Final answer:
The root meaning of 'intoxication' relates to 'poison,' explaining the harm of its effects. It leads to addiction and dependence, involving tolerance and withdrawal, ultimately posing significant health risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding that the word INTOXICATION derives from a root that means poison helps clarify why its physical and neurological consequences can cause so much harm. The term 'intoxication' often connotes excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs, resulting in impairments that harm an individual's health and safety.
When someone is intoxicated, it means their body is poisoned by a substance, which can lead to effects like social disinhibition, impaired motor control, and decision-making, and in severe cases, ataxia, hippocampal dysfunction, and potentially fatal outcomes. Addiction and dependence, which are often linked to repeated intoxication, involve a complex interplay between the reward system of the brain, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and the continual need to consume more of the substance to achieve the same effects. These factors contribute to the cycle of drug abuse and illustrate why intoxication can be so dangerous.