Its important to do everything in life based on knowledge. know how to drink, when to drink and when to say NO to alcohol. its a long article but its worth it. Take your time and enjoy.

Alcohol is absorbed into your body through the
stomach and small intestines. Food slows down
the rate of absorption - that's why alcohol
affects you more quickly on an empty stomach.
Alcohol then flows through the bloodstream
throughout the body, reaching your heart, brain,
muscles and other tissues. This happens very
quickly - within a few minutes. Usually, though
not always, this has a pleasant effect.
The role of your liver
Your body can't store alcohol, so it has to break
it down - mostly via your liver. Through a
complex metabolic process the liver firstly
changes alcohol into acetaldehyde, a highly toxic
substance. The acetaldehyde is converted by the
liver into acetate, a harmless substance, which
is then turned into carbon dioxide and water
which are then simply excreted from the body.
About 90% - 95% of alcohol consumed is
metabolised by the liver. The remaining 5% - 10%
is excreted through urine, breath and sweat.
Your body's ability to process alcohol depends on
various things, like your age, weight and sex.
Your body breaks down alcohol at a rate of
roughly one standard drink per hour.
Because it takes time for your body to break
down alcohol, drinking more than one unit of
alcohol an hour will build up your blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) and it may be many hours
before you are safe to drive.
After a night of heavy drinking you risk being
over the drink drive limit the next morning.
Size
A larger, heavier person may not be affected by
alcohol in the same way as a lighter, smaller
person. This is because the larger person has
more body fluids. These body fluids dilute the
alcohol. Therefore the larger, heavier person may
have a lower BAC even when drinking at the
same pace the same amount as a smaller
person.
Tips to keep your blood alcohol level down are to
eat before you start drinking alcohol, to pace
yourself by not drinking too fast and to eat
whilst drinking, preferably at meal times and to
alternate each alcoholic drink with a refreshing
soft spacer.
Gender
Women have proportionally less body water than
men so the concentration of alcohol in their
blood stream is proportionately higher. There is
also some evidence that women may metabolize
alcohol slightly differently. There are small
amounts of the enzyme ADH which is
responsible for breaking down alcohol in the liver
in the lining of the stomach; some people believe
that the ADH levels are lower in women and that
this might contribute to their higher blood alcohol
levels
What makes you feel drunk?
Alcohol is a mood altering substance. It affects
the nerves that pass messages around the body
by slowing them down and the more you drink
the greater the effect. The reason people often
get more lively when they've had a drink is that
alcohol affects parts of the brain responsible for
self-control.
Your reactions also slow down, and you may
become uncoordinated or unsteady on your feet.
Your speech may get slurred and you may start
seeing double. If you've had a lot to drink you
may also experience strong emotional responses
- for instance you may become aggressive or
tearful and because your judgement is impaired,
you may do things that you might not normally
do - from dancing on tables to going home with
strangers. They may seem a good idea at the
time, but can be extremely dangerous.
"The danger of drinking too much too fast"
As you drink, the alcohol passes into your
bloodstream. Ethanol is the intoxicating part of
alcohol and its molecules are so small that they
can actually pass into the gaps between brain
cells. Here they can interfere with the
neurotransmitters (the brain's central post
office) that govern all the brain's activities. If
you drink faster than one standard drink an hour,
alcohol will start to flood the brain. Depending
on how much and how fast you're drinking, it can
affect the brain stem (even cause it to shut
down) and this can interfere with vital body
functions. A young person, or somebody unused
to drink, may experience this after just a few
standard drinks taken in one go. Fortunately,
alcohol gives warning signs at each level of
penetration into the brain so, if you spot the
signs, moderate your drinking, or stop altogether.
Classic warning signs:
You feel giddy
You start to lose the thread of what you're
saying
You feel unsteady on your feet
You start seeing double
Look out for these symptoms in your friends too
Tips to avoid feeling sick or passing out are to
eat before you start drinking - even a bowl of
cereal or a couple of pieces of toast will help.
Try and avoid top ups as it's harder to keep
track of what you're drinking, - pace yourself -
having a non alcoholic drink between each
alcoholic drink (preferably water) really helps
slow your drinking down and gives your body a
chance to break down the alcohol you've already
drunk.
Drinking to drunkeness
Getting drunk impairs your judgement and can
increase risky behaviour, which could result in:
· Injuries and accidents
· Unsafe sex, which could result in sexually
transmitted infections and unplanned
pregnancies
· You being robbed or going home with a stranger
· Fights, arguments and relationship problems
· Getting into trouble with the cops and getting a
criminal record
· In extreme cases, alcoholic poisoning, coma,
brain damage and death
If you get drunk or drink heavily on a regular
basis you increase your risks of:
· Alcohol dependence or alcoholism
· Sexual difficulties, including impotence
· Cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic fatty liver
. Cardiac arrest and stroke
· Pancreatitis
· Stomach disorders, such as ulcers
· An increased risk of certain types of cancer,
especially of the aero-digestive tract and breast
cancer