Ethanol is the type of alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages, which acts both as a psychoactive substance and as a drug. However, the term ‘alcohol’ more generally refers to any organic chemical compound containing a hydroxyl (-OH) group linked to a carbon atom.
‘Alcoholism’ is the term used to refer to addiction to or dependence on this substance. Excessive consumption of alcohol has very harmful effects on the body; for example, in many cases it leads to liver cirrhosis or alcoholic dementia, among other diseases.
