The holiday season is here: a time when many individuals find themselves at home or vacationing. It is also a time, very likely, to drink more alcoholic beverages than one normally would. The holiday season can therefore mark the beginning of alcohol addiction for some, or worsen the addiction process for others. For those who drink, here are tips for responsible drinking, likely to reduce the chances of getting drunk:

1. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach - having food in your stomach slows the absorption of alcohol into your blood stream. Avoid the temptation of eating salty snacks like pretzels, chips and salty nuts while consuming alcohol. Salty snacks make you thirstier and likely to drink more.
2. Judge the surrounding – consuming a few drinks in a bar with much activities and loud music, has a stronger effect on the body, than drinking the same amount in a quiet home.
3. Drink slowly – sip and do not gulp alcohol, it takes about one hour for your liver to metabolize or breakdown a single drink (an 1½ ounce of spirit, {vodka, gin, whiskey, etc.} a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 12-ounce bottle of beer). The more you exceed your liver’s capacity to break down alcohol, the drunker you become. Women metabolize alcohol at a slower rate than men, about 20% slower. Read more...