This is the molecular structure of ethanol. Ethanol is often referred to as alcohol. Ethanol is a psychoactive drug that is the active ingredient in beer, wine, and distilled spirits. It is one of the oldest and most common recreational substances, causing alcohol intoxication. Alcohol produces happiness and euphoria, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognitive, memory, motor, and sensory function, and generalized depression of central nervous system function. Ethanol is only one of several types of alcohol, but it is the only type of alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages or commonly used for recreational purposes; other alcohols such as methanol and isopropyl alcohol are far more toxic.