As college students, we have all been given advice about the party scene at some point in our lives, whether we asked for it or not. “You never want to be the girl that people are talking about the next morning” was my sister’s advice to me on my freshman move-in day, which, in my opinion, still holds true three years later. But what about the “facts” and advice given to us that isn’t so true? Partying and drinking are such prominent activities on college campuses, and throughout my college years, I have heard remarks from friends and acquaintances on the subject of drinking. So I set out to research the truth behind these drinking facts and fiction, determined to debunk these myths once and for all.
Myth #1: “Beer before liquor, you’ll never be sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.”
False. All in all, the amount of alcohol matters a lot more than the type of alcohol being consumed. It doesn’t matter how you mix them, because essentially drinking any type of alcohol can make you sick fast—whether it be wine, beer or liquor. It’s best to play it safe and not mix different types of alcohol, should you decide to drink heavily in the future.
Myth #2: “I don’t drink beer because I don’t want to get a beer belly.”
A person can achieve that beer belly status by simply eating too much food. While any type of consumption could be a contributing factor, we cannot blame the beer belly solely on the excessive consumption of beer.
Myth #3: “My wine is better because it’s older.”
This one is for all of the winos out there; you don’t need to buy top dollar shelf wine in order to have a better taste. In fact, some wines are intended to be consumed within one year of their manufacturing otherwise their antioxidant content might decrease, causing the wine to taste bad.
Myth #4: “I took an Advil before drinking so that I won’t be hung-over tomorrow.”
It is pointless to take these painkillers before you drink because they are likely to wear off before the headache even sets in the next day. Your best bet would be to take your Advil or other type of medicine the morning after drinking to help relieve temporary pains. It is crucial, however, to never take any types of medicine while you are drinking for obvious reasons.
Myth #5: “Let’s order food when we get home tonight, so that we won’t be hung-over tomorrow!”
As much as we’d love to justify our late night Hungry Howie’s phone calls or visits to the Cookout window, food does not make you any more sober or aid in the hangover process. The reason behind this is that once your body has absorbed the alcohol, the damage has already been done—there is no going back. Greasy food (or even healthy food for that matter) will not help metabolize the alcohol in your liver any faster! In fact, greasy snacks and alcohol can actually make your hangover worse by contributing to acid reflux in the morning. Oh no!
Myth #6: “No worries, coffee and a cold shower will help me sober up!”
Ahhh a bold cup and a brisk shower! It makes sense why people would assume these are a mechanism for sobering up—but if only it were that easy. Coffee actually acts as a stimulant and since alcohol is a depressant, and the combination of these two can be harmful to your nervous system. And a cold shower, well, there is little to be said about that. Truthfully, the only method of sobering up is time and patience.
Myth #7: “I’m drunk and so my sex drive has increased tremendously.”
No, just no. Alcohol has no special sex powers, however, it does affect your inhibitions and trick you into thinking you desire sex way more than you do when you are sober. Drinking is the ultimate way to muster up the courage to—ahem—approach someone, but take caution; this could make for an awkward, regretful morning.
Myth #8: “If I puke tonight, I won’t be hungover in the morning.”
There is a small amount of truth to this, as long as you are getting rid of the alcohol that hasn’t been digested yet. Unfortunately, alcohol absorption begins almost immediately after a drink is consumed so it might be a wasted effort–no pun intended—if you wait too long.
Myth #9: “It’s cold outside, good thing my alcohol will keep me warm!”
This is one of the oldest myths in the book, and I’m here to prove it wrong. Many people, if not everyone, think that drinking warms them up because when alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, the blood rises to the skins surface –giving off the illusion that you feel warm. In reality, your body temperature is dropping due to surface heat being lost. So next time you decide to drink in the frigid Boone weather, do not rely on your cup of booze to keep you warm because you are actually capable of getting frostbitten.
Myth #10: “I mixed my vodka with Red Bull, it’s safe.”
By mixing your alcohol with energy drinks, your perception of how drunk you really are gets twisted and you fail to realize, well, how drunk you really are. The stimulant effect of the energy enhancing drink overrides the slowing effect of alcohol, this dangerous combo can affect not only your limit judgment but also your heart rate if you aren’t careful!