Myths About Alcohol

Check out this video from the University of Southern California Berkeley's Peer Health team

 

Below are 10 of the most common myths and misperceptions about alcohol and its effects on the human body.

Myth 1: Alcohol is a stimulant

Fact 1: Most people think that since drinking alcohol can cause a "buzz" or euphoric state, alcohol must be a stimulant, similar to caffeine. In actuality, alcohol is a depressant. This means that drinking alcohol "depresses" or decreases the activity of the brain. While one or two drinks makes most people feel relaxed, more alcohol may cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and often aggression. Alcohol’s first effect as it reaches the outer brain is to distort your judgement and lower your inhibition, while producing euphoria (a sense of pleasure). As you consume more alcohol, and it reaches the cerebellum, your coordination and perception are affected, and you can have memory blackouts. As the alcohol reaches your mid-brain, reflexes diminish, you experience confusion, stupor, and may lapse into a coma. Once the alcohol finally reaches the medulla, or inner core of the brain, your heart rate drops and breathing ceases, resulting in death. Research suggests that continued alcohol use can cause depression. Alcohol robs brain cells of water and glucose, the brain’s food, contributing to a hangover the next day.

 

Myth 2: Beer doesn't have as much alcohol as hard liquor.

Fact 2: A 12-ounce bottle of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a standard shot of 80-proof liquor (either straight or in a mixed drink) or 5 ounces of wine.A 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of white or red wine, and a standard shot of 80-proof liquor (either straight or in a mixed drink) all contain equivalent amounts of alcohol and are the same to a Breathalyzer. [see Alcohol Equivalence and visit Standard Drinks] A standard drink is defined as:

• A 12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer
• A 5-ounce glass of wine
• A one and 1/2 ounce of 80 proof distilled spirits (either straight or in a mixed drink).

Myth 3: A cold shower or a glass of coffee will help a drunk person sober up.

Fact 3: Only time can sober up a person...not black coffee, cold showers, exercise, or any other common "cures." Alcohol leaves the body of virtually everyone at a constant rate of about .015 percent of blood alcohol content (BAC) per hour. Thus, a person with a BAC of .015 would be completely sober in an hour while a person with a BAC of ten times that (.15) would require 10 hours to become completely sober. This is true regardless of sex, age, weight, and similar factors.

Myth 4: Men and women of the same height and weight can drink the same.

Fact 4: Women are affected more rapidly because they tend to have a slightly higher proportion of fat to lean muscle tissue, thus concentrating alcohol a little more easily in their lower percentage of body water. They also have less of an enzyme (dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol, and hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle might also affect alcohol absorption to some degree.

Myth 5: It is okay to drive after having few drinks.

Fact 5: About one-half of all fatal traffic crashes among 18-24 year olds involve alcohol. Your impairment is related to your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Depending on your weight, you can have a BAC of 0.02% after only one drink, which can slow your reaction time and make it difficult to concentrate on two things simultaneously. A BAC of 0.03% can significantly impair your steering. At 0.04% your vision begins to focus on the center of the road and you cannot respond as well to street signs, traffic signals, and pedestrians. By 0.05% your driving will be noticeably erratic, especially to the police.

Myth 6: I’d be better off if I learn to “hold my liquor.”

Fact 6: If you have to drink increasingly larger amounts of alcohol to get a “buzz” or get “high,” you are developing tolerance. This increases your vulnerability to many serious problems, including alcoholism.

Myth 7: I can drink and still be in control.

Fact 7: Drinking impairs your brain function, thus impairing your judgment and decision-making ability. This increases the likelihood that you'll do something that you'll later regret, such as having unprotected sex, being involved in date rape, damaging property, or victimizing others.

Myth 8: Alcohol increases sexual performance.

Fact 8: Although alcohol may increase your sexual desire, it actually hinders your sexual performance. Men under the influence of alcohol tend to have trouble gaining and sustaining an erection and women are less likely to achieve climax. Over time, heavy use of alcohol can actually reduce levels of testosterone in both men and women, thus further impairing sexual performance and desire.

Myth 9: It is necessary to drink to fit in at college.

Fact 9: Your peers don’t drink as much as you think they do. A recent survey of more than 44,000 college students shows that most students drink little or no alcohol on a weekly basis.

Myth 10: There's nothing to do in Grand Forks except drink.

Fact 10: There are TONS of things to do in Grand Forks, many of them free! For starters, check out Night Life @ UND every Friday and Saturday night (non-holiday weekends) from 9pm - 1am. Other things to do: go to a movie, go to the mall, play a game of basketball/tennis/frisbee golf/etc., window shop at an expensive store, check out the historic district, go to a museum, etc. (COMING SOON - A LIST OF 101 THINGS TO DO IN GRAND FORKS!)