Many of us enjoy the odd alcoholic beverage, but what happens when we abuse alcohol and drink far more than the recommended limit? In a recent video, SciShow explained just how serious the effects of drinking too much alcohol actually are.

Ethanol, the main ingredient in alcoholic beverages, is actually a poison. Luckily our bodies are well equipped at filtering out the ethanol that we drink in our beer, wine, and liquor. When we drink alcohol, our livers filter the chemical out from our blood and help break it down so that it can eventually be secreted out. However, when we drink too much alcohol, our livers cannot keep up with filtering out the ethanol fast enough and eventually some of it gets back into our bloodstream. From here it makes its way to our brains where it interferes with brain cell connections and causes us to act “drunk.”

Drinking too much alcohol, however, can cause parts of the brain to shut down, a condition known as alcohol poisoning. Unfortunately, these parts are responsible for many life necessities such as breathing, and when this occurs, it can be deadly.

There are also many long-term effects of drinking too much. For example, long-term alcohol abuse can cause cirrhosis of the liver, a serious condition where the liver can no longer function properly. In addition, it’s also suspected that long-term alcohol abuse is linked to inflammation, abnormal hormone levels, and could even increase the risk for certain cancers.