Final answer:
Time is the only factor that can sober up a person who has been drinking, as the body needs to metabolize the alcohol. Drinking coffee or other methods will not accelerate this process, and it takes about one hour per standard drink for alcohol to be metabolized by the liver. The severity of symptoms experienced from alcohol consumption varies with BAC levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a person has been drinking, the only thing that can sober them up is time for their body to metabolize the alcohol. No other methods such as drinking coffee or taking a cold shower will speed up this process. The body's liver has a specific alcohol metabolic rate, and it takes about one hour to metabolize one standard drink. Therefore, for a legally intoxicated person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08, it would take at least five hours to achieve sobriety.
Individuals experience different effects from alcohol based on their BAC, which varies depending on factors such as age, sex, and health conditions. Symptoms of alcohol consumption can range from mild sedation and poor coordination at lower doses to slurred speech, trouble walking, and vomiting at higher doses. In severe cases, excessive consumption can lead to respiratory depression, coma, or even death.