This holiday season, be careful not to drink too much – the consequences of drinking can be deadly. Here’s what you need to know about drinking responsibly.

Alcohol’s Effects Begin Quickly

When you drink alcohol, your critical decision-making abilities and driving-related skills decline long before you show overt signs of intoxication.

Initially, alcohol may make you feel upbeat and excited. But don’t be fooled. Alcohol decreases inhibitions and judgment and can lead to reckless decisions.

As you consume more and more alcohol, you could:

• Experience slower reaction times.

• Exhibit aggressive behavior, which can lead to fights and other violence.

• Begin to slur your speech and lose your balance.

• Experience blackouts – when you can’t remember anything from the time when you were intoxicated.

• Pass out.

• Experience a life-threatening overdose.

Alcohol’s Effects Continue Even When Drinking Stops

During an evening of drinking, it’s easy to misjudge how long alcohol’s effects last. Many people believe that they will begin to sober up – and be able to drive safely – once they stop drinking and have a cup of coffee.

The truth is that alcohol continues to affect the brain and body long after you’ve taken your last drink. Your judgment and coordination can be impaired for hours as the alcohol in your stomach and intestines continues to enter your bloodstream.

You should never drive when you’ve been drinking alcohol.

It’s Important to Plan Ahead

Of course, no one intends to harm anyone when celebrating during the holiday season. But alcohol use still results in violence and traffic crashes.

The safest course of action is not to drink alcohol. There’s no way to make good decisions when you are intoxicated, and there’s no way to sober up faster.

If you do choose to drink alcohol, think before you drink. And if you’re hosting a holiday gathering, you’re responsible for your guests’ drinking.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re the host:

• Offer a variety of alcohol-free drinks such as water, juices and sparkling sodas.

• Provide healthy foods and snacks. Food can slow the absorption of alcohol and reduce the peak level of alcohol in the body by about one-third. Food can also minimize stomach irritation and gastrointestinal distress the following day.

• Help your guests get home safely. Use designated drivers, ride-sharing services and taxis. Only people who have not had alcohol should drive.

• If you are a parent, understand the underage drinking laws, and set a good example.

Don’t Believe Myths About Alcohol

Be smart about alcohol and don’t believe myths about how to sober up. Here are a few.

Myth: Drink coffee. Caffeine will sober you up.

Fact: Caffeine may help with drowsiness but not with the effects of alcohol on decision-making or coordination. The body needs time to metabolize (break down) alcohol and then to return to normal.

And when caffeine wears off, your body will need to deal with post-caffeine sleepiness, which adds to alcohol-induced sleepiness. There are no quick cures. Only time will help.

Myth: You can drive if you are not slurring your words or acting erratically.

Fact: The coordination needed for driving is compromised long before you show signs of intoxication. Plus, the sedative effects of alcohol increase your risk of nodding off or losing attention behind the wheel.

Myth: The warm feeling you get from drinking alcohol insulates you from the cold of winter. When you’re drinking, there’s no need to wear a coat when it’s cold outside.

Fact: Alcohol widens the tiny blood vessels right under the skin, so they quickly fill with warm blood. This makes you feel warm or hot.

But your body temperature is actually dropping because alcohol is also depressing the area of your brain that controls temperature regulation. In cold environments, this can lead to hypothermia. Wear a coat when it’s cold outside, particularly if you are drinking alcohol.

For more information on the effects of alcohol, visit the National Institutes of Health.

Source: The National Institutes of Health