Drinking ethanol causes a person to feel relaxed. Ethanol is very commonly used, and has been made by humans for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest and most used recreational drug (drugs used for fun) in the world. People may overuse it for the same reason. The addiction to alcohol is called alcoholism. Alcoholic drinks can be dangerous. If a person drinks a lot of alcohol, they become intoxicated, meaning that they get drunk. People who are drunk may do or say strange or dangerous things and may not be able to control themselves. The amount of alcohol that it takes to get somebody drunk is different from person to person. All alcohols are toxic, but ethanol is less toxic because the human body can break it down quickly. Some strong alcohols can also cause intoxication and impairment.