ProServe Signs of Intoxication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the significance of noticing changes in a customer's volume of speech?
- Louder speech means they are having a good time
- Progressively louder speech can be an early indicator of intoxication as alcohol reduces self-awareness (Correct answer)
- Volume changes are never significant
- Quieter speech indicates intoxication
Correct answer: Progressively louder speech can be an early indicator of intoxication as alcohol reduces self-awareness
As intoxication increases, people often become progressively louder because alcohol reduces self-awareness and the ability to regulate voice volume. This is often one of the first noticeable signs.
Question 2: What does 'loss of inhibition' mean as a sign of intoxication?
- Becoming more conservative in behaviour
- A reduction in self-restraint leading to behaviour the person would normally suppress (Correct answer)
- Improved decision-making
- Increased shyness
Correct answer: A reduction in self-restraint leading to behaviour the person would normally suppress
Loss of inhibition means a person loses their normal self-restraint and may say or do things they would normally suppress, such as making inappropriate comments, being overly flirtatious, or engaging in risky behaviour.
Question 3: How might intoxication affect a person's ability to walk?
- They walk faster and more efficiently
- They may stagger, sway, bump into objects, or have difficulty maintaining balance (Correct answer)
- Their walking is unaffected by alcohol
- They become lighter on their feet
Correct answer: They may stagger, sway, bump into objects, or have difficulty maintaining balance
Alcohol affects the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination. Intoxicated persons may stagger, sway, use walls or furniture for support, or have difficulty walking in a straight line.
Question 4: What is 'increased tolerance' and how does it complicate recognizing intoxication?
- It is unrelated to drinking
- Regular drinkers may not show typical signs at lower BAC levels, making it harder to identify when they are legally impaired (Correct answer)
- It means the person can never become intoxicated
- It only applies to food allergies
Correct answer: Regular drinkers may not show typical signs at lower BAC levels, making it harder to identify when they are legally impaired
People who drink regularly develop tolerance, meaning they may not show obvious signs of intoxication even at BAC levels where they are legally impaired. This makes assessment more challenging for servers.
Question 5: Which of the following combinations of signs would most strongly suggest a customer is intoxicated?
- Ordering dessert and paying cash
- Slurred speech, fumbling with money, and becoming argumentative (Correct answer)
- Arriving alone and reading the menu carefully
- Speaking on the phone and checking the time
Correct answer: Slurred speech, fumbling with money, and becoming argumentative
Multiple simultaneous signs such as slurred speech (physical), fumbling with money (loss of fine motor skills), and becoming argumentative (behavioural change) strongly indicate intoxication.
Question 6: Why might a person who appears sober still be significantly impaired?
- This never happens
- High tolerance, medications, or the delayed effects of recently consumed alcohol can mask impairment (Correct answer)
- Only if they are pretending
- Impairment is always obvious
Correct answer: High tolerance, medications, or the delayed effects of recently consumed alcohol can mask impairment
Factors like high tolerance, prescription medications that interact with alcohol, or alcohol that has not yet been fully absorbed can result in a person who appears sober but is actually significantly impaired.
ProServe Signs of Intoxication 3
What is the significance of noticing changes in a customer's volume of speech?