Drunkenness is the state of being intoxicated by consumption of alcohol to a degree
that mental and physical facilities are noticeably impaired. Common symptoms may include slurred speech, impaired balance, poor
coordination, flushed face, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition, hiccuping, and uncharacteristic behavior. Drunkenness can result
in temporary experience of a wide range of emotion, ranging from anger, sadness, and depression to euphoria, lightheartedness and
joviality. When the state is achieved in a social atmosphere, friendship and camaraderie are often side-effects. Consuming
excessive amounts of alcohol may lead to a hangover the next day. Addiction researcher Griffith
Edwards points out the dual chemical and psycho-cultural influences on the behaviour of a drunken person: "Intoxication with
alcohol is a temporary chemically induced mental disorder where the intoxicated person is generally not out of touch with
reality, but will still respond to what culture dictates.".[1]
Law
Laws on drunkenness vary between countries. In the United States, for example, it is
commonly a minor offense for an individual to be so intoxicated in a public place that he or she is unable to care for his or her
own safety or the safety of others. This degree of intoxication is considerably higher than the standard for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs ("drunk driving"), which commonly requires intoxication to the degree that mental and physical
faculties are impaired. In the United States, United
Kingdom, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland and Canada, this is legally defined as a
blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or greater for operating a motor vehicle. Additionally, the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration prohibits pilots from operating aircraft with any BAC greater than 0.04%, or operating an aircraft after
consuming any alcoholic beverage within 8 hours. A legally drunk person on public property may also be taken into custody for
public intoxication in many jurisdictions, even when not operating a
vehicle.
In the United Kingdom and United States, police
have powers to arrest those deemed too intoxicated in a public place for being "drunk and
disorderly" or even "drunk and incapable".
There are often many legal restrictions relating to sale and supply of alcohol, and particularly relating to those persons
under 18 years of age (19 or 21 in some jurisdictions) or to somebody who is already
intoxicated. However in some countries such as Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark, customers can buy alcoholic
drinks such as beer or wine from the age of 16 years, although not spirits.
Religious views
Many religious groups permit the consumption of alcohol but prohibit intoxication. Some prohibit alcohol consumption
altogether. In Islam, there is an absolute prohibition on the consumption of date wine, and intoxication is considered as an
abomination in the Qur'an and Hadith. Most mainstream Islamic
schools of law (Madhhab) have interpreted this as a strict prohibition of the consumption of all types of alcohol and other
intoxicants such as illegal drugs.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (also known as the LDS, or Mormon Church) prohibits
the consumption of alcoholic drinks by its members in accordance with Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants; this Section is known popularly as the Word of Wisdom as well as the biblical passages from (for instance, Proverbs 23:21, Isa. 28:1, Hab.
2:15).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 2290: "The
virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur
grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air."
The Church does not prohibit the use of alcohol in moderation; and indeed, the ritual use of alcoholic altar wine during the Mass is central to the Roman Catholic
liturgy.
Many Protestant Christian denominations prohibit
drunkenness due to the Biblical passages condemning it (for instance, Proverbs 23:21, Isa.
28:1, Hab. 2:15) but many allow moderate use of alcohol (see Christianity and
alcohol).
Quotations
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
- "A woman drove me to drink and I never had the common courtesy to thank her." - W. C.
Fields
- "You're not drunk if you can lay on the floor without holding on." - Jerry Lewis
- "I'm alright - my body's a drunk." - Dean Martin
- "The man drinks the first glass [of sake], the second glass drinks the first, the third glass
drinks the man." - Japanese proverb
- "First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." - F.
Scott Fitzgerald
- "Don't you know there ain't no devil, there's just God when he's drunk." - Tom Waits
- "Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan; the
wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil." - Increase Mather, "Wo to
Drunkards" (1673)
- "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts." - Oliver Reed
- "Sir, you're drunk!" "Yes, Madam, I am. But in the morning, I will be sober and you will still be ugly." - Winston Churchill
- "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."
- Frank Sinatra
- "One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer." - John Lee Hooker
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. NY: Wiley, 1962, pp. 157-187.
- "Out of It. A Cultural History of Intoxication" by Stuart Walton. (Penguin Books, 2002) ISBN
0-14-027977-6
- "Modern Drunkard" magazine - a
humorous magazine about drink and the art of getting drunk
- Famous Drinking Quotes - a
collection of quotes about drinking from famous alcohol enthusiasts
References
- ^ Griffith Edwards. Alcohol: The World's Favourite Drug. 1st US ed.
Thomas Dunne Books: 2002. ISBN 0-312-28387-3. p 57.
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