Drunkenness

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The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini

Drunkenness or inebriation is the state of being intoxicated by consumption of alcoholic beverages to a degree that mental and physical faculties are noticeably impaired. Severe drunkenness may lead to acute alcohol intoxication. Common symptoms may include slurred speech, impaired balance, poor coordination, flushed face, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition and uncharacteristic behavior. Drunkenness can result in temporary experience of a wide range of emotions, ranging from anger, sadness, and depression to euphoria, lightheartedness, joviality, and sexual disinhibition. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol may lead to a hangover the next day.

Law

Laws on drunkenness vary between countries. In the United States, for example, it is commonly a minor offense (misdemeanor) for an individual to be intoxicated in a public place. This degree of intoxication is considerably higher than the standard for driving under the influence ("drunk driving") of alcohol or drugs, which commonly requires intoxication to the degree that mental and physical faculties are impaired.

The blood alcohol content (BAC) for legally operating a vehicle may range from a low of 0.0 mg/ml in countries such as Armenia, Hungary and Romania to 0.05 mg/ml in Australia, France and Portugal to 0.08 mg/ml in Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland.^[1]

Additionally, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibits crewmembers from performing their duties with a BAC greater than 0.04%, within 8 hours of consuming an alcoholic beverage or while under the influence of alcohol.^[2][3]

In the UK and US, police can arrest those deemed too intoxicated in a public place for public intoxication, "drunk and disorderly" or even "drunk and incapable". There are often legal restrictions relating to sale of alcohol to intoxicated persons.^{[citation needed]}

Religious views

The Drunkenness of Noah by Michelangelo

Many religious groups permit the consumption of alcohol but prohibit intoxication. Islam prohibits alcohol consumption altogether as per the laws mentioned in the Qur'an.^[4][5][6]

Many Protestant Christian denominations prohibit drunkenness due to the Biblical passages condemning it (for instance, Proverbs 23:21,^[7] Isaiah 28:1,^[8] Habakkuk 2:15^[9]) but many allow moderate use of alcohol (see Christianity and alcohol). Proverbs 31:4–7 states a prophecy of King Lemuel,

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.^[10]

On the contrary, in the late seventeenth century, ministers were licensed to control taverns because they were people of “good moral character.”^[11] Licensing ministers played an important role in controlling public drinking for the higher class because of their desire to control the public. Ministers were chosen because they were able to calm and control drunken folk.

Folklore

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It has often been said that drunkenness helps people to avoid injury from trauma, or as commonly said, "God watches over drunks and small children".^[12] According to a translation of the 4th century B.C.Often when drunk drivers are involved in an auto accident they walk away when the occupants of the other vehicle die. This is due to the body being so relaxed upon impact the body just "flows" with the forces unlike the other occupants which brace for the impact by holding on to the steering wheel or firmly placing their feet against the floor. Upon impact braced occupants are more likely to suffer severe injury or death.[Citation needed] Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi,

A drunken man who falls out of a cart, though he may suffer, does not die. His bones are the same as other people's, but he meets his accident in a different way. His spirit is in a condition of security. He is not conscious of riding in the cart; neither is he conscious of falling out of it. Ideas of life, death, fear, etc., cannot penetrate his breast; and so he does not fear from contact with objective existences. And if such security is to be got from wine, how much more is it to got from God? It is in God that the Sage seeks his refuge, and so he is free from harm. .^[13]

Early American Drunkenness

According to W.J. Rorabaugh in "The Alcoholic Republic"," Americans believed that rum, gin, and brandy were nutritious and during these times alcohol was better than water. "Such favorable views led to a widespread use of strong drink." Rorabagh also added that "all social classes drank alcoholic beverages in quantity, sometimes to the point of intoxication."

Between the mid 18th century and the early 19th century, stage drivers, lumberjacks, river boatman, and canal builders were members of a new mobile class. They lusted after alcohol due to the difficulties in their jobs. The new mobile class brought new modes of transportation, which created new job opportunities. The new jobs, and the people who worked them had no place in American culture, therefore they felt isolated and turned to drinking to relieve their anxiety.

Acute alcohol intoxication

Acute alcohol intoxication is synonymous with drunkenness, but context matters. The term acute alcohol intoxication is entrained in healthcare providers for use in the performance of their duties, often in emergencies. Toxicologists also speak of alcohol intoxication to discriminate from other toxins researched in the field.

Treatment for acute alcohol intoxication may include:

• ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)
• protecting the patient from aspirating gastric contents
• Dextrose
• Thiamin may be administered to prevent the development of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, and is a treatment for chronic alcoholism, but in the acute context is usually co-administered
• Electrolytes
• Dialysis if the concentration is dangerously high (>400 mg%)
• Additional medication may be indicted for nausea, tremor, and anxiety

See also

• Short-term effects of alcohol
• Long-term effects of alcohol

Notes

References

• Sigmund, Paul. St. Thomas Aquinas On Politics and Ethics. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1988, p. 77.

• Rorabaugh, W.J. "The Alcoholic Republic," Chapter 2 & 5, Oxford University Press.

Further reading

• Bales, Robert F. "Attitudes toward Drinking in the Irish Culture". In: Pittman, David J. and Snyder, Charles R. (Eds.) Society, Culture and Drinking Patterns. New York: Wiley, 1962, pp. 157–187.
• Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr., God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says about Alcohol. Lincoln, Calif.: Oakdown, 2001.
• Walton, Stuart. Out of It. A Cultural History of Intoxication. Penguin Books, 2002. ISBN 0-14-027977-6.