How much does alcohol impact your ability to make decisions? It’s a question with stakes so high that the answers affect regulations, law enforcement, and even our sense of morality. To understand why, we need to go into the finer details.
Three Drunken Nights
John is a responsible, law-abiding citizen who is always considerate of others. One night, he drives to a bar with friends, not intending to drink. They convince him he can have a few beers and use a ridesharing app to get home. But a couple of hours later, he decides he’s as focused as he has ever been and nothing will go wrong if he drives.
Catherine is a woman who enjoys the occasional one-night stand. She is usually careful when she chooses to go home with another person but tonight she has had a fair amount of gin. She goes to the apartment of a man she has never met before without telling her friends.
Jenna is incredibly respectful in her sexual interactions and always asks for verbal consent. After some strong mimosas at brunch, she returns to her girlfriend and they start making out. She feels friskier than usual and is more aggressive with her mouth, then with her whole body as they have sex.
The Consequences of Decision-Making After Drinking
None of the above three stories are uncommon. In fact, it’s probably not too much of a stretch to see yourself in those scenarios. But each is problematic.
- John is driving under the influence, putting himself and others at risk while breaking the law.
- Catherine is consenting to a possibly-risky sexual situation.
- Jenna is not holding herself to her usual standards in seeking consent.
Each person is acting differently to how they would have acted sober. Each scenario can lead to disastrous consequences for the individual themselves and others.
The question of how much alcohol impacts their decision-making is relevant both prior to and after the fact. Knowing the answer may lead the person to take precautions while sober or even to decide not to drink. If something bad does happen, the influence of alcohol has an impact on determining legal liability and moral accountability.
How Alcohol Affects the Brain
To understand the impact of alcohol on decision-making, it is necessary to have some background as to how it affects the brain.
1. Neurotransmitter Disruption
Alcohol interacts with neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells. Two primary neurotransmitters involved are gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate.
- GABA: Alcohol enhances the effects of GABA, a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity. This results in a calming effect, reducing anxiety and producing a feeling of relaxation. Increased levels of GABA also impairs motor coordination, slows reaction time, and decreases cognitive function.
- Glutamate: Alcohol inhibits glutamate, a neurotransmitter responsible for excitatory functions in the brain. This leads to a decrease in cognitive functions, including memory and learning capabilities.
2. Impact on the Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for executive functions, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and impulse control. Alcohol consumption impairs the prefrontal cortex, leading to:
- Reduced Inhibition: When the prefrontal cortex is affected, individuals are more likely to engage in risky behaviors because their ability to evaluate consequences is diminished.
- Impaired Judgment: Alcohol hampers the ability to assess situations accurately.
- Emotional Regulation: The prefrontal cortex also plays a role in regulating emotions. Alcohol can cause mood swings and heightened emotions, leading to impulsive and irrational decisions.
3. Effects on the Limbic System
Alcohol impacts the limbic system which is involved in emotion, behavior, and long-term memory. This causes:
- Memory Impairment: The ability to form new memories is compromised, potentially leading to blackouts or fragmented memories.
- Emotional Responses: Further impairment to the ability to regulate emotions such as fear and pleasure.
4. Dopamine Release
lcohol triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the brain’s reward system. It causes a sense of euphoria and pleasure, reinforcing drinking behavior and hampering the ability to see the potential downsides of a decision.
The Impact of Alcohol on Decision-Making
The effect of alcohol on the brain is therefore vast, leading to a massive impact on decision-making. Once a person has started drinking, they do not have the capability of weighing up decisions with clarity. This can lead them to do things they would never have done while sober, as they fail to foresee the consequences or take all the factors into account.
Drinking even impacts the decision to continue drinking. This is why many people who are determined not to get ‘too drunk’ on a night out end up with a major hangover the next morning.
Legal Consequences
Blaming your actions on alcohol does not usually give you leeway in a legal sense. However, it does make it more difficult for the prosecution to prove that a crime was premeditated.
The reason it rings hollow with most judges and juries is that you chose to drink in the first place. You may have done so believing yourself incapable of acting against your values, but that is impossible for third parties to determine.
What to do About Alcohol’s Impact on Decision-Making
The reality is that once you have started drinking, you no longer have complete control over your decision-making. It differs according to how the particular individual’s brain reacts to alcohol and how much they drink.
Ideally, you should make plans before you start drinking. One of the best ways to avoid bad decisions is by ensuring that you are with someone sober who will hold you accountable. They can stop you from drinking when you reach the limit you previously decided on. They can put into action all the measures you were able to foresee before you started drinking.
If you don’t have a designated sober friend available, however, start by planning for all the risky scenarios you might get into.
In the examples above, John can schedule a ride home before he starts drinking. Catherine and her friends can share their locations at the start of their night out. Jenna can determine beforehand not to get involved in any sexual activity while drunk as she might misread cues. If she knows she gets more aggressive while drunk, she can share this with her girlfriend.
There are no perfect ways to avoid bad decision-making while drunk, but planning ahead is crucial.
Abstinence
Finally, there is always the potential to decide not to drink at all. This is not a blanket solution, but it is definitely recommended for those who have suffered from addiction, as well as those who have a history of making bad decisions while drunk.
Alcohol impacts your decision-making and can lead to many risky scenarios, including the risk of addiction. Make sure you take measures to keep yourself out of dangerous situations before you take your first drink.
