Ethanol

The principal form of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, ethanol is created via the fermentation of sugars using yeasts. It is both a neurotoxic and psychoactive drug, and holds the distinction of being one of the oldest recreational drugs due to its likelihood to cause intoxication when consumed in quantity. Ethanol presents as a colorless, flammable, and volatile liquid with slight chemical odor. As an antiseptic, ethanol is found in medical wipes and most antibacterial hand sanitizers. It kills organisms by dissolving their lipids and denaturing their proteins, and has proven highly effective against most fungi, bacteria, and several viruses. However, ethanol has proven to be fairly ineffective against bacterial spores. It is also used as an antidote for methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning. In high concentrations, ethanol is used as a solvent with many medications that do not dissolve in water or related compounds, such as liquid cough and cold remedies.