Buzz
While alcohol intake is generally safe in moderation, its connection to health concerns and societal challenges ensures that drunkenness remains a key focus of ongoing research.
Recent studies have uncovered unexpected ways alcohol impacts survival after severe injuries, debunked the excuse of 'one too many' for unruly behavior, and explored how lasers might deter drunk driving. On a lighter note, researchers also discovered why retailers benefit from tipsy customers and why birds under the influence stumble through their tunes.
10. The Influence of the Sober Companion
Scientific research reveals that sober individuals can make intoxicated people feel more inebriated than they actually are. This finding emerged from a year-long study initiated in 2016. Researchers stationed themselves in four nightlife districts in Cardiff, Wales, and approached every seventh passerby for participation.
Participants who agreed to a Breathalyzer test were also asked to assess their own level of drunkenness. Over 1,800 breath tests were conducted, and 400 individuals completed a survey. The team analyzed the data using mathematical models to correlate blood-alcohol levels with self-perceived intoxication.
The findings were intriguing yet logical. Drinkers tended to underestimate their alcohol consumption when surrounded by equally intoxicated friends, and drinking felt more socially acceptable. Conversely, when in the company of sober friends, they overestimated their level of drunkenness.
9. Our Moral Compass Remains Unchanged
When someone under the influence makes a poor choice, their companions often point fingers at the bottle. Interestingly, intoxicated individuals often escape consequences for actions that sober people would be held responsible for.
In 2019, researchers aimed to investigate whether alcohol could genuinely cause people to abandon their morals. If true, drinkers might argue they shouldn’t be held accountable for their behavior.
During the experiment, participants were given vodka and began reacting oddly to images showing human emotions. They expressed a preference for sad expressions and showed irritation toward happy faces.
It’s long been understood that alcohol can impair empathy. However, when faced with moral dilemmas in a virtual reality setting, the vodka-affected participants adhered to their sober ethical principles.
The verdict is clear: alcohol disrupts empathy but leaves our moral compass intact. Even when drunk, individuals recognize when they’ve done something wrong.
8. Online Shopping Under the Influence
A 2019 survey aimed to uncover honest confessions about online shopping while intoxicated. Approximately 2,174 individuals participated, all U.S. residents with an average age of 36 and incomes double the national average. Despite its limited scope, the study revealed intriguing insights.
Nearly 80% of respondents admitted to shopping online while drunk. Unsurprisingly, their virtual carts were filled with bizarre and unnecessary items. Participants confessed to purchasing oversized inflatable castles for their living rooms, 90 kilograms (200 lbs) of bamboo, and night vision goggles priced at $2,200.
Clothing topped the list of purchases, followed closely by games, movies, and tech gadgets. Software and cosmetics were the least popular choices. Amazon emerged as the clear winner, with 85% of tipsy shoppers opting for the retail giant.
The retail industry benefits significantly from this behavior. On average, a single intoxicated shopper spends around $444 annually. When combined, this amounts to a staggering $48.4 billion each year.
7. Intoxicated Individuals Have Higher Survival Rates in Injuries
A common myth suggests that drunk individuals are more likely to survive car crashes because alcohol supposedly relaxes the body, reducing severe injuries. Research confirms that sober individuals have a higher mortality rate, but not due to their bodies tensing before impact.
A 2012 study examined 190,612 trauma patients in Illinois, ranging from completely sober to heavily intoxicated. The findings revealed that the higher the blood-alcohol level upon admission, the greater the chances of survival.
Traumatic injuries often trigger life-threatening internal events, such as shock, inflammation, and severe dehydration, which are more deadly than the injuries themselves. Interestingly, alcohol’s suppressive properties may help intoxicated patients better withstand these reactions.
6. Research on Bar Fights
In 2013, Michael Parks trained individuals to visit clubs and document brawls. Parks, a researcher at Penn State University, aimed to understand how often bystanders stepped in during aggressive incidents.
Over 503 nights across 87 clubs and bars, his team of volunteers observed 860 confrontations that escalated into chaos. These included verbal disputes, unwanted physical advances, and full-blown fights involving chairs and flying bodies.
The primary cause of women’s anger was sexual harassment by men. Surprisingly, these situations saw the least intervention from bystanders, despite being the most common aggression reported. In contrast, a third of bystanders intervened when two intoxicated men were on the verge of a physical fight.
5. The Risks of Sleeping While Drunk
In 2017, an 18-year-old college freshman participated in a drinking event at his Louisiana fraternity house. After passing out, his friends assumed he should sleep it off. Tragically, he was rushed to the hospital the next morning and pronounced dead. His blood-alcohol level was .495, six times the legal limit.
Sadly, this incident is not isolated. Many still believe that allowing someone to sleep is the best solution, which may work for mild cases. However, for severely intoxicated individuals, it can be fatal.
Why is this the case?
Even after drinking ceases, blood alcohol levels can continue to rise. This can result in vomiting, choking, seizures, coma, breathing issues, and even death.
Experts recommend letting someone sleep if their breathing is normal. However, seek immediate medical help if they turn blue, vomit while unconscious, remain unresponsive to shaking, or have breaths spaced 10 seconds apart.
4. Intoxicated Birds Struggle with Their Songs
Researchers are fascinated by bird communication, as their intricate vocal patterns provide a valuable model for understanding human language, particularly how we learn and use it to communicate.
In 2014, scientists explored whether birds under the influence of alcohol would lose their vocal precision. Just as humans slur their words and speak incoherently when drunk, the study aimed to see if birds exhibited similar behavior.
The experiment involved zebra finches, which were given juice mixed with 6% alcohol. Their blood-alcohol levels reached .05–.08%, comparable to humans experiencing increased talkativeness and reduced focus. Interestingly, the intoxicated finches sang less frequently, and when they did, their songs were slurred and disorganized.
3. A Drunk Pigeon Earns Recognition
Forest and Bird, a New Zealand conservation organization, hosts an annual competition where people vote for their favorite wild bird. In 2018, the kereru pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) took the crown.
Forest and Bird described the kereru pigeon as “clumsy, drunk, gluttonous, and glamorous.” This description is no exaggeration. These pigeons often become so intoxicated from eating fermented fruit on the forest floor that they fall from trees.
One summer, the abundance of fermenting fruit led to numerous kereru pigeons being brought to a bird sanctuary by concerned locals. Staff described the birds as “completely drunk.”
New Zealanders hold a special affection for the kereru pigeon, which, at 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) long, is the only bird capable of eating and dispersing the large seeds of several native plants. Without the kereru, these plant species could face extinction.
2. Laser Technology to Target Drunk Drivers
Police officers cannot randomly stop drivers and administer a Breathalyzer test without reasonable suspicion. While a swerving car might suggest intoxication, it could also be driven by someone who is fatigued or inexperienced.
In 2014, Polish researchers developed a test to identify drunk drivers more accurately. The system uses a laser that passes through a vehicle’s window when triggered. The beam reflects off a roadside mirror, and its strength is analyzed upon return.
Alcohol vapor absorbs the laser’s wavelength, so a weaker beam indicates a higher likelihood of intoxication.
While the method isn’t perfect—sober drivers transporting drunk passengers or carrying alcohol could trigger false positives, and car windows may interfere with readings—it holds promise for improving road safety once these issues are resolved.
1. Sober Fish Mimic Drunken Companions
A laboratory at New York University focuses on studying the effects of alcohol on zebra fish. Their research aims to understand how alcohol impacts living organisms.
In 2014, an experiment began routinely but concluded with an intriguing discovery. Zebra fish were placed in separate tanks containing different alcohol concentrations. The fish exhibited varying levels of intoxication, from mildly tipsy to severely drunk, with some reaching a blood-alcohol level of 0.1%, far exceeding the legal limit for humans.
After being transferred to clean water tanks, each intoxicated fish was paired with four sober companions. The drunk fish displayed hyperactivity, and surprisingly, the sober fish began chasing the energetic drunks until they tired and slowed down. The reason remains unclear, but one hypothesis suggests the drunk fish were perceived as leaders by their sober peers.
