Alcohol causes grogginess and significant reduction in cognitive abilities accompanied with blurred vision, which may lead to serious if not fatal accidents. Drunken driving is also a legally punishable offense.

Besides being illegal, what most people do not know, is that alcohol has negative effects on the physical and mental development of children and adolescents. Younger children cannot cope with drinking, which either leads to destructive behaviour or addiction.

No boss appreciates an intoxicated, frequently absent, non-productive employee! Besides operating machines (at factories) may prove to be dangerous owing to reduced reflexes and limited fine motor skills.

Drinking during pregnancy may cause mental retardation, physical defects or motor dysfunction in the foetus. Drinking during breast-feeding may also hamper the physical and mental development of the infant as the alcohol may get transferred to the baby through breast milk.

Alcohol may reduce or negate the effectiveness of certain medications, resulting in slow or interrupted recovery. Also, several medications combined with alcohol are known to significantly slow down physical activity or the ability to think.

Alcohol is known to cause dehydration and increased breathing and pulse rate, which causes further stress to the body. So, drinking should be avoided when you need to indulge in activities involving physical exertion, giving the body sufficient time to adjust and recover.

If you can’t control your intake, it’s best to keep your distance. Easier said than done, because it does take quite an effort to ignore a strong inclination. In cases such as these, seeking the doctor’s help is imperative.