FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS OF DRINKING AT YOUR PARTY

Question: I have a friend who boasts that he can drink more than the average person and not be drunk. He says he can actually drive better after finishing off a six pack. Could this possibly be true? Are regular drinkers more immune to the effects of alcohol? How should I handle him at my New Year's party?

Answer: While moderate drinking is acceptable in our society, your friend's behavior is not. Anyone who regularly drinks to the point of getting drunk has a serious alcohol problem. And, when a person is drunk, there's absolutely no excuse for trying to drive a car.

It takes the average person one to two hours to eliminate the typical alcoholic drink, such as an ounce of distilled liquor, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. Given this fact, a good, conservative rule of thumb is that if you have had more than one drink for each two hours that you have been at a party, don't drive. Also, remember that inebriation is generally brought on quicker if you drink on an empty stomach.

Regular consumption of alcohol doesn't change the effect of this drug; however, the frequent drinker does develop a sense that he or she is less impaired by it. Numerous studies have shown that this sense of control is actually imaginary. The time required to make a decision and then react to a driving situation goes up with each drink, regardless of how accustomed the person is to drinking. So, when your friend has violated the rule of thumb I gave earlier, you should not allow him to drive home regardless of how sober, or in control, he thinks he is.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that about 42 percent of the fatal vehicle accidents in this country involve alcohol and that more than 17,000 Americans lost their lives in alcohol-related accidents last year. Every one of these accidents is a needless tragedy.

The good news is that because of concerned folks like you and increased law enforcement, the number of alcohol-related deaths has decreased slightly over the past few years. You are to be commended for your concern about your guests. Here are a few tips for you or anyone else who is holding a party this New Year's Eve:

Suggest your guests come in groups and that each group select a designated driver.

Make non-alcoholic beverages available, preferably served in the same type of glasses as the alcohol, for the designated driver and for anyone else who chooses not to consume alcohol.

Guests should not be persuaded to drink, nor ridiculed if they choose not to.

Snacking should be encouraged.

Coffee should be served in the last hour or so of the party.

On the last point, let me make it clear that coffee does not counteract the alcohol as some people believe. However, it does offset drowsiness, and a lengthy period of socializing over coffee provides guests time to sober up before heading home.

Anybody, including your problem friend, who is obviously drunk should not be allowed to drive under ANY circumstances. Instead, insist they stay overnight, go home with somebody else or take a taxi. This isn't just for their safety and that of other motorists, but also for your protection. In some states you may now be held legally responsible for any injury the intoxicated person causes after leaving your party drunk.

On behalf of all of us at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers and their families a very happy, peaceful New Year.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.