Drug (definition)-something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation, or a marked change in consciousness.

When alcohol reaches the brain, it interferes with communication between nerve cells, by interacting with the receptors on some cells. The alcohol suppresses excitatory nerve pathway activity and increases inhibitory nerve pathway activity. Among other actions, alcohol enhances the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Enhancing an inhibitor has the effect of making a person sluggish. Also, alcohol weakens the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamine, which enhances the sluggishness even farther.

Change in consciousness, check!

It is generally known that the repeated consumption of habit-forming drugs such as alcohol, minor tranquilizers, stimulantia, opiates, hallucinogens, nicotine in many instances leads to different degrees of addiction.

Habituation, check!

Alcohol addiction is simply defined as a compulsive need for an intoxicating liquid that is obtained from fermented grain or fruit. These liquids include beer, wine, and other hard liquors.

Alcoholism is present when a person craves alcohol and cannot limit or contain his or her drinking. If someone experiences withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, or anxiety when alcohol consumption has ceased, or if there is a need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to feel a high, that person is most likely alcoholic.

Addiction, check!

So we have learned that alcohol is habit-forming, addictive, and changes the consciousness of the brain. We also know that by definition drugs are any substances that changes the consciousness of the brain, is habit-forming and addictive. Broken down to it’s simplest form, alcohol = drug. So if you drink, you are not “drug free”.