Often, a little more than enough drink can alter your behaviours in ways beyond your control. That, after a night of drinking, you wake up hungover and sometimes unable to recall the events of the previous night. Then, people begin to use the excuse of “it was the alcohol”, blaming the alcohol for their bad judgement.

Either way, it is undeniable that alcohol affects our decisions, such that we act in ways we usually wouldn’t. Some would say it “frees” us up to act carefree. It is important, therefore, to examine the influence of alcohol on the lives of drinkers as it relates to their decision-making.

Several studies have researched the influence of alcohol on the lives of people, but one study that holds is that alcohol doesn’t blunt out consciousness.

They argue that people despite being drunk remain aware of whatever decision they make at that moment. But what alcohol does is make them give no regard for the consequences of such action, they don’t bother with the consequences.

Alcohol furthermore, makes us reactive rather than proactive. It causes us to make immediate decisions that we would have rather thought through before attempting. When intoxicated, we are prone to irrational decisions rather than rational decisions.

Also, alcohol clouds the mind and makes people act without fear. A drunk person is more likely to jump off an unsafe cliff than a sober person. So, you can say alcohol gives us wings to fly, but in reality, the reverse is the case, as it is often applicable to negative circumstances.

Alcohol’s influence on our decisions is more inclined towards negative rather than positive impacts. The implications are often regretful and in some cases severe for individuals. In summary, alcohol makes an individual irrational in decision-making, caring not about the consequences of his/her actions led by the booze.