6 Popular Myths Surrounding Alcohol

Even though people today, are well aware of how alcohol works on the body and how it can wreak havoc on the system, there are many myths that remain attached to it even today. This article will bust some of those popular myths for you.

MYTH: Drinking is not so dangerous.

FACT: Alcohol is a toxin that kills cells such as germs, which is why we use it to preserve food and sterilise skin, needles etc.

MYTH: It is possible to stay in control even when one is drunk.

FACT: Drinking impairs judgment and rational decision making. This vastly increases the chances of a person doing something that he or she will likely regret later. It has also been widely associated with homicides, suicides, accidents, and drowning.

MYTH: Drinking will not affect work.

FACT: A night of drinking, especially on weekdays will not do any good at work the next day. The morning after, is likely to be populated by missed reports, late arrival for meetings, failure to make it to meetings, all of which happen in the midst of a hangover.

MYTH: If needed, one can sober up and recover quickly from being drunk.

FACT: It takes a few hours for the alcohol to wear off from the system. The rate of elimination depends on the alcohol concentration in the drink, the BAC (blood alcohol concentration), individual weight, and the number of drinks a person has had. No one can recover instantly from being drunk, and no amount of food or non-alcoholic drinks can speed up the process.

MYTH: Beer has very less alcohol content as compared to hard liquor.

FACT: A 650 ml bottle of beer has approximately 6 to 8% alcohol and this is the same as having 250 ml of wine! Never take the alcohol content for granted and use that as an excuse to drink more. You'll still end up piling up on unnecessary calories.

MYTH: Drinking controlled amounts of alcohol does not make addicts out of anyone.

FACT: Although most people do not become addicts on their first drink, a small proportion do. Any exposure to alcohol runs the risk of producing addiction/ dependence in some users.