How can Alcohol Kill?
Alcohol drunk in gross excess at one time affects the body in two ways that can be dangerous: it depresses the brain and it irritates the stomach. The brain controls breathing, the heart and body temperature. In other words it controls the body’s accelerator, the thermostat is switched off and the body just winds down until something stops – such as your heart. Add the second effect, the stomach irritation, and there is another danger. To vomit when the brain in malfunctioning means that choking to death is a real risk. Even worse, vomiting in this condition can trigger an instant nerve reflex that stops the heart – dead. If the two effects work together, a person could die from choking after a much smaller dose than is needed for direct poisoning.
