Brief Description: An addictive depressant which enters the bloodstream and acts on the central nervous system.
Street Names: Booze
Effects: In large doses it causes slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs judgment and motor functions.
Statistics and Trends: In the past 12 months 79.3% of Canadians 15 and older consumed alcohol, and 22.6% of past-year drinkers exceeded the low-risk drinking guidelines. In 2003 in Canada, road crashes involving a driver who had been drinking killed 902 people, of which half (450) were drivers who were legally impaired.
