Alcohol: social lubricant and pharmacological blind spot

Abstract

Alcohol, born from the fermentation of sugars in grains, fruits or vegetables, is one of the world’s most widely used and socially accepted psychoactive substances, found in beverages such as beer, wine and spirits. Across many cultures, it has a long history of use for leisure, ritualistic and therapeutic reasons. Ethanol, the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks, acts swiftly on the central nervous system, triggering noticeable shifts in mood, behaviour and cognitive function.