INEBRIATION DEFINITION: intoxication; a state of exhilaration or stupefaction, usually caused by alcohol PHYSICAL SIGNALS: A weaving walk A slurred voice Giggling, excessive laughter Waving the arms in slow motion Poor hand-eye coordination Poor depth perception (stumbling over obstacles, missing a chair when sitting) Excessive dancing or celebrating Hooting, yelling, shouting, and swearing Speaking unfiltered thoughts Overreacting Misjudging the emotions of others Falling into people, crashing into objects Holding onto the wall when walking Using shuffling steps A lurching walk or run Hunching over Leaning too closely to people Increased touches through movement and gesturing A relaxed posture Spilling food or drinks Slowly tilting the head Sloppy eating Closing one’s eyes Shifting the body back and forth to find balance Leaning, standing, or sitting at an angle Sweating Talking too loudly Glittering or glowing eyes Slowed reflexes Blinking rapidly to focus on something Beer breath Easy camaraderie (hugging, touching), even with strangers Talking too much or interrupting others Pulling pranks or committing petty crimes for fun INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Tunnel vision Nausea Feeling like the room is spinning A tingling or fuzzy feeling in the body MENTAL RESPONSES: A desire to socialize, talk with, and interact with others A decreased sense of personal space Taking risks Poor judgment A sense of courage; feeling the need to act Losing track of time Increased aggression Missing or misinterpreting negative body language cues Slowed reactions and responses A loss of inhibitions Increased sense of kinship and affection: I love you, man! Immunity to embarrassment Believing that one is more suave, charming, or intelligent than one really is Assuming that everyone else is just as inebriated CUES OF LONG-TERM INEBRIATION: Collapsing Yawning, falling asleep, passing out Vomiting Blackouts Alcohol poisoning Loss of bladder control CUES OF SUPPRESSED INEBRIATION: Insisting that one is sober or fine Attempting to prove soberness (walking a line, touching the nose) Forcing eyes as wide as they’ll go Deflecting: He’s way more drunk than me Avoiding eye contact WRITER’S TIP:Depending on how quickly the liver metabolizes alcohol, inebriation symptoms will vary from person to person. Weight, body chemistry, and genetics are also factors in how well the body tolerates liquor. Because alcohol has an affinity for water, people with more fat tissue often take longer to reach peak BAC (Blood Alcohol Content).