New research by the University of Bristol could be used to combat the alarmingly high levels of intoxication that have been occurring in our society recently. The research found that the shape of the glass we drink out of may affect the rate at which we drink.
 

Straight sided glasses, the study found were more effective in slowing alcoholic drinking rates than curved drinking glasses. The reason for this as suggested by researchers is that it is more difficult to judge the levels in the curved glass as opposed to the straight glass, so drinkers are able to see more easily how much they have consumed with a straight glass.
 

This research is significant because the speed at which we drink alcohol, determines the rate of intoxication. It allows drinkers to more accurately judge the rate at which they are drinking and “pace themselves” accordingly.
 

This research may be beneficial in curbing the high levels of alcohol fuelled violence and criminal activity. Slowing the rate of intoxication will mean drinkers will behave more responsibly. Ultimately the research shows that the ability of drinkers to pace their drinking is inhibited by certain glass shapes.

The study was highlighted by a post on a popular health website www.Healthcanal.com:

The speed at which we drink alcohol may be influenced by the shape of the glass we drink from, according to new research from the University of Bristol, published in PLOS ONE.
 

This could be a target to help control the problematic levels of drunkenness that are becoming increasingly common in our society.
 

Dr Angela Attwood and colleagues from Bristol’s School of Experimental Psychology recruited 160 social drinkers aged 18-40 with no history of alcoholism to attend two experimental sessions. At one session they were asked to drink either lager or a non-alcoholic soft drink from either a straight-sided glass or a curved ‘beer flute’.
 

The participants were almost twice as slow when drinking alcohol from the straight-sided glass compared to the curved glass. There was no difference in drinking rates from the glasses when the drink was non-alcoholic.
 

The researchers suggest that the reason for this may be because it is more difficult to accurately judge the halfway point of shaped glasses. As a result, drinkers are less able to gauge how much they have consumed.
 

In order to test this, participants attended another session in which they completed a computer task that presented numerous pictures of the two glasses containing varying volumes of liquid. By asking participants to judge whether the glass was more or less than half full, the researchers were able to show that there was greater error in accurately judging the halfway point of the curved glass.
 

Importantly, the degree of this error seemed to be associated with the speed of drinking. That is, the participants who tended to show the greatest error in their halfway judgments tended to show the greatest changes in drinking rate.
 

The speed at which an alcoholic beverage is drunk will influence the level of intoxication experienced, and also the number of drinks consumed in a single drinking session. Therefore, slowing drinking rates is likely to have positive impact for the individual and also at a population level.
 

Dr Attwood said: “Due to the personal and societal harms associated with heavy bouts of drinking, there has been a lot of recent interest in alcohol control strategies. While many people drink alcohol responsibly, it is not difficult to have ‘one too many’ and become intoxicated.
 

Source: http://www.healthcanal.com/substance-abuse/31906-Glass-shape-influences-how-quickly-drink-alcohol.html

 

Whether the research suggestions will be implemented remains to be seen however as a server of alcohol it is important to be able to identify patrons that have had too much to drink and who should be refused alcohol.
 

Watch if a person becomes overly confident and outgoing or begins to lose some control of knowing how far they can go in a social setting, they are demonstrating the first signs of intoxication. Some of the behavioural indicators include louder speech that normal, mood swings and aggression.
 

Intoxicated patrons will begin to demonstrate poor judgement and inappropriate behaviour, such as using foul language, telling inappropriate jokes or being overly flirtatious. Also as the person becomes more intoxicated instead of cutting down on drinking they usually increase their drinking.
 

At this stage, stop the person from drinking anymore.  As soon as you identify signs of intoxication and physical impairment, don’t serve them anymore and make sure no one else does either. Cut off the source of the alcohol.  Some beginning signs of physical impairment are reactions like glassy, unfocused eyes; slurred speech; or forgetting thoughts in mid-sentence. Slow talking and movements as well as difficulty concentrating or walking a straight line are also tell-tale signs of intoxication.