TAM Identifying Intoxication & Intervention Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A regular customer claims they 'never get drunk' and demands more alcohol after you've observed intoxication signs. How should you respond?
- Trust the regular and continue service since you know them
- Politely but firmly decline service based on your observations, not their self-assessment (Correct answer)
- Ask them to take a field sobriety test before deciding
- Offer a drink with less alcohol without telling them
Correct answer: Politely but firmly decline service based on your observations, not their self-assessment
Self-assessment of intoxication is unreliable because alcohol impairs the very judgment needed to evaluate impairment; observed signs are the standard.
Question 2: Which BAC range is associated with most people experiencing significant coordination problems and obviously impaired judgment?
- 0.02–0.04%
- 0.05–0.07%
- 0.08–0.10% (Correct answer)
- 0.15% and above
Correct answer: 0.08–0.10%
At 0.08–0.10% BAC, most individuals show clear coordination loss and significantly impaired judgment, which is also Maryland's legal driving limit.
Question 3: A server sees two guests taking turns ordering rounds rapidly. What TAM-recommended technique addresses this situation?
- Allow it since each person is technically only ordering for themselves
- Pace service by slowing down delivery and offering food or water between rounds (Correct answer)
- Refuse service to both guests immediately
- Alert security to remove the guests preemptively
Correct answer: Pace service by slowing down delivery and offering food or water between rounds
Pacing service, promoting food consumption, and offering water are effective TAM techniques to manage rapid consumption without confrontation.
Question 4: Which physical sign of intoxication is most likely to be observed first as BAC begins to rise?
- Unconsciousness
- Flushed face or skin reddening (Correct answer)
- Inability to speak at all
- Complete loss of balance
Correct answer: Flushed face or skin reddening
Flushing of the face is often one of the earliest visible signs of alcohol consumption as blood vessels dilate at lower BAC levels.
Question 5: Under Maryland dram shop liability, which scenario could expose a licensed establishment to a civil lawsuit?
- Serving a visibly sober adult who later claims they were on medication
- Serving a visibly intoxicated patron who then injures a third party (Correct answer)
- Refusing service to a customer who later complains to the liquor board
- Checking ID for a guest who appears to be over 40
Correct answer: Serving a visibly intoxicated patron who then injures a third party
Maryland dram shop law can hold establishments liable when they serve a visibly intoxicated person who subsequently causes injury to a third party.
Question 6: What does it mean to 'space' drinks as an intervention technique?
- Moving guests to a table farther from the bar
- Intentionally delaying the service of drinks to reduce consumption rate (Correct answer)
- Separating intoxicated guests from their group
- Offering a separate section of the bar for heavy drinkers
Correct answer: Intentionally delaying the service of drinks to reduce consumption rate
Spacing drinks means intentionally taking longer to deliver subsequent orders, giving the body more time to metabolize alcohol and slowing consumption.
Question 7: A guest shows no signs of intoxication but mentions they haven't eaten all day. What should the server do?
- Continue service normally since there are no visible signs of intoxication yet
- Proactively suggest food and slow service, as empty stomach dramatically speeds alcohol absorption (Correct answer)
- Refuse service entirely because of the risk
- Ask the guest to sign a waiver acknowledging they haven't eaten
Correct answer: Proactively suggest food and slow service, as empty stomach dramatically speeds alcohol absorption
An empty stomach allows alcohol to absorb up to twice as fast; proactively offering food and pacing service is the responsible TAM-aligned action.
TAM Identifying Intoxication & Intervention Techniques 3
A regular customer claims they 'never get drunk' and demands more alcohol after you've observed intoxication signs.
How should you respond?