Intoxication Intoxication was an abnormal physiological and psychological state in an organism in reaction to exposure to mind altering or psychotropic substances , such as alcohol or recreational drug s of various kinds . Exposure to an intoxicating substance usually occurred via ingestion , inhalation , or dermal absorption of said substance . Intoxication manifested itself in many ways , including but not limited to slurred speech , loss of balance , loss of muscle control , irrational behavior , flushed skin , blood shot eye s , erratic behavior , and loss of inhibition . Alcohol intoxication , also known as drunkenness or inebriation , exhibited all of the aforementioned symptoms ; it occurred when a person had too much ethanol in their blood stream . The level of excess alcohol lead to physiological as well as psychological changes within an organism , which could range from mild to severe , depending on the amount of alcohol consumed and tolerance of the organism to the alcohol . The level of one ' s intoxication could be determined by measuring one ' s blood - alcohol level . ( ) Polywater was another intoxicating substance . ( ; ) Zefram Cochrane was well known for his imagination and intoxication caused by alcohol . ( ; ) In 2266 , the landed on Psi 2000 , where the gravitational shifts associated with the disintegration of the planet resulted in the creation of large strings of water molecule s known as polywater . A member of the landing party returned back to the " Enterprise " carrying with himself the intoxication associated with the polywater and unknowingly passed it on to others on the ship . Spock became very emotion al and he and James T . Kirk , overcome by emotions , even began hitting each other at one point . Before the ship could succumb to complete chaos and eventual destruction , Doctor McCoy was luckily able to find a cure . ( ) Nearly a century later , in 2364 , the entire crew of the also became intoxicated by polywater , once again resulting in everyone acting out of character and exhibiting severe mania with little to no inhibitions . Geordi La Forge , for example , became very emotional , crying that he wanted to have normal vision , while Lieutenant Tasha Yar seduced an equally intoxicated Data . Wesley Crusher sealed off main engineering as part of an experiment he wanted to conduct and declared himself " Acting Captain Wesley Crusher " . Doctor Beverly Crusher and Captain Jean - Luc Picard were close to crossing the line themselves , but luckily , Dr . Crusher was able to find an antidote to combat the intoxication before the ship was destroyed . Captain Picard compared everyone ' s behavior to drunkenness . It turned out that the , which the " Enterprise " - D had been sent to investigate , and its entire crew had essentially intoxicated themselves to death after exposure to polywater . ( ) In 2373 , Jake Sisko untruthfully used drunkenness as an excuse for Nog and himself accusing Kai Winn Adami of burglary and the kidnapping of Elias Giger when the latter went missing . ) In 2374 , , a shapeshifter with the ability to steal the DNA of any humanoid form , switched places with Tom Paris and posed as the real one on board . Seven of Nine caught him with flushed cheeks and red eyes after he had replicated five alcoholic beverages in the mess hall alone . ( ) In 2375 , Seven became intoxicated after consuming only one glass of champagne at the christening of " Voyager " s quantum slipstream drive in engineering . After scan ning her , The Doctor said " " Apparently , the Borg can ' t hold their liquor . " " ( ) In the same year , the was hosting Ambassador Tomin of the Kadi , a conservative race to whom formalities and proper etiquette as well as dispassion and aloofness in every aspect of life were highly valued virtues . Neelix , who was put in charge of Tomin during his time on board , made every effort to shield the ambassador from any kind of temptation to indulgences , but the ambassador was interested in anything but adhering to proper etiquette and dull diplomatic routines . On the contrary , he indulged in every vice he could imagine , one of which was consuming large amounts of synthehol . As a result he tumbled around the mess hall drunk during a diplomatic event bothering everyone ; he came on to Seven asking her to assimilate him , and he laughed at Tom Paris ' joke s . This went on until he eventually passed out . Even though synthehol was not supposed to have the same effects on humanoids as real alcohol , in Tomin ' s case , the enzyme s that broke down synthehol were not present in his bloodstream . Tom Paris joked that he might need " a cold shower " to sober up , but in the end Seven ' s nanoprobe s were encoded to assimilate the synthehol molecule s . ( ) When , in 2377 , The Doctor was forced to hide his program in Seven of Nine ' s Borg implant s , Seven , controlled by The Doctor , began consuming large amounts of alcohol and acted erratic , losing inhibition and her otherwise stoic Borg apathy . Seven herself was not at all pleased with what The Doctor had done to her body , but The Doctor wanted to at least once experience the sensation of being intoxicated with alcohol , among other things . ( )