Final answer:
The only effective method to decrease alcohol intoxication is time, as it allows the liver to metabolize the alcohol. Other supposed remedies, like cold showers or coffee, do not speed up this biological process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The only thing that will decrease alcohol intoxication is: b) Time.
When it comes to alcohol metabolism, our body relies on the liver to process and eliminate alcohol from our system. Substances or activities like cold showers, coffee, or exercise do not speed up this process. Alcohol impairs various bodily functions, such as reaction time and visual acuity, and can cause dehydration by reducing antidiuretic hormone production. Once consumed, it takes the liver approximately one hour to metabolize one standard drink. If a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds the legal limit of 0.08, it would therefore take several hours for their BAC to return to a safe level.
Legal intoxication definitions and the rate of alcohol breakdown in the body highlight the importance of the inexorable passage of time to reduce intoxication. Misconceptions about quick fixes for sobriety, such as drinking coffee or taking cold showers, may lead to dangerous decisions, as these do not mitigate the effects of alcohol on the central nervous system nor do they expedite the elimination of alcohol from the bloodstream.