This is what I think but I don't count endnotes, acknowledgements, etc. Just the main body of text. I also skip introductions for classic novels because I expect them to reveal the plot and I would rather not know in advance

Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows down brain activity. It increases the production of neurotransmitters that slow down signals in between neurons (like GABA) and decreases the production of neurotransmitters that speed them up (like glutamate), meaning the person just can't process information as fast. That slows down their reaction time.