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It has been suggested that Acute alcohol intoxication and Alcoholic beverages#Chemistry and toxicology be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Alcohol intoxication (also known as drunkenness or being drunk) is a physiological state occurring when an organism has a high level of ethanol in its bloodstream, or when ethanol otherwise causes a physiological effect. In humans, common symptoms may include slurred speech, impaired balance, poor coordination, flushed face, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition, and erratic behavior. Drunkenness can cause decreased motor response, coma, or in severe cases, death.

[edit] Religious views

The Drunkenness of Noah by Michelangelo

Many religious groups permit the consumption of alcohol but prohibit intoxication. Some prohibit alcohol consumption altogether. In the Qur'an,^[1][2][3] there is a prohibition on the consumption of grape-based alcoholic beverages, and intoxication is considered as an abomination in the Hadith. Islamic schools of law (Madh'hab) have interpreted this as a strict prohibition of the consumption of all types of alcohol and declared it to be haraam ("forbidden"), although other uses may be permitted.^[4]

Many Protestant Christian denominations prohibit drunkenness due to the Biblical passages condemning it (for instance, Proverbs 23:21,^[5] Isaiah 28:1,^[6] Habakkuk 2:15^[7]) but many allow moderate use of alcohol, and wine is an essential part of the historic Christian rite of communion (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.^[8]

On the contrary, in the late seventeenth century, ministers were licensed to control taverns because they were people of “good moral character.”^[9] 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.

In Buddhism, intoxication is discouraged in both monastics and lay followers. Lay followers observe the Five Moral Precepts of which the fifth precept forbids consumption of intoxicants substances (except for medical reasons). Monastic precepts are even stricter. In the Bodhisattva Vows of the Brahma Net Sutra, observed by some monastic communities and even some lay followers, distribution of intoxicants is likewise discouraged, in addition to consumption.

[edit] 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)
• Additional medication may be indicated for nausea, tremor, and anxiety
• Dialysis if the concentration is dangerously high (>400 mg%)
• Electrolytes
• Dextrose
• protecting the patient from aspirating gastric contents
• 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^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Blood alcohol content
• Alcohol and sex
• Get Your Sexy Back, a moderate drinking campaign
• Long-term effects of alcohol
• Short-term effects of alcohol

[edit] Notes

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

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