Contest Entry

The contest is currently closed.

Keep checking back for more contests.

The Stages & Effects of Alcohol

Stone Cold Sober

• No alcohol equals no direct physical effects

This is the only stage where it’s safe to drive. It’s also the only stage anyone under 18 should be at because in Manitoba, drinking alcohol is illegal for anyone under 18.

Subclinical

• Your behaviour still appears normal to your average observer

Being at this stage still doesn’t mean you should drive. Don’t take any chances.

Euphoria

• Feeling social, chatty
• Increased self confidence and decreased inhibitions
• Less of an attention span, lessening of judgement and control
• Sensory motor skills (for example vision and speech) start becoming impaired
• Loss of efficiency in finer performance tests

Consider yourself buzzed. You’re probably feeling pretty good…but this is the point where you might be tempted to drive. And that would be a bad idea.

Excitement

• Loss of ability to make critical judgement calls, emotional instability
• Perception, memory and comprehension skills are impaired
• Senses are decreased, reaction times increased
• Reduced vision particularly peripheral vision and glare recovery
• Less sensory motor coordination – impaired balance
• Drowsiness

This is drunk. The alcohol is taking a toll on your body and your body’s responding by telling you to slow it down. Maybe you should listen.

Confusion

• Disorientation, mental confusion, dizziness
• Exaggerated emotional states
• Disturbances in vision and of ability to perceive colour, form, movement and even dimensions
• Increased pain threshold
• Greatly lessened muscular coordination – staggering, slurring words
• Apathy or lethargy

You’re hammered. And you’re probably going to have some regrets once you sober up (if you can even remember what you did).

Stupor

• General inertia due to approaching loss of motor functions
• Marked decrease in response to stimuli
• Marked decrease in muscular coordination – unable to stand and/or walk
• Vomiting
• Incontinence
• Impaired consciousness – sleep or stupor

This is beyond being hammered. This is your body dealing with alcohol poisoning. This is dangerous.

Coma

• Complete unconsciousness
• Depressed of non-responsive reflexes
• Subnormal body temperature
• Incontinence
• Impairment of circulation and respiration

At this point, you are in very real danger of dying.

Stone Cold Dead

• Respiratory arrest

You stop breathing. And the party ends permanently.