Christmas is here and so is the New Year’s Eve, and hence you have good reasons to party hard. If your party plans include the consumption of alcoholic beverages, you should carefully consider the safety risks that it poses and you should be aware of How To Observe Drinking Safety With Alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages have varying amounts of alcohol in them for e.g. beer is about 5% alcohol, wine is usually 12 - 15% alcohol, and hard liquor is about 45% alcohol. So, you could choose the drink according to the amount of alcohol you want your body to suffer with! Alcohol gets absorbed quickly in the system and the effects of drinking appear within 10 minutes and peak at 40-60 minutes. Alcohol stays in the bloodstream until it is broken down by the liver. If a person consumes alcohol at a faster rate than the liver can break it down, the blood alcohol level rises. This poses a host of short and long term health risks. Therefore it is extremely important to observe drinking safety.

Alcohol and Safe Drinking

Be a responsible drinker:If you want to consume alcohol, it is best to do so in moderation. You may argue that wine is healthy to drink, but let me tell you that even though it has few health benefits, drinking it in large amounts is unhealthy.

Age and Pregnancy: Make sure that you are legally allowed to consume alcohol. Check the legal age for drinking, in whichever part of the world that you are in. Drinking in pregnancy is strict no-no. Alcohol can adversely affect the developing fetus and can cause severe birth and neural defects in the new born.

Never Drink and Drive: If you are going to a party and intend to consume alcohol, observe drinking safety. Never drink and drive, instead have a designated driver, or hire a cab or taxi back home.

Snacking: Never drink on an empty stomach. Since the absorption rate of alcohol depends on the amount and type of food in your stomach for e.g., high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods lessen the absorption rates.Make sure that you snack well before and while drinking.

Medication: If you are on any kind of medication, consult your doctor even before you consume a single sip of alcoholic beverage. Alcohol can intensify the effects of many drugs and can interact with other drugs, making them ineffective or dangerous, or making you sick.

Water: Consume plenty of water during the entire drinking session. This will ensure that your body doesn’t get dehydrate. This will also help in seeing off headaches after the booze session.

Mixing Drinks: Observe drinking safety by not mixing your drinks, because you're only adding to the number of toxins that your body has to deal with. If you're planning on a session then stick to one kind of beverage. That way you won't crash out badly.

Pace: Maintain a low pace while drinking. Drink slowly and eat lot of snacks. This will ensure that you consume less alcohol.

And finally don’t head home or leave the party immediately after the booze. Relax, sit down for a while, chat up and when you feel that the effect of alcohol is fading away, that’s the time to leave. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

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