Drinking too much and/or using any form of drug is damaging to your health. While alcohol is a popular beverage choice for many people all over the world, there’s a line between enjoying a drink and abusing alcohol. Excessive drinking refers to both binge drinking, which, for women, is four or more drinks in one occasion, and for men, five or more drinks; and heavy drinking, which is defined as over eight or more drinks per week for women, and 15 or more drinks per week for men. It is possible to drink excessively and not depend on alcohol, but the more you drink, the higher the chance of suffering from alcoholism.

Excessive drinking has many short- and long-term health risks. Immediate risks, like car crashes, violent behavior, and alcohol poisoning, can be attributed to the impaired behavior that occurs when we drink. Long-term risks include heart disease, liver disease, cancer, memory problems, mental health problems, and alcoholism. When we drink alcohol, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream and affects every area of the body. It interferes with the communication pathway of the brain, which causes poor judgment, mood changes, and abnormal behavior. It puts a lot of pressure on the heart, which can cause issues like irregular heartbeat and stroke, and puts intense stress on the liver, which can cause cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and much more.