
― Warren Ellis

Here is a hard rule I live by, if I wouldn’t give it to a child, I don’t consume myself. 

Think about all the things that you put into your body and now ask yourself:  Would I feed this same substance to a child I love?  Why? Why not?

Society normalizes many evils.  

Although the word evil my sound a little harsh, I believe it to be appropriate to use for substances that take away our life force.

The nature of evil is to destroy.  

It’s not about being good or bad, these are just judgements.  It’s about the measurable impact that some things have in our lives because they interfere with our nature. 

Look at the word itself if you reverse the order of the letters and  you get word LIVE. 

EVIL is the opposite of LIVE. 

Today’s substance is ALCOHOL. 

It slowly and painfully destroys your body.

It inflames and robs you from your beauty, youth and from your ability to think clearly. 

It comes armed with the potential to strip you of your decency and dignity. 

There is a reason why your body gives you almost immediate signs of rejection when this substance is consumed.  

The feelings of numbness, euphoria, dizziness, relaxation, inhibitions, sleepiness, confusion, etc.  

They’re all literal mind fucks.  They may feel good momentarily but..

It’s just the alcohol affecting the chemical pathways of your frontal cortex. Its a simultaneous dance of confusion in your brain chemistry. 

Alcohol poisons you in real time. 

The minute ONE DROP of alcohols touches your the tip of your tongue, the liver begins to produce a toxic enzyme called acetaldehyde.   

Due to the metabolic expense associated with acetaldehyde, your body saves the production of this chemical exclusively for the presence of real danger.

The liver then must convert acetaldehyde into acetate which is easier for your body to break down. 

But, 

This conversion requires a gargantuan metabolic expense for you body.  It requires lots of energy and depletes your body’s metabolic processes and temporarily stops other essential biological functions. 

These are merely the immediate effects. Some long term effects of alcohol consumptions include, but aren’t  limited to the following:

Brain and Mental Health

  • Memory problems and difficulty concentrating

  • Increased risk of depression and anxiety

  • Alcohol dependence (alcohol use disorder)

  • Nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy)

  • Higher risk of stroke and dementia with heavy, long-term use

Liver

  • Fatty liver (often reversible with abstinence)

  • Alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)

  • Cirrhosis (permanent scarring of the liver)

  • Liver failure

  • Increased risk of liver cancer

Heart and Blood Vessels

  • High blood pressure

  • Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

  • Cardiomyopathy (weakened heart muscle)

  • Increased risk of heart failure

  • Increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke

Digestive System

  • Chronic gastritis (stomach inflammation)

  • Stomach ulcers

  • Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

  • Poor absorption of nutrients

  • Increased risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, and pancreas

Immune System

  • Weakened immune response

  • More frequent infections

  • Slower recovery from illness

Cancer Risk

Alcohol is a known carcinogen. Long-term drinking increases the risk of several cancers, including:

  • Mouth

  • Throat (pharynx)

  • Voice box (larynx)

  • Esophagus

  • Liver

  • Breast (even low levels of alcohol can increase risk)

  • Colon and rectum

Hormonal and Reproductive Effects

  • Reduced fertility

  • Erectile dysfunction in men

  • Menstrual irregularities in women

  • Increased risk of pregnancy complications if alcohol is consumed during pregnancy

Bones and Muscles

  • Muscle weakness and wasting

  • Osteoporosis (weaker bones)

  • Increased risk of fractures

Nutrition

Heavy alcohol use can lead to deficiencies in vitamins, especially:

  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine), which can cause serious brain damage (such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome)

  • Folate

  • Vitamin B12

  • Vitamin D

Life Expectancy

Chronic heavy drinking is associated with:

  • Increased risk of premature death

  • Higher rates of accidents and injuries

  • Greater risk of suicide and other mental health complications

And NO, one glass of wine is NOT healthy.  It literally sucks the life out of you. 

Finally, lets not forget to mention the effect it has on your pocket.  Not only will it corrode your brain, poison all your organs but it will also drain your account. 

Gabriela Delly