Identify a short-term effect of alcohol consumption.

Identify a short-term effect of alcohol consumption.

• A. Improved memory
• B. Changes to the brain
• C. Increased height
• D. Faster reflexes

Answer: (B)

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the brain, and in the short term it changes how brain cells communicate by altering neurotransmitter activity. This immediate disruption slows thinking, impairs judgment, and dulls coordination and memory, which are all classic short-term effects of drinking. That’s why changes to the brain is the best answer for a short-term effect. The other options don’t fit: memory isn’t improved—in fact, it can be impaired; height isn’t affected by a single drinking episode; reflexes are usually slower, not faster.

Alcohol acts as a depressant on the brain, and in the short term it changes how brain cells communicate by altering neurotransmitter activity. This immediate disruption slows thinking, impairs judgment, and dulls coordination and memory, which are all classic short-term effects of drinking. That’s why changes to the brain is the best answer for a short-term effect. The other options don’t fit: memory isn’t improved—in fact, it can be impaired; height isn’t affected by a single drinking episode; reflexes are usually slower, not faster.