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Party Sober!

Video created by IPFW student, Chad Rudolph for an Internet Course, Journalism 210, taught by Worth Weller.

 

How does impairment happen? Let's take a look.

When a person drinks alcohol, it can enter the blood stream as soon as you begin to drink. The molecular structure of alcohol (or ethanol) is so small, so the alcohol can be absorebed or transferred into the blood through the mouth, the walls of the stomach, and the small intestine.

The stomach actually has a relatively slow absorption rate; it is the small intestine that absorbs most of the alcohol. That's why we want to keep the alcohol in the stomach as long as possible by eating food, which dilutes the alcohol and keeps it from entering the small intestine so quickly. Once alcohol gets into the bloodstream it moves through the body and comes into contact with virtually every organ. However, some of the highest concentrations, and certainly the highest impact, are caused by the alcohol that reaches the brain.

We need to know tht the body is quite efficient when it comes to dealing with alcohol. The liver is designed to metabolize the alcohol as we drink it. Enzymes break down the alcohol into harmless products and then it is excreted. However, the liver can only handle so much alcohol at a time. For a person of average weight and body type, the liver and small intestine can handle alcohol at a rate of about one drink per hour.

If a person drinks at a faster rate than one drink per hour, the alcohol simply stays in the body, waiting its turn to be metabolized. Since there is more alcohol in the body than can be metabolized, the result is increasing levels of intoxication.

Source: www.bacchusgamma.org

What You Can Do

Make mocktails. Check out these ideas for great refreshing drinks, without the alcohol.

Fruit Spritzer (Makes 1 Cup)

  • 3 ounces cranberry juice
  • 3 ounces grapefruit juice
  • 2 ounces club soda
  • Pour juices in a tall glass of ice. Top off with club soda and a slice of lime. Try using different juice combinations: orange/pineapple, orange/cranberry, or grapefruit/orange

Sparkling Cranberry Juice

  • 4 ounces cranberry juice
  • 4 ounces Citrus Seltzer of Diet Lemon-Lime Soda
  • Lime Wedge
  • Combine over ince. Serves 1 "tall glass"

Sober Champagne

  • Choose stemmed champange glasses.
  • Pour each half full of very cold diet ginger ale.
  • Fill the rest with very cold unsweetened apple sider.

Ruby Red Splash

  • Equal parts pinapple juice, ocean spray ruby red cocktail, ginger ale and a splash of grenadine.
  • Blend with ice and serve in a martini glass with a lime wedge.

Spicy-Mato (Makes 1 Cup)

  • 1 cup tomato or vegetable juice coctail
  • Dash of hot sause (Tobasco or Texas Pete)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Dash of ground pepper
  • Celery stick
  • In a pitcher, mix lemon juice and pepper.
  • Add vegetable or tomato juice and mix.
  • Add hot sauce.
  • Pour over ince ina tall glass and garnish with a celery stick.

Mocha Mania

  • 8 ounces coffee
  • 1 package Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinamon
  • 8 ounces light vanilla yogurt
  • 1 half bananna
  • Blend all ingredients until smooth

Squeezer's Fruity Shake (Makes 2 1/2-cup servings)

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup low fat milk
  • 1 ripe bananna
  • 3-6 ice cubes
  • Put orange juice, milk, and bananna into a blender.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Add one ince cube at a time.
  • Blend until thick and frosty.
  • Drink right away. Makes two 1/2 cup servings.

Sparkling Sunrise

  • 4 ounces orange juice
  • 4 ounces Sprite
  • Splash of grenadine
  • Ice
  • Put the grenedine in the bottom of a tall glass.
  • Put ice into the glass.
  • Slowly pour in the orange juice down the side of the glass, then top with the pop.
  • Serve with a cherry garnish

There is so much you can do without using alcohol as a crutch. Send us your ways to party sober.

IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University.