MODEL RELEASED. Hangover. Man suffering from a hangover contemplates powder dissolving in a glass of water (lower left). This is probably a pain- relieving drug. He is surrounded by leftover beer containers following a drinking session. The alcohol in alcoholic drinks is ethanol. This is an addictive drug that can cause long-term liver and brain damage. In the short term the ethanol is oxidised by the body into ethanal, an aldehyde. It is this chemical which causes the symptoms of a hangover.