Alcoholism is a ever growing problem in the United States. One part of the alcohol problem is drinking and driving. In fact, every 30 minutes, someone in this country dies in an alcohol-related crash. Last year alone over one million people were injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes.
There are seven stages of alcoholic intoxication, the first is called subclincal. This first stage the effects of alcohol are not apparent or obvious. They can only be detected by special tests. The second stage is called euphoria. In this stage a person becomes more social and more talkative. The person also has some sensory motor impairment. The third stage of intoxication is when someone's blood alcohol level is at 0.9-0.25and is called excitement. A person at this stage has loss of critical judgment, impairment of perception and drowsiness. .
The blood alcohol level in a person in stage four is 0.18-0.30and it is called confusion. At this stage a person suffers from disorientation, mental confusion and dizziness. They also have exaggerated emotional states such as fear, rage, and grief. People in this stage have a increased pain threshold as well as slurred speech.
Stupor, which is the next stage has a persons blood alcohol level at 0.25-0.40. At this level a person has very little response to stimuli. Vomiting occurs as well as the loss of control of digestive system, if you know what I mean. At this point people have the inability to walk and sometimes become unconsciousness. .
Coma, which is the next to last stage can possibly lead to death. If a person has reached this stage their alcohol level is at 0.35-0.50. Body temperature drops and the person is completely unconscious. The last stage of course is death, which is from either alcohol poising or respiratory arrest.
The more a person drinks, the more their ability to make crucial driving decisions becomes impaired. After just one drink, a driver can begin to lose their ability to perform the tasks necessary to drive a car: braking, steering, changing lanes, and using judgment to adjust to changing road conditions.
