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Alcohol is such a commonly accepted substance that many people don’t consider it to be a drug; people use it at family gatherings, work events, and outings so much that it’s hard to perceive it as a dangerous, mind-altering substance. Most of us don’t place alcohol in the same category as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy, and that’s why it’s sometimes more difficult to notice the signs of alcoholism and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. You may not see your alcohol usage as drug use, but is alcohol a drug?

If you’ve been wondering whether alcohol is a drug, you’re not alone. Thousands of people struggle with this question every day, especially if they are concerned about addiction, health problems, and injury while using it. You may know that alcohol is a depressant, but putting it in the same category as meth and opioids can be more difficult to understand, and therefore, get the proper help when needed.

Our addiction providers, doctors, and specialists have treated and educated thousands of patients for alcohol addiction and have extensive experience in approaching alcohol as a drug addiction. Asking “Is alcohol a drug?” is a common question, and we’re here to provide everything you need to know so that you can better understand addiction when thinking about your alcohol use or when deciding to seek help.

What is Considered a Drug?

First, let’s explore what a “drug” actually is. A drug is defined as a substance that can change your mental and/or physical state. These substances affect how your brain works, how you feel, how you behave, and can even alter your senses and understanding of the world. They can be unpredictable and dangerous, especially for young people.

Drugs affect people differently based on several factors. These include (but are not limited to):

• Age

• Sex

• Body composition

• Metabolism

• Substance strength, type, and how it was manufactured

• How the person ingests them (tablets or fluids, breathing them in, snorting, injecting, etc.)

• The person’s mood and environment

• Whether the person mixes with other substances

There are a few different categories of drugs. Let’s go over the three types: depressants, hallucinogens, and stimulants.

1. Depressants (Cannabis & Heroin)

Depressants are exactly what they sound like: they slow or depress the function of the central nervous system, effectively slowing messages to and from your brain. Some common examples of depressants include opiates, cannabis, Kratom, heroin, and tranquilizers.

In smaller quantities, this category of narcotic can make you feel relaxed and calm. In larger amounts, they can affect your concentration, coordination, and reaction time. In lethal doses, they can cause your body to shut down and become unresponsive, leading to overdose and death.

2. Hallucinogens (LSD & Mushrooms)

Hallucinogens affect your sense of reality (or make you “hallucinate”). When people talk about experiencing a “trip,” they are talking about the effects of hallucinogenic drugs. When you take these, you might see and hear things that are not there. You might also experience a wide spectrum of emotions, from euphoria to panic and paranoia.

Some examples of hallucinogens include LSD (acid), PCP, mushrooms, and cannabis. These can also often be mixed with other substances—or laced—which is what leads to lethal effects, including seizures, psychosis, and death.

3. Stimulants (Cocaine & Methamphetamine)

Stimulants are also exactly what they sound like: they speed up (“stimulate”) the nervous system, so everything appears faster than it is realistically. Stimulants can make you feel alert and confident. They can also increase your heart rate and blood pressure, make you agitated, and cause sleeplessness.

Stimulants include Adderall, cocaine, and crack. Larger doses can cause extreme amounts of panic and paranoia, as well as lethal seizures, which can lead to tragic overdose and death.

Is Alcohol a Drug? The Final Verdict

Now that you know the classes of drugs, how can you put alcohol in the same category as these? The answer is simple: yes, alcohol is a drug—more specifically, alcohol is in the “depressants” category, which classifies it as a drug.

Alcohol is classified as a drug and a depressant because it changes your physical and mental state by depressing your mood and slowing messages from your brain. It affects coordination and concentration as well, exhibited by the “drunkenness” one may have when they have consumed far too much. Very intoxicated people are often slow and have poor judgment, are drowsy, cannot balance themselves, and may not even remember the activity the next day.

Is Alcohol Worse for You?

Alcohol is not exactly like heroin, cocaine, meth, or marijuana, but in some ways, it’s worse. It’s much easier to obtain than many other drugs because it is legal virtually worldwide. There are some areas throughout the world that might make it more difficult than others, but for the most part, it is regulated, not prohibited.

Narcotics other than alcohol also cause a marked change in consciousness when a person uses them, but the fact that alcohol isn’t as regulated as illegal drugs makes it severely more dangerous. Ask anyone who has passed out drunk at a party or doesn’t remember how they got home after a night of drinking.

Now, let’s explore what makes alcohol a dangerous drug.

3 Main Dangers of Alcohol Consumption As a Drug

Alcohol is likely the world’s most acceptable drug. People drink it any time of the day, at all sorts of events, and in varying concentrations and flavors. However, frequent substance use can have many dangerous effects associated with other types of drugs and depressants, like heroin and tranquilizers. Like these drugs, you’re at risk of injury, health issues, and addiction that can destroy your life.

1. Alcohol-Related Injuries

Most people know that excessive alcohol use can damage the brain, liver, and stomach. However, alcohol can cause much more injury than just by its chemicals. Since alcohol eases your inhibitions, depresses your motor skills, and makes you more confident, you are at a higher risk of harming yourself or others.

For instance, when you’re intoxicated, you are more likely to fall; a serious hazard if you’re around a body of water, on a rooftop terrace, or traveling. Additionally, there are food-related alcohol injuries. People have died from choking on their own vomit while passed out drunk—a preventable tragedy caused by alcohol intoxication or overdose.

Lastly, and probably the most tragic alcohol-related injury, is driving fatalities; alcohol-impaired driving fatalities account for 32% of overall driving fatalities and destroy thousands of lives yearly. This is probably the most important and most deadly alcohol-related injury.

Injuries aren’t the most thought-out consequence when drinking, but they are a consequence that should always be considered.

2. Short- & Long-Term Health Problems

The long-term effects of alcohol on the body begin from the moment you take your first sip. It can cause various health problems if it’s not used moderately. There are over 200 long-term diseases and injury-related conditions associated with alcohol, such as:

• Liver disease

• Stomach bleeding

• Cancer

• Depression

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Bodily aches and pains

• Sleep disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.)

• Addiction/alcoholism

One glass of alcohol consumption per day might do very little damage to your physical or mental health in the long term. If your habit grows, however, the cumulative effects of the drug can add up and start to affect your health.

3. Progression of Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism

The most well-known effect of alcohol use and abuse is addiction and/or alcoholism. It’s important to note that there’s a difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, which makes a difference in how you get help. This is another reason why alcohol is considered a drug, as there is a high risk of abuse and addiction.

Alcohol abuse is a disruption of daily functions characterized by:

• Drinking in hazardous settings, like driving

• The inability to complete responsibilities at work, home, or school

• A noticeable deterioration in health

• Increasingly frequent drinking in inappropriate situations, like a child’s sports game or while teaching a class.

By contrast, alcoholism is a chronic disease characterized by diagnosable behaviors and thought patterns, and includes:

• Valuing alcohol above friends, family, jobs, health, and relationships

• Inability to stop drinking and returning to habit

• Inability to function in daily life without drinking

You are unlikely to become addicted to alcohol if you do not use it or get intoxicated very often. However, the more you drink alcohol, the more likely it is that you’ll feel like you can’t function without it. Addiction is a serious disease and should be treated as such, making it a drug much like those we know of.

Getting Help for Alcohol (Drug) Addiction

So, is alcohol a drug? Yes—possibly the world’s most acceptable one at that. People drink when socializing, celebrating, and relaxing. Although drinking is not necessarily a problem in and of itself, excessive drinking can increase your risk for many health issues down the road.

That’s why you should treat alcohol like any other drug, like heroin, opioids, meth, cocaine, and others—including getting help when addiction creeps in. There’s a reason there are alcohol treatment centers and support services for overcoming alcoholism as a drug problem.

To differentiate casual drinking from addiction, we recommend asking yourself these questions: “Can you control and still enjoy your drinking, or do you find that, when you start drinking, you can’t control the amount?” These are some indicators of a drug addiction that you should be mindful of.

Remember, too, that it’s okay to get help when needed and not let the stigma or normalization of alcohol prevent you from seeking treatment. So, if you think you may need help, make that choice today and schedule an appointment with us to combat the disease of alcohol addiction.

About Master Center

Master Center is a groundbreaking addiction treatment program headquartered in Glen Allen, Va. Based on a vision of comprehensive outpatient care, Master Center was launched in 2016 and now includes locations throughout the Commonwealth.

Master Center offers a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach rarely seen in the outpatient setting, staffed by experienced addiction physicians, psychiatrists, counselors, therapists, and peer recovery coaches.