Alcohol - Overview

Overview

Through the ages, alcohol has been used as an all-purpose drug: a painkiller, an antiseptic, a disinfectant, a teething aid for babies, a sedativeA drug used to treat anxiety and calm people down., a battlefield medicine, and a drowner of sorrows. It is also associated with celebrations: offering a toast to a newly married couple is a common tradition.

During the Middle Ages (c. 500–c. 1500), alcohol became something of a status symbol among Europe's upper classes. Wine production became very important to the economies of Italy and France throughout the Renaissance period, which spanned the fourteenth through the early seventeenth centuries. Meanwhile, in the New World, the first distillery opened in 1640 in what would later become the state of New York. In the 1700s, home brewing processes were replaced largely by the commercial manufacture of beer and wine in Europe.

Official Drug Name: Ethyl alcohol, ethanol, grain alcohol

Also Known As: Booze, hooch, moonshine, sauce, spirits (for alcohol in general); brew, suds (for beer); vino (for wine)

Drug Classifications: Not classified, depressant

Laws banning the sale of alcoholic beverages date back to the fourteenth century, when Germany banned the sale of alcohol on Sundays and other religious holidays. Even earlier, Switzerland instituted laws requiring drinking establishments to close at certain times to combat public drunkenness. The United States has seen historical increases and decreases in alcohol use as well. High periods of alcohol consumption coincided with periods of war: during the American Civil War (1861–1865), World War I (1914–1918), and

During the Prohibition era in the United States, people found various ways to conceal and transport alcohol. The image on the left shows how a woman of the era might dress to go out in public. The image on the right shows that she is actually h
During the Prohibition era in the United States, people found various ways to conceal and transport alcohol. The image on the left shows how a woman of the era might dress to go out in public. The image on the right shows that she is actually hiding two tins of alcohol strapped to her legs under her overcoat. © Underwood & Underwood/Corbis.

World War II (1939–1945), drinking increased among Americans. These peaks in alcohol usage were interrupted by so-called "dry" periods in U.S. history—times when the consumption of alcohol dropped to very low levels throughout the nation.

The Era of Prohibition in the United States

The longest span of dry years in the United States occurred during prohibitionPROHIBITION, which lasted from 1920 to 1933. At that time,

Nearly 80 percent of high school students have consumed alcohol illegally. The legal drinking age is twenty-one throughout the United States. Photo by Lezlie Light.
Nearly 80 percent of high school students have consumed alcohol illegally. The legal drinking age is twenty-one throughout the United States. Photo by Lezlie Light.

many Americans viewed alcohol as a destructive force in society. Crime, poverty, gambling, prostitution, and declining family values were blamed on alcohol consumption. A ban on the manufacture and sale of all alcoholic beverages in the United States began on January 16, 1920, with the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. However, Prohibition did not stop all drinking in the United States. Some people produced alcohol in illegal stills, especial in rural areas. The brew created in these stills was often referred to as Moonshine. The liquor was then sold on the black marketThe illegal sale or trade of goods; drug dealers are said to carry out their business on the black market.. Otherpeople brewed alcoholic beverages at home, hoping to not get caught.

During Prohibition, some people even went to other countries, such as Canada, to buy alcohol and smuggle it back into the United States. Smugglers used all sorts of methods to hide the illegal drink. They hid it under false floors in trucks, under their clothing, and even in vials placed within walking sticks or canes. Prohibition proved to be highly unpopular. Thirteen years after it had begun, Prohibition ended and alcohol was once again deemed a legal substance in the United States.

Alcohol consumption rose considerably in the early and middle 1980s, when many states lowered the drinking age to eighteen. Because of the increase in the number of teen deaths tied to drinking and driving, the legal drinking age was raised to twenty-one throughout the nation in 1987. The rate of alcohol consumption dipped in the 1990s, but alcohol remains the most commonly used legal drug. Consumption of alcohol by young people is very high.

Much could be written on the topic of alcohol as an addictive substance. The following entry attempts to provide as much relevant information as possible for the scope and intended audience of this encyclopedia.