A few alcohol myths

posted by Andy - 11:07 14/11/11

A myth is a ‘fact’ that gets passed from person to person, generation to generation until it’s commonly to believed to be true.

After asking around it seems there are quite a few myths and untruths around about alcohol, here’s just a few of them.

Switching between beer, wine and spirits will make you more drunk

Not true. Blood alcohol content determines levels of drunkenness. Although mixing drinks may sometimes make you feel absolutely sick to your stomach (I’ve been there), it won’t make you more drunk. However it is true that the bubbles in fizzy drinks can make you feel drunk more quickly (blame the fizzy pop!!).

Hot coffee, cold showers and fresh air will help sober you up

Not so, only time will remove alcohol from the system. It takes the body approximately one hour to eliminate one unit of alcohol.

Eating a big meal before you drink will keep you sober

Again, not true. However drinking on a full stomach does slow down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, but it doesn’t prevent it. Eating before you drink won’t stop you getting drunk.

One or two drinks will not affect driving ability

Alcohol is a depressant drug and therefore just one drink can affect reaction times and judgement.

And it’s not just about the amount of alcohol consumed. Your past drinking experience, how the alcohol is consumed and your feelings and mood can all affect the way alcohol affects you.

Not always the easy choice, but its safest not to have a drink when driving.

Your body develops a tolerance to alcohol so you can safely drink more

No. You can build up a tolerance and you might not feel as drunk but it doesn’t make things safer. Tolerance is a warning sign from the body that alcohol is having an effect on your body. The more you need to drink to get drunk the greater the damage you are doing to yourself.

Women can drink as much as men

Not usually. Men normally have a higher average total body water than women (62% compared to 52% for women) meaning they dilute more alcohol. There are other factors to take into account as well such as differences in enzymes in male and female bodies.

Drinking water can lessen the effects of alcohol

Only to some extent. It can help ease some of the symptoms of a hangover but it won’t make you less drunk or protect the liver.

Alcohol makes people more outgoing and so must be a stimulant

It’s actually a depressant. Though it can make people feel energetic and cheerful, it depresses inhibitions making it harder to control emotions and reactions.

Drugs are a bigger problem than alcohol.

Although alcohol use is legal and more socially acceptable, it is still classified as a drug and has affected the lives of more people than cocaine, heroin, and every other illegal drug combined.