Healthy Living : The new year and alcohol consumption

Historically, New Year’s Eve has been the heaviest drinking occasion of the year and the time when alcohol-related traffic crashes peaked. Police often referred to this as “amateur night,” a time when once-a-year drinkers would come out of the closet to toast the new year. Unaccustomed to the effects of alcohol, these occasional imbibers often found themselves in trouble, even after only a drink or two. The winter holidays tend to make partiers out of even the most low-key people. Traffic-accident statistics back up the association between alcohol and New Year’s Eve: typically, about half of traffic fatalities over New Year’s Eve are alcohol-related, compared with an average of 41 percent over the whole year, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

“Celebrating is often synonymous with alcohol. The problem is when people drink in excess,” says Len Tuzman, director of social work services at Zucker Hillside Hospital in New York. “People underestimate the impact of alcohol on their functioning. They have no clear knowledge of how more than one drink affects their judgment on an empty stomach or even a full meal.” Many hangover symptoms may actually be a consequence of dehydration; consuming lots of water during and after drinking alcohol may help reduce its ill effects.

Be it New Year’s Eve or any other occasion to celebrate, moderate drinking is frequently touted as being good for a person’s health, particularly when it comes to cardiovascular disease. However, a 2004 public health study has concluded that low to moderate alcohol consumption affects stroke risk and may cause brain damage to middle-age drinkers. “People talk about the beneficial effects of alcohol intake on cardiovascular disease and they try to extend that to stroke,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Jingzhong Ding, a research associate at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Some studies find beneficial effects, but ours didn’t.” Heavy drinking is known to raise the risk of both brain atrophy and stroke, but findings on the effects of low to moderate drinking have varied.

Today, more people are celebrating the holidays at home with friends rather than at bars, taverns and nightclubs, and hotels now offer attractive packages that include overnight accommodations, reducing the chances of turning tipsy patrons loose on the highways. Another New Year’s Eve safety factor has been the growing popularity of alcohol-free, family-oriented celebrations, inspired by First Night International. The most important advice is to drink wisely. Eat a hearty meal before drinking and pace yourself with one or fewer drinks an hour, and be sure to drink lots of water because alcohol dehydrates the body. Following these guidelines, you have a good shot at avoiding an after-party hangover.

The information presented here is not medical advice. You need to talk with your physician before making any lifestyle changes. Please e-mail me with your suggestions, questions and comments on healthy living at [email protected].