In the ingestion of an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol is rapidly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines) because it does not undergo any digestive processes; thus, alcohol rises to high levels in the blood in a relatively short time. From the blood the alcohol is distributed to all parts of the body and has an especially pronounced effect on the brain, on which it exerts a depressant action. Under the influence of alcohol the functions of the brain are depressed in a characteristic pattern. The most complex actions of the brain—judgment, self-criticism, the inhibitions learned from earliest childhood—are depressed first, and the loss of this control results in a feeling of excitement in the early stages. For this reason, alcohol is sometimes thought of, erroneously, as a stimulant. Under the influence of increasing amounts of alcohol, the drinker gradually becomes less alert, awareness of his environment becomes dim and hazy, muscular coordination deteriorates, and sleep is facilitated