Drinking alcohol is a fun activity that can be done alone or socially. But the number of myths about it is as many as the different kinds of alcohol. Many of these myths became popular because they are repeated at every drinking session. Over time, people started taking them for the truth. Although most of them are harmless, some of them can lead to serious consequences.
Discover the truth behind these popular myths.
This is a contributed post and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
Myth #1: You won’t get drunk if you only drink one glass every hour.
There is an assumption that you won’t get drunk if you stagger your alcohol consumption. But the body can’t metabolize alcohol on an hourly basis. Even if you pace yourself, your body doesn’t have the time or ability to sober you up in time for the next drink.
Believing in this myth puts you and the people around you in danger. You might be under the false impression that you are still good to drive. At best, you will be ticketed for driving under the influence (DUI). At worst, you can injure someone or worse in a crash.
Myth #2: You can get sober quicker if you throw up.
The alcohol you consume doesn’t stay in your stomach. Once you’ve drunk your drink, your body quickly absorbs it into your bloodstream. This is why drinking too much in one sitting will leave you intoxicated. People who don’t like this feeling tend to induce vomiting to expel alcohol from their system.
Drinking water is a smarter way of getting sober. Intoxication, and the impairment that goes with it, is dependent on your blood alcohol content (BAC). The less water you have in your blood, the higher the BAC. Reduce your level of intoxication by drinking a glass of water for every glass of alcohol.
Myth #3: You should drink liquor before beer.
The rhyme, “liquor before beer, in the clear; beer before liquor, never been sicker,” is one of the most widely believed myths about alcohol. The popularity of this myth resulted from people’s personal experiences when drinking different types of alcoholic beverages. But a study explained that the carbonation in beer irritates the stomach’s lining and causes the person to feel sick.
Your level of intoxication is dependent on how much alcohol you consume. Drinking too much in a short amount of time will make you sick, regardless of the type and order of your drinks. Pace yourself and don’t drink on an empty stomach to keep yourself from feeling sick.
Myth #4: You can sober up faster by drinking coffee.
This myth was popularized through movies and TV shows. It’s typical to see a drunken character drink a cup of coffee to sober up. Aside from this, there is an assumption that the stimulating effect of coffee overpowers the depressant quality of alcohol.
Mistaking this alertness for soberness only puts you at risk. You are still in an intoxicated state, no matter how many cups you drink. Be a responsible drinker and wait for the alcohol’s effects to subside. If you have to leave, call a cab or someone you know to pick you up.
