8.RP.1.2

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is the process that uses yeast or bacteria to
 * //What Is Drinking Alcohol? //**

change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items everything like cheese to even

things like medications.

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, also known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three classes:

beers, wines, and spirits. They are consumed in over 100 countries. These countries have laws about their production, sale, and

consumption. To be specific, laws such as the minimum age at which a person may legally buy or drink alcohol. The minimum

age to drink alcohol in most countries is ages 16 and 25 years, also depending on the type of drink. Most nations set it at 18 years

of age.

Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect. Having high blood alcohol content is usually called legal

drunkenness because it reduces attention and slows reaction speed. Alcohol can be addictive and alcoholism is the addiction to

alcohol.
 * //History of Alcohol in the U.S.A //**

In 1919 to 1933The United States was at the time that alcohol was suppose to be illegal. They did this to eliminate the drinking

of alcoholic beverages by means of a national prohibition of their manufacture and sale. This period became known as the

Prohibition era. During this time, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States made the manufacture, sale, and

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">transportation of alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the United States.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This prohibition caused widespread disrespect for the law; people started getting alcohol from illegal sources. This caused a

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">lucrative business which was created for illegal producers and sellers of alcohol, which led to the development of organized crime.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Because of all of this happening it led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment in 1933. But still some states still decided to ban alcohol

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">after the 18 amendment was dropped.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 17px;">How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect The Body? //**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Alcohol is called a depressant which is used to slow down the body's nervous system. But taking in big amounts of it can

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">affect your perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Still Taking it in small amounts can make you can feel more

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">relaxed and less anxious.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Alcohol is a natural product but it is bad because when it is released into the bloodstream, it affects the spinal cord and nervous

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">system which controls all the bodies’ functions. Alcohol is especially for teens whose brains are still developing and can really

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">affect them.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 17px;">Is Drinking Alcohol An Element? //**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">No, alcohol isn't an element it’s a compound. An element is the smallest unit of a substance in which every piece is the same.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Alcohol is not an element because it is made up of different elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 17px;">Why Shouldn't Teens Drink Alcohol? //**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Alcohol is a drug that can affect you if consumed too much. 21 is the legal drinking age, but some teens think it’s cool to drink

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">while still young not knowing the consequences. Things like crime (robbing banks, etc), Sexual Health, School, and socially ability

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">will be uprooted from drinking alcohol. It is dangerous and when you drink alcohol because you can get addicted to drinking and

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">drink more and more just to fill the pleasure of the chemicals in the alcohol.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Drinking also doesn’t only affect your sexual health but your physical health when teens drink they are more likely to get fat

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">and have health issues. But even other things like drownings from drinking even, homicide, suicides, and car crashes are a result of

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">teens even parents drinking.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 17px;">How to avoid/Stop Drinking? //**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">For Teens to avoid drinking it’s all about avoiding per pressure. If someone wants you to drink with them try to avoid it by

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">saying “I gotta Go” or “I have to get somewhere Urgent” to avoid the teen drinkers from temping you to drink. If there is alcohol

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">at a party make an exit plan just in case of temptation and don’t forget girls or guys who have strong self-esteem are less likely to

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">become problem drinkers than people with low self-esteem. If your parents drink try to talk to them about the dangers of drinking

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">and if you have drank alcohol before tell them it could have been because of their influence.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">For adults try to stay away when your friends are drinking or going to clubs, etc. Try drinking things to substitute for alcohol

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">like tea or a soft drink. If things like this don’t help seeing a counselor to help deal with this situation. Also try to talk to your kids

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">about the danger of drinking when they grow up and the temptation from other kids to get them to drink.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Work Cited. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hadley, Elbert H. "Alcohol." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Meyer, Roger E. "Alcoholism." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">//Encyclopedia Americana.// Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Nitz, Otto W. "Ethyl Alcohol." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">//Encyclopedia Americana.// Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2012

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Nitz, O. W. "Alcohol." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pittman, David J. "Alcohol Consumption." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2012