Term Project: Drunk-speak?

I have decided to investigate the linguistic structures of the intoxicated. Obviously, one of the first signals that an individual is drunk involves their language. Pronunciation begins to falter, presumably due to reduced motor control of the muscles responsible for articulation. An increase in volume is often seen (I'd like to know why this is). Oftentimes, more "abrasive" words (e.g. profanity) are used, perhaps because of the lowered inhibitions and altered psychology that the alcohol induces. I’d be interested in finding out if there are universal signs of speech deterioration. In other words, are there any phonetic/phonological, syntactic, and/or pragmatic characteristics that are associated with the language of an inebriated individual?

Working as a bartender affords me an excellent opportunity to study this phenomenon firsthand, as I’m often a witness to drunk people communicating (or at least making a valiant effort). However, much of the project will include an examination of some of the research already conducted. I’ll comb through anything relevant to the topic.

Also, I may include a sidebar pertaining to the language used to describe levels of intoxication. For example, what do people mean when they say they were “smashed,” “buzzed,” “hammered,” “tipsy,” “sloshed” or “ossified”? I might conduct an informal survey to note the distinctions as well as look into the etymology of these denotations.