Fact vs. Fiction

Fiction: Beer contains less alcohol than a glass of wine or a shot of distilled spirits.
Fact: They all contain the same amount of alcohol. A 12-ounce bottle or can of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot all have equivalent amounts of alcohol.

Fiction: A person becomes intoxicated more quickly by drinking a combination of beer, wine, and spirits.
Fact: All these drinks contain the same amounts of alcohol, so the combination of drinks consumed makes no difference. The effects of alcohol depend on other factors, such as a person's weight, gender, and if he or she has eaten before drinking.

Fiction: Drinking coffee, taking a cold shower, or exercising helps a person to sober up more quickly.
Fact: None of these methods work. A person only sobers up with the passage of time, as the body rids itself of the alcohol. The body can filter alcohol out of the blood stream at a rate of about one ounce of alcohol per hour. This process can't be sped up.

Fiction: A person who drinks long enough will develop alcoholism.
Fact: There is no scientific proof that this is true. Alcoholism is caused by a number of factors, including genetics.

Fiction: Billboards, commercials, and ads for alcohol increase drinking problems.
Fact: Hundreds of studies have shown that there is no correlation between alcohol advertisements and an increase in drinking.

Fiction: Alcohol is bad for your health.
Fact: The Department of Health says that it is safe, relatively speaking, for men to drink up to 3 units of alcohol per day and for women to drink up to 2 units of alcohol per day. Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can actually improve one's quality and length of life. Alcohol is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Moderate drinkers tend to live longer than those who abstain from drinking or abuse alcohol.

Fiction: Making alcohol less available to people results in fewer drinking problems.
Fact: Prohibition has been tested in the United States, as well as other countries. It has been concluded that there is no correlation between the availability of alcohol and alcoholism.

Fiction: Drinking kills brain cells.
Fact: Consuming alcohol in moderation does not destroy brain cells. Moderate drinking has been linked to improved mental functioning.

Fiction: Drinking causes weight gain or a beer belly.
Fact: Beer bellies are caused by overeating, and people who abstain from alcohol can have one just as well. Drinking has actually been associated with minor weight loss in women.