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What are the first signs of being drunk?

On Behalf of | Mar 17, 2022 | blog, Drunk Driving |

Having too much alcohol in your system while driving could cause you to get into an accident and inflict serious injury or perhaps even death on another driver and passengers. Even if you avoid this outcome, the police might arrest you and you could face the suspension of your driver’s license, imposition of fines, and even jail time depending on the severity of your case.

Getting drunk can produce some obvious signs and symptoms. However, you might already be behind the wheel by the time you really start to feel inebriated, so you should be aware of the earliest possible signs of drunkenness before you get into your vehicle.

Becoming tipsy

According to Healthline, the earliest sign of getting drunk is becoming tipsy. This is when the alcohol you have ingested enters your bloodstream and starts to affect how your brain and body act. Women start to feel tipsy after having one to two alcoholic drinks in a single hour. Men have greater endurance, usually taking two to three drinks before effects start to manifest.

Signs of tipsiness

The early signs of drunkenness generally involve cognitive or personality changes. A few alcoholic drinks may make you speak more and assert yourself to a greater extent than is usual for you. This is because the alcohol is reducing your inhibitions. This could be dangerous because you may take risks that you usually know are potentially hazardous to your health and the well-being of others.

Tipsiness may also make it harder for you to remember events that have just happened. This is because alcohol impairs short-term memory. It can also be harder to pay attention to what is going on around you, plus you may have slower motor responses. These impairments might keep you from taking necessary actions on the road to avoid a collision.

Showing off these signs and symptoms likely indicates that you have reached the legal blood alcohol level for intoxication. Avoiding driving until the alcohol has cleared your system may help you avoid a bad legal outcome resulting from a DUI.