The holidays are a time for family, friends, celebrations but also fights, falls and traffic accidents.
Dr. Ken Zoucha is the director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Addiction Medicine Division in the Department of Psychiatry and is clearing up some of the facts and myths of alcohol consumption.
No matter where you go, you will likely encounter the chance to have a drink during the season. Alcohol sales increase by 250% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. One-quarter of all alcohol sales take place in that time frame.
Dr. Zoucha says this isn’t a call to stop drinking during the holidays but rater be a wise consumer VS a risky one. He says alcohol use can be relaxing and improve you mood but it can be hazardous if over consumed.
One myth is if you are not feeling the effects of alcohol you are okay to drive. Dr. Zoucha says that is not the case. He says, “Reaction time and judgement and impulsivity and spatial awareness all start becoming effected before we start feeling the effects of alcohol.” Know the difference between wise drinking and binge drinking. When the blood alcohol level reaches 0.08, you are legally impaired by alcohol. He says, “For women, that is four drinks in a 2 hour period of time or more. For men, it is five drinks in a 2 hour period of time or more. A lot of times people are not aware of what binge drinking is.”
The effects of alcohol doesn’t stop once you put the last drink. Dr. Zoucha says, “Alcohol continues to be absorbed from our stomach and intestine area for another hour beyond that. So even though people will have last call, they can continue to have effects from alcohol.”
Alcohol can make you sleepy and people then turn to caffeine to wake up. Dr. Zoucha says while caffeine can take away the drowsiness associated with drinking it doesn’t impact slurred speech or balance difficulties. When the caffeine wears off the effects of alcohol is still there. That combination can cause people to fall asleep at the wheel resulting in accidents.
Some people say that alcohol warms you up and you don’t need a coat. Dr. Zoucha says while alcohol can make you feel warm your body temperature actually goes down. That can lead to cases of hypothermia if a person is outside for long periods of time.
Another reminder is that a designated driver isn’t the person who had the least amount to drink. That is a person who consumed no alcohol whatsoever.