ELI5 Alcohol - How does alcohol make you drunk?

How does alcohol make you drunk? What is happening in your brain and body when you are intoxicated? What is it about alcohol that actually harms your body?   ... We explain like i'm five!   Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: bockscarRasor, greenwizard88, bockscarrasor, heathenyak, benmichaels01, floatingsaltmine & isimplycantdothis   If you have suggestions, comments, or would like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of this podcast, please reach out to us at [email protected].