MYTH
Having a few shots before you go out on a cold night will keep you warm!
REALITY
Alcohol does not ‘warm’ a person up. Actually it lowers body temperature. The blood vessels near the skin are widened by alcohol, which means more body heat is lost making you feel warmer. Caffeine has a similar effect on the body.
MYTH
Coffee, showers, throwing up, food, a high tolerance, etc will sober you up faster.
REALITY
Sorry, time is the only thing that will get that booze out of your system.
MYTH
Red bull and vodka and other energy drink / alcohol combinations are a good way to stay alert and make sure you’re fun when you’re drinking.
REALITY
Energy drinks may make a person feel as if they drank less alcohol than they actually did. When the energy boost wears off, the crash from the energy drink and the depressant effect of the alcohol combine for a pretty nasty combination.
MYTH
"I can go shot for shot with you even though you've got 50 pounds on me!"
REALITY
Many factors influence the effect that alcohol will have on a person. Body weight is one of them! It's chemistry and biology. Bigger people have more blood so one drink increases their blood alcohol concentration by less.
MYTH
“Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t drink you under the table!”
REALITY
Nope. But don’t stress out about it, competitive drinking gets people in trouble. Typically a man and a woman who drink the same amount will have different BAC levels. Men have more water in their bodies that dilutes alcohol.
Adapted from http://www.utdallas.edu/thatguy