Some New Year’s predictions
are, tragically, very reliable. For example, signifi cantly more people are
likely to die in alcohol-related traffic crashes on New Year’s Eve than
on other mid-week winter evenings.
Just
look at the numbers. A recent analysis of National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration statistics shows that, by the time our country
fi nished ringing in the year 2004 (the last year for which data are available),
90 people had died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in the 12-hour span
between 6:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 5:59 a.m. the next morning. Four
weeks later, on the same night of the week, the death toll dropped dramatically
to 20.
Myths Persist
Even though many of us are aware of the higher rates of alcohol-related traffic fatalities on New Year’s Eve, myths about drinking and driving persist—myths that, for some, can prove fatal. Scientific studies supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) on how alcohol affects our brains and bodies provide important information that challenges these commonly-held—but incorrect—beliefs. These myths are related to how quickly alcohol affects the body and how long these effects can last.
Alcohol’s Effects Begin Quickly
Many New Year’s revelers
get into trouble because they generally do not recognize that critical driving-related
skills and decision-making abilities are diminshed long before they begin
to show the obvious physical signs of intoxication.
Initially, alcohol acts as a stimulant and if you drink you may temporarily
feel upbeat and excited. But don’t be fooled. Inhibitions and judgment
are soon affected, increasing the chance of making reckless decisions behind
the wheel. As more alcohol is consumed, fine motor skills and reaction time
begin to suffer and behavior becomes poorly controlled and sometimes aggressive,
compromising driving abilities even further. Continued drinking can lead to
the slurred speech and loss of
U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National
Institutes of Health
(CONTINUED)
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National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
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coordination and balance
that we typically associate with being “drunk.” At higher levels
alcohol acts as a depressant, which causes people to become sleepy and sometimes
pass out.
Even
When Drinking Stops—
Alcohol’s Effects Do Not
During a night of drinking, it’s also easy to misjudge
alcohol’s lasting effects. Many revelers believe that they can drive
safely once they have stopped drinking for the night and have had a strong
cup of coffee. The truth is that alcohol continues to affect the brain and
body long after the last drink has been downed. Even after someone stops drinking,
alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and
circulate through the body. As a result, judgment and coordination can be
impaired for hours after drinking.
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Driving home late at night is especially hazardous because natural drowsiness
is magnifi ed by the depressant action of alcohol. Driving abilities may even
be impaired the next day, when any alcohol remaining in the system, or the
general headache and disorientation associated with hangovers, contributes
to the general feelings of sluggishness, even though the person no longer
feels “drunk.”
Before You Celebrate—
Plan Ahead
No one
intends to harm anyone when they get behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve.
Yet traffic fatalities persist and myths about drinking live on—even
though scientific studies have documented how alcohol affects the brain and
body.
Because individuals are so
different, it is difficult to give specific advice
about drinking. But certain facts are clear—there’s no way to speed
up the brain’s recovery from alcohol and no way to make good decisions
when you are drinking too much, too fast. On an evening like New Year’s
Eve (or any other evening, for that matter), rapid consumption of large amounts
of alcohol is especially dangerous.
So this New Year’s Eve, do not underestimate the effects of alcohol.
Don’t believe you can beat them. Pace yourself and be aware of how much
you’ve consumed throughout the night. And as you think about the consequences
of an arrest or a potentially fatal
traffi c crash, make alternative plans to get home safely.
NIH Publication NO. 05-05-5639
December 2005