Alcohol is a drug, but unlike the other drug , marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and probably all the others for some reason this is socially accepted and is legal. Alcohol is bad for you and does have long term affects associated with it. Such as the long addiction to it, effects on the body, and the social interaction effects. Alcohol, and alcoholism is common in America, but drinking is more common around kids. Social drinking a term kids and drinkers have come accustom to, social drinking is defined by one standard drink per hour, and no more than 3 per day, but some people just socialize around people that drink as heavily as they do and confuse that for social drinking. Addiction to alcohol can be acquired easily if not careful, binge drinking and family history are all keys in the identification of addiction. Family history could be linked to alcoholism by finding out if your family had problems in the past with alcohol, and it is determined by studies that genes have effects on alcohol. Alcohol is a drug, but legal unlike the other drugs on the street, in my opinion drugs are all harmful to the body, and can have serious problems to you in the long run. Alcohol can effect the body in multiple ways. The tranquilizing effects of being drunk, acts like a stimulate, but is a depressant, and causes the brain to lower self control, and impairs vision, other senses and effects bodily coordination. This tranquilizing effect is effected by the consumption or other wise intake of alcohol has serious effects on the liver, the heart, and the brain. The alcohol consumption effects all these and have an overall personality change when signs of alcoholism begin. Alcohol overall has a detrimental effect over the body and the mind. I do believe alcohol is a drug and like other drugs which are not legalized in the U.S. it is still really bad for you. Also from alcohol a big risk is in evolved with drunk driving, and getting alcohol poisoning. Both of these possible consequences are a big factor when someone drinks irresponsibly, Drunk driving accidents, and deaths happen to much to not notice and to know that drinking is a big cause of deaths in the year. Alcohol poisoning has a greater chance of killing you because the effects are the usual drunken depressant effects but it slowly gets worse as you slip into coma, and if not taken care of die. Social drinking and effects one can have on someone s personality is usually a drastic change. From this I mean I can speak from experience, one of my friends is an alcoholic from my perspective every chance he gets he drinks and if that is compromised his personality does somersaults, and changes into a mean self centered alcoholic, but anytime he s not drunk he seems normal but close interaction would prove to be that he has a personality problem, and a severe attitude. What I am trying to say is that my friend is my friend and he s been through concealing, and (AA) classes and still he struggles to be intoxicated every chance he gets, but he s still my friend and I think if I was true friend I would help and stop him from drinking but if I do I just get shunned as he looks at me in discaust. Alcohol is in no means a good drug. From what I know and have experienced alcohol is just an open window for a long life of problems and difficulties, and just make growing up harder. It leaves the body sespetiblle to self infliction by screwing up the only bodily organs you have in life and why someone would want to risk there chances of death, and life long hardship is beyond me. Alcohol is a drug and as now is legal in the U.S. and if that changes it will in my opinion advance our society mentally and make us stronger, and the body, and mind already suffer as it is in our society, but to put added pressure and infliction on them is not a wise decision.