Seven Alcohol Myths Debunked

Blog Post

The first step to consumption health is understanding consumption itself. Drinking, overindulgence and even alcoholism are shrouded in myths, false tales, and untrue facts, and we feel it’s time to settle the score. Today’s alcohol rehab centers have studied alcoholism in great depth, assisting patients with in-care services and healthy out-of-care habits. That said, you should still understand the drinking world, yourself, to navigate the sometimes dangerous myths surrounding consumption. Below are seven alcohol and alcoholism myths. Each is false, and each deserves a little attention.

Myth One: A “Night Cap” Can Help You Sleep

Many consider a single glass of whiskey, wine or even tequila to be a positive pre-sleep drink to swallow. Unfortunately, too many consider this insomnia aid to be a cure-all solution to nightly troubles. The “night cap” method is, however, totally false. When your body metabolizes alcohol, it fires up your brain. In fact, consuming alcohol before bedtime can drastically reduce your body’s time in REM sleep—which is essential to your ability to rest.

Myth Two: Mixing Alcohol Types Increases Intoxication

This myth has some weight to it. It isn’t, however, an end-all truth to drinking different beverages. In general, your body’s intoxication is caused by the rate of alcohol consumed—not the type of alcohol, itself. Liquor simply has a higher concentration, and it should thus be consumed at a slower rate. The “beer before liquor, never been sicker” myth arises from people switching to liquor and drinking it at the same rate as beer. Understandably, intoxication itself reduces the individual’s ability to conceive drinking rates. Check out Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa’s notes featured in The New York Times to learn more about this myth.

Myth Three: One Drink Per Hour is Good Enough for Driving

You’ve probably heard that your body processes alcohol at about one drink per hour. If you consume one drink per hour, you’re good to go—right? Well, not necessarily. Alcohol is metabolized at an approximate rate of 100 mg of alcohol per kg of body weight every hour. Following this, an average, 160-lb man will fully metabolize one beer in about two hours. While everyone’s metabolism rate is different, the “one drink per hour” myth is absolutely debunked.

Myth Four: You Can Sober Up if You Try Hard Enough

False. Nothing enhances the sobriety process. While some consider caffeine to be a viable “anti-drunk” substance, it simply wakes a person up. A stimulant won’t reverse a depressant. Check out Huffington Post’s article on alcohol myths, too, to get the full sweep.

Myth Five: The BLT is a Hangover Cure

If you haven’t heard, having a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich after a long night can erase a hangover. That said, alcohol rehabilitation centers have studied this myth, finding it to be untrue. More important than the post-drinking food is the pre-drinking food. By eating either before or during a drinking session, one directly reduces their blood alcohol concentration. While food will make the next day more bearable, it’ll do little to cure a hangover directly.

Myth Six: A Morning Drink is a Hangover Cure

Another debunked hangover myth, the “hair of the dog” rule is similarly ill-spoken. It’ll shove off hangover symptoms momentarily, but it’ll come back and create a stronger hangover. In general, your safest bet to cure a hangover is plenty of water and rest.

Myth Seven: Absinthe is a Hallucinogen

This isn’t true at all. At its core, absinthe is actually cheap alcohol. It was originally consumed by those incapable of affording high-end whiskeys and wines. While tales of absinthe hallucination certainly exist, they’re not at all backed by science.

Post Excerpt

Like most things, alcohol is shrouded in myth. Find out the biggest lies about alcohol consumption, and protect yourself from overuse, addiction, and danger.

His House Rehab offers industry leading Alcoholism Treatment Programs. We were founded in 1994 and we base our Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs on five key principles: commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, and service. These five principles guide us in all that we do and all the care we provide. Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one at (888) 681-4594.