--- title: "What are the risks of excessive alcohol consumption?" description: "What are the risks of excessive alcohol consumption?" author: "Baishakhi Ghosh" published: 2024-03-02 updated: 2025-06-02 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/110549/what-are-the-risks-of-excessive-alcohol-consumption category: "health" tags: ["health"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # What are the risks of excessive alcohol consumption? ## Answers ### Answer by Amrith Chandran Excessive use of alcohol is a worldwide public health problem. [Drinking](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300947/can-drinking-water-improve-mental-health) too much alcohol for a long period can be damaging to a person’s body, mind and [relationships](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300112/how-mental-illness-affects-romantic-relationships), even though some people may be allowed to drink moderately by both friends and doctors. **[Threats](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2446/sale-and-import-of-huawei-and-zte-are-prohibited-in-the-us-after-fcc-lists-them-as-threats) to How Healthy You Are** A serious risk of binge drinking is damage to the liver. Chronic alcohol use results in fatty liver that can cause cirrhosis, fibrosis and alcoholic hepatitis. If you use a lot of alcohol, your liver can no longer perform its role as your body’s natural detoxifier.\ Drinking alcohol weakens your [immune system](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300472/ways-to-improve-your-immune-system), which increases your chances of getting sick and infected. There is a bigger risk of having a stroke, arrhythmia or [high blood pressure](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300310/symptoms-and-causes-of-scad-due-to-high-blood-pressure). Misusing alcohol is linked to some cancers in the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, colon and breast.\ **[Problems Related](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81954/why-do-we-sweat-know-problems-related-to-it) to Mental and [Emotional Health](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300732/how-dreams-affect-our-emotional-health)** Alcohol affects how well the brain functions by damaging parts of the central nervous system. If left alone, it might cause the person to lose memory and mental sharpness and [increase](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2333/mahindra-s-q4-profit-increased-by-46-as-vehicle-sales-increased-by-75) the odds of anxiety and depression. Some people who are dependent on alcohol may also develop Alcohol Use Disorder.\ ## Problems caused by behaviours and social situations Because alcohol makes it harder to think clearly, people may become violent, take part in unprotected sexual acts or drive drunk. Drinking too much alcohol at home usually results in absent parents, debt and conflict between [family members](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/312455/best-way-to-choosing-a-doctor-for-your-family-members). In social terms, this can cause a person to isolate themselves, do poorly at school and lose their job.\ ## Concerns about Safety and LGAL Matters It is generally illegal for anyone in most places to drive after consuming intoxicating substances. Drunk driving is among the reasons behind many avoidable [traffic](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43886/how-to-attract-quality-traffic-to-your-website) deaths. We should both build up defences and educate ourselves to recognize such risks.\ --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/110549/what-are-the-risks-of-excessive-alcohol-consumption Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.