The Effects of Drinking Alcohol People make many different decisions throughout their lives. People make decisions about what to wear, what to eat, what to think, what to do with their lives, and what will benefit them in the long term. These are decisions that may seem small but ultimately affect the person in a positive or negative way later in their life. Many decisions we make in life are not the right ones and can harm us later in life if we do not take into account the consequences of our actions. One decision that can creep up on people negatively is drinking alcohol. The negative effects of alcohol consumption outweigh the few positive health benefits it presents. Alcohol consumption can affect each individual person differently depending on many different factors. Two people who drink the same amount can have different blood alcohol levels. Depending on how high a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is determines how the person's judgment is affected. Having a BAC between 0.01% and 0.05% increases your heart rate and decreases your judgment. An increase to 0.10-0.15% causes more dramatic effects. Dislocation, vomiting, and immobilization are some of the many short-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption (Lang 45). People with alcohol problems also often use illegal drugs which have negative effects on them as well. Some of the major immediate problems that arise from alcohol consumption include blackouts and brain damage. Alcohol damages the pathways that connect different parts of the brain and can affect how the brain looks and functions. These pathways, when influenced, can change a person's mood and behavior, and not only make them a completely different person, but also make it harder for them to think clearly and... middle of paper... sister. Alcoholic hepatitis occurs when the liver experiences inflammation caused by alcohol consumption. If a person is diagnosed by a doctor with alcoholic hepatitis, he or she should immediately stop drinking alcohol. People who continue to drink alcohol against their doctor's recommendations are at high risk of developing serious liver damage that can eventually cause death. Each liver disease is different and can affect each person's body in different ways. Another effect of alcohol abuse on the liver is cirrhosis. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver begins to get scared and is no longer able to carry out its regular tasks. Because the liver has no nerves that identify pain, the liver doesn't feel pain until it hits a different part of the body that feels it. Cirrhosis often has no signs or symptoms until liver damage is extensive and in most cases irreparable.