Acute alcohol ingestion can lead to psychiatric emergencies. The main syndromes observed are states of agitation, acute anxiety episodes and suicide or attempted suicide. States of agitation are mainly due to simple or pathological inebriety. Any case of acute alcoholic intoxication requires a full clinical examination and a simple laboratory work-up. Behavioral disorders linked to pathological inebriety can be improved by moderate doses of sedatives such as benzodiazepine, carbamate, tetrabamate or neuroleptic drugs for the most agitated states. States of anxiety generally regress with non-neuroleptic tranquilizers, and attempted suicide mainly requires close surveillance or intensive care.