ROWDY drinkers can’t blame their violent behaviour on alcohol, say Canadian
researchers who have found that drinkers can “sober up” if offered a small
reward. The findings suggest that being intoxicated is no defence if someone
commits a crime.
Psychologists know that alcohol loosens inhibitions and encourages people to
act on impulses they would normally repress. Muriel Vogel-Sprott and colleagues
from the University of Waterloo in Ontario tested this idea by asking volunteers
to press a button when prompted by a computer screen. However, they were told
not to respond if a red light also appeared. Those given alcohol were…
