FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN

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

DR. WOLF'S PARTY TIPS CAN INSURE A HAPPY START TO YOUR NEW YEAR

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? How should I handle him at my New Year's party?

Answer: The consumption of alcohol is acceptable in our society, when done within the legal guidelines. Anyone who regularly drinks as much as your friend does, however, has a serious alcohol problem whether he or she recognizes it or not. I'm sure you are concerned about your friend and his alcohol "problem," but I'll just focus on the New Year's party issues for now.

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. Therefore, a good "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 and Prevention show that about 42 percent of fatal vehicle accidents in this country involve alcohol, and that about 17,000 Americans lose their lives in alcohol-related accidents each 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 continued to decrease 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 this drowsiness may be as significant a contributing factor as alcohol is in determining whether a driver's attention and judgment are impaired.

Anybody -- including your problem friend -- who is obviously drunk should not be allowed to drive under ANY circumstances. This is also true for someone who is obviously sleepy. 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 the extended circle of friends and loved ones who would be affected by another needless tragic death. 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 as we begin the 21st Century!

"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.

Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.