The shocking incident of a man urinating on a woman passenger on board an Air India flight has sparked a debate on the adequate punishment for such an act. The fact that two such incidents came to light in the same month — one on a New York-Delhi flight and another on a Paris-Delhi flight — has led to a heated discussion about serving alcohol on flights.
While some may pin the blame on the airlines, it is clearly the sole responsibility of the liquor consumer to drink as per his capacity. The effects of alcohol on the brain are well-known and if taken in large quantities, liquor can affect the drinker’s impulse control.
Explaining how liquor can impair decision-making capabilities, Jayant Mahadevan, assistant professor of psychiatry at Centre for Addiction Medicine in NIMHANS (Bengaluru), told News18: “Alcohol is a disinhibiting agent. The degree of this effect depends on the dose. After a couple of drinks (60ml), people start talking more, become more jovial. As the intake increases, the degree of disinhibition increases and there might be slurring of speech. They might not be able to walk straight. When there is very high level of intoxication, some can become comatose. Beyond that, death too can occur.”
He added: “It is clear that the people in these flights were very intoxicated. They had lost their sense of judgment and impulse control. The part of the brain that controls impulses is the prefrontal cortex. Alcohol affects this part and as a result, a highly intoxicated person can indulge in socially inappropriate behaviour.”
Mahadevan said: “Alcohol is a hydrocarbon (ethanol). It is believed that it increases the level of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is associated with disinhibition and also with sleep. Sleep medicines often increase levels of GABA. However, very high levels of this chemical can lead to total lack of social inhibition.”
The effects of alcohol also depend on the tolerance limits of the consumer — the same volume can make different persons act differently.
Dr Sujit Chadala, consultant physician at Ankura Hospital for Women and Children in Hyderabad, says: “Breakdown of alcohol follows zero-order kinetics, which means it is excreted from a body at a persistent rate. However, different people have different levels of alcohol tolerance. Someone who is used to consuming alcohol will not become intoxicated easily, whereas the same amount can make another rookie drinker lose impulse control. Similarly, women can become more intoxicated with less amounts of alcohol due to lower body weight and surface area. However, they too can build tolerance after a period.”
So, does alcohol lead to incontinence?
“No, there is no link between alcohol consumption and incontinence. However, alcohol is a diuretic which increases the volume of urine. So a person might need to pee several times when he is drinking. But he won’t lose any bladder control in the absence of other health issues,” the doctor added.
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