Is Alcohol a Narcotic? A Scientific and Legal Breakdown

The word “narcotic” may conjure images of specific illicit drugs, such as heroin or powerful prescription painkillers, like morphine. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a legal and socially acceptable commodity. But with such a profound impact on the brain and body, many people wonder where it fits in. Is alcohol a narcotic?

This question can be treacherous, because it depends on if you are using a medical, legal or historical definition. This explainer will explain what narcotics are and how alcohol affects the body before comparing the two from scientific and legal standpoints. By the end, you’ll have a full grasp of what category alcohol belongs to and why it matters.

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Defining Narcotics

So to ascertain whether alcoholic drinks keep within its limits, we must have the meaning of the term “narcotic.” The word has a precise medical definition and a much fuzzier legal one.

Medical and Pharmacological Definition

Pharmaceutically, narcotics refers to a category of substances other than those in the pharmacological definition; it includes some drugs that are not chemically related to opium but are used for the treatment of pain. These are known as opioids. They work by attaching to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the body, which helps reduce pain. This interferes with the pain signals and may generate a sense of euphoria or extreme relaxation.

Common examples of narcotics (opioids) include:

• Heroin
• Morphine
• Oxycodone (OxyContin)
• Hydrocodone (Vicodin)
• Fentanyl
• Codeine

These drugs are central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which means they slow brain activity, heart rate and breathing. They are tightly regulated because of their powerful effects and addictive qualities.

Legal Definition

The term “narcotic” is, as a matter of law, a definition that often can fall outside what some may traditionally think is a narcotic. The term expanded to cover other addictive substances, and the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 made it illegal to use, sell, or possess heroin in the US. In the past, this legislation and its implementing regulations lumped cocaine (a stimulant) together with opioids, largely obscuring the pharmacological definition.

Nowadays, in law and other areas, (e.g., medicine, pharmacology) “narcotic” refers to any agent that induces central nervous system depression, such as an opiate or sedative. But in the context of the Controlled Substances Act, its opioids and their related compounds that are most frequently referred to as narcotics by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Understanding Alcohol’s Effects

Alcohol (also known chemically as ethanol) is a CNS depressant. Once consumed, it is absorbed into the blood stream and makes its way to the brain where it blocks neurotransmitters from firing.

How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Body

The feelings of relaxation and lowered inhibitions, associated with alcohol consumption may result due to the depressant effects of alcohol. It does so by potentiating the effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter (GABA or gamma-aminobutyric acid) and reducing the activity of an excitatory neurotransmitter (glutamate). This double whammy can cause delayed reflexes, diminished hand-eye coordination and/or slurry speech.

Short-term effects of alcohol can include:

• Drowsiness and relaxation
• Impaired judgment and coordination
• Memory lapses or “blackouts”
• Lowered inhibitions
• In high doses, respiratory depression and coma

Long-term heavy alcohol use can lead to serious health problems, including:

• Liver disease (cirrhosis)
• Heart disease and hypertension
• Brain damage and neurological disorders
• Increased risk of certain cancers
• Alcohol use disorder (alcoholism)

Alcohol acts as a depressant with strong potential for abuse and addiction; therefore alcohol also has some similar functions to narcotics.

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Comparing Alcohol and Narcotics

So just how does alcohol compare to the real deal of narcotics? While both are central nervous system (CNS) depressants and highly addictive, they work in different ways on a biological level.

Feature	Narcotics (Opioids)	Alcohol
Primary Mechanism	Binds to opioid receptors in the brain.	Enhances GABA and suppresses glutamate.
Main Medical Use	Pain relief (analgesia).	Antiseptic; historically used as an anesthetic.
Classification	Opioid, CNS Depressant.	CNS Depressant.
Key Effects	Euphoria, pain relief, severe respiratory depression.	Relaxation, disinhibition, impaired motor skills.
Addiction Potential	Very high.	High.

The primary distinction is the way that they work. Narcotics are the only drugs that directly assault the opioid system, which is why medications like naloxone (Narcan) can reverse an overdose of opioids but have no impact on alcohol poisoning. Alcohol effects the GABA and glutamate systems differently.

So scientifically and pharmacologically, alcohol is not a narcotic. It is most coarsely categorized as a central nervous system depressant.

Legal and Social Perspectives

But all in all, for most people over 21 (the legal drinking age almost everywhere), alcohol is legal. That status is largely for historical and cultural reasons, not because it’s much safer than other drugs.

Alcohol has been a part of social customs, rituals and daily life for cultures all over the world throughout history. This entrenched tradition of social acceptance has made regulating it as hard to do as other drugs. In the 1920s, The United States’ Prohibition infamously proved that banning something entirely won’t work because people will find a way.

Narcotics, by contrast, are held under tight legal schedules due to their high probability of abuse and potential for harm. The legal treatment of them is very different, even though alcohol kills more people each year in the U.S. than all illegal drugs combined.

An estimated 140,000 people die each year in the U.S. from alcohol-related causes, and it is one of our top preventable killers – according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Expert Opinions and Scientific Consensus

There is agreement on this issue among medical experts, addiction specialists and scientific bodies. Alcohol is a CNS depressant, but they do not list it as narcotic.

Addicted and Mind on Alcohol and opioids are both addictive substances that depress the central nervous system, but “they act on different brain systems and have different pharmacological profiles,” says George Koob, M.D., director of the NIAAA.

This difference is important for therapy. Alcohol withdrawal is potentially life-threatening and usually needs to be managed under medical care, which can include controlling symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens. Opioid withdrawal, though extremely uncomfortable, is not usually fatal. Treatment for alcohol use disorder is designed to help correct GABA/glutamate imbalance, and treatment of opioid use disorder often requires medications that can address the receptor system dependent on opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine.

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The Final Verdict on Alcohol

So, is alcohol a narcotic? The definitive answer is no.

Narcotics are, pharmacologically speaking, opioids which attach to the body’s opioid receptors. Alcohol as a CNS depressant exerts its effects via various neurochemical mechanisms.

Although the term “narcotic,” as Matte uses it, can be informal, alcohol is not a narcotic in legal terms. There is usually confusion which stems from the fact that both are highly addictive CNS depressants and have harmful side effects. But they work so differently biologically that even if you’re using pot, how overdoses are treated is a matter of life and death.

If you or someone you know is having problems with alcohol or any other substance, please seek help. In each of these cases, knowing what the substances are is a first step to successful treatment.

Resources for Help:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)