Drinking: how much is too much?

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Getting drunk is a mortal sin, but what level of impairment constitutes being drunk as opposed to just being really buzzed? Is the choice to have one too many drinks a mortal sin? Or is it only a mortal sin when you’ve deliberately set out to get wasted?
 
I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule, like “your BAC can be this high and no higher.” Depends on a lot of factors and a heavy dose of common sense.
 
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I wouldn’t advise downing this four pack in one evening… STRONG 💪
 
I reached stage 4 at my bachelor party…it was one of the two worst experiences of my life, and I only have a video to relive it because I don’t remember a thing about it.

Although it’s possible that one of my groomsmen slipped me a roofie…I wish I was kidding but one of them, my brother in law, made jokes about it recently.

I didn’t know drunkenness was mortally sinful so add that to my next confession list. Thanks CAF Forums.
 
The choice to have too many drinks, knowing that it might risk you getting drunk is a mortal sin even though your intention wasn’t to get drunk, because you’re risking the possibility of becoming drunk. Eg if you think drinking 4 bottles has the likely possibility of causing you to become drunk, then proceeding with it is sinful. Even if you do not get drunk afterwards, you still committed a sin. To use an analogy, let’s say you’re hunting in the woods and see the shadow of a figure that looks like a man, but also somewhat resembles an animal. You aren’t certain if it’s a human being or not. You do not have the intention of murdering a human being. It is still, sinful, however to pull the trigger because you’re risking murdering an innocent human being. Even if what you shot afterwards was a deer, you still sinned by “taking the gamble”

The choice to have too many drinks, knowing that it might risk you getting drunk alongside the intention to get wasted is a mortal sin as well, probably a more grievous one (I think) because of the added intention to get drunk. It doesn’t matter, though, because any mortal sin is essentially equally as bad as they send one’s soul to hell if left unrepented.

The key phrase is “too many” because it means more than you can (I.e before losing your sober state), so drinking “too many” is sinful, because there is the likely effect of causing you to get drunk.
 
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Occasions of Sin

Occasions of Sin are external circumstances whether of things or persons which either because of their special nature or because of the frailty common to humani...
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Is getting drunk the same as overeating?

If it is, it probably falls under gluttony.
 
Zynxensar said:
The choice to have too many drinks, knowing that it might risk you getting drunk is a mortal sin even though your intention wasn’t to get drunk, because you’re risking the possibility of becoming drunk.
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Anytime you drink, try a new craft beer, or a new liquor, you risk becoming intoxicated. Adding the extra beer that “might” make you intoxicated but doesn’t would be an Occasion of Sin. In other words, you’re skirting close to the edge.

Remember a Mortal Sin requires 3 Conditions:
  • Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral.
  • Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral.
  • Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it. (There’s a big difference between planning on getting drunk and accidentally getting drunk.)
Zynxensar said:
To use an analogy, let’s say you’re hunting in the woods and see the shadow of a figure that looks like a man, but also somewhat resembles an animal. You aren’t certain if it’s a human being or not. You do not have the intention of murdering a human being. It is still, sinful, however to pull the trigger because you’re risking murdering an innocent human being. Even if what you shot afterwards was a deer, you still sinned by “taking the gamble”
Click to expand...
Unless you’re connecting this to drunk driving and putting others at risk, I’d say that this analogy is absurd.
Zynxensar said:
The key phrase is “too many” because it means more than you can [handle] (I.e before losing your sober state),
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Have you ever consumed alcohol? Two strong beers can impair you. You’re not sober but you’re not drunk yet. By your definition, Too Many = Not Sober. Therefore, people should probably be relegated to one beer or glass of wine?
 
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How much is too much depends on lots of things - too many for a blanket rule.

Do you need to be sober enough to drive? To work a computer? To mind children? Or just to walk from your dining room to your bedroom? Are you ill or have some medical condition where alcohol will affect you more than most folks?

Are you a petite woman or a burly man (this can make a huge difference)? Do you drink seldom or often enough to be able with some accuracy to judge the effect of a given amount of alcohol on your system?

I think there’s a fair bit of latitude. Remember Our Lord created 120 GALLONS of wine at Cana - for a crowd who had already clearly had plenty (hence the steward being surprised about the quality, normally inferior stuff was served later). And drank enough Himself to be (falsely) accused of being a drunkard.
 
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Exposing ourselves to a probable occasion of sin would be sinful (emphasis on probable). I may not have the motive to get drunk. But if I take the risk of drinking 6 glasses even though I foresee that it would likely end up with me getting drunk, that would be sinful.

The analogy is not the best to use, I agree. The point I was trying to make was that taking the gamble can be sinful, especially if such an outcome is likely to occur (even though we do not have 100% certainty it would)

In the context of the post, I’m referring to the idea that drinking “too many” is when a person has drunk more than he/she can handle without entering the drunken state. It’s not a sin to drink 2 glasses if one can handle it (i.e without getting drunk). It is a sin, however, to attempt drinking 5 glasses when one foresees that he/she would likely get drunk after taking that much.
 
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“How much is too much” should also be a matter of frequency, depending upon who you are. My husband can drink 4+ drinks per night, and he’s not slurring, stumbling or anything. However, over the course of years I think it has had a negative impact on the man he has become, and we are currently separated because of his poor decisions and impaired judgement.
Again, depending upon who you are, family history, personality type, etc., I would recommend examining whether or not 1 drink per night might lead to three or four over the course of years.
 
Cruciferi said:
Remember a Mortal Sin requires 3 Conditions:
  • Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral.
  • Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral.
  • Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it. (There’s a big difference between planning on getting drunk and accidentally getting drunk.)
Click to expand...
I don’t think drinking alcohol is, in itself, enough to constitute grave matter.

The catechism instructs us to practice temperance and to avoid the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco or medicine. Simply feeling the effects of an intoxicating substance doesn’t rise to the level of abusing that substance. There has to be another element to bring it to the level of abusing the substance - drinking knowing that you make poor choices under the influence, drinking to excess when you have other responsibilities or that it will negatively impact your life or your family, making poor choices to enable you to drink, etc.

Having three glasses of wine on a night in with my friends will definitely get me drunk, but if I know full well that all we’re going to do is watch chick flicks and Youtube videos involving cats, then that’s really not abusive.
 
Stage 2 is what I think everyone aims at. Too bad it doesn’t last …
 
To many, total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation” - St Augustine
 
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