10 curious facts about the effect of alcohol

Recent research around the world has revealed some interesting - and somewhat disturbing - aspects of alcohol consumption. In this curious list that we here at Mega Curioso have prepared, you'll find out why we can't blame all the mistakes on the drink and that retailers love an altered consumer, among other things.

Check it out below:

10. The Sober Friend Effect

According to science, sober people make drunk people feel drunker than they really are - this was the result of a 2016 study. The researchers positioned themselves in four nightlife zones in the Welsh city of Cardiff, addressing every seventh person he was passing by and asking if they could measure her blood alcohol levels. For those who accepted to take the breathalyzer, the researchers asked them to rate at a level from 1 to 10 how much they felt drunk. More than 1, 800 breath tests were performed, and 400 people agreed to participate in the survey.

The team analyzed the data and used mathematical models to compare people's blood alcohol levels and their self-awareness. The results were curious. When surrounded by equally intoxicated friends, consumers underestimated their alcohol intake; Drinking also seemed more acceptable. However, when they were with sober friends, they overestimated how drunk they were.

(Source: Pixabay)

9. Morale unchanged

When a drunk person makes a bad decision, he tends to blame the drink. In fact, drunkards escape judgments for which sober people are held responsible. In 2019, researchers decided to confirm whether alcohol could really make people forget their morale. During the study, volunteers drank vodka and then had to respond to photographs depicting human emotions.

Scientists have known for some time that drunkenness can affect empathy; therefore, study participants were excited by sad expressions and were annoyed by people who seemed happy. However, the values ​​remained the same when faced with moral dilemmas. The bottom line is that alcohol alters our empathy, but not our moral compass.

(Source: Pixabay)

8. The drunk consumer

This year, a survey by the Hustle Business Technical Bulletin sought to measure virtual purchases from drunk consumers. The study, which focused only on the United States, covered 2, 174 people. The average age was 36, and most participants earned twice the national annual income. The result showed that nearly 4 out of 5 people bought online when they were drunk.

Participants admitted buying items like giant inflatable castles for the living room, 90 kg of bamboo and night vision goggles that cost $ 2, 200, the equivalent of nearly $ 9, 000. Two thirds opted for clothes. Games, movies and technology came in second, with the biggest beneficiary being Amazon, as about 85% of drunken customers chose the commercial giant. In general, the retail sector gets a considerable boost from this type of consumer, as every single drunk consumer spends about $ 444 each year. The annual estimate reaches the incredible $ 48.4 billion mark.

(Source: Pixabay)

7. Drunks are more resistant to injuries

One myth states that drunkards are more likely to survive car accidents. Apparently alcohol softens the body and prevents more serious injuries. But the results of a study at the University of Illinois in Chicago show that not only does high blood alcohol appear to increase a trauma victim's chances of survival after being admitted to a hospital, he is the most drunk. injured have the greatest chance of surviving.

The survey looked at all 190, 612 patients treated at the Illinois trauma centers between 1995 and 2009 who were tested for blood alcohol content, with levels ranging from zero to 0.5% at admission (blood alcohol levels above about 0.35% can be fatal). The analysis pointed out that, with the exception of burns, mortality rates for all types of traumatic injuries decreased as the victims' blood alcohol content increased.

(Source: Pixabay)

6. Fights and interventions

In 2013, Penn State University researcher Michael Parks trained people to go to Toronto's bars and clubs to find out how often there was human intervention in violent situations. During 503 nights in 87 clubs and bars, volunteers witnessed 860 aggressive events, including verbal arguments, unwanted physical contact and fights that featured chairs and flying bodies.

The survey found that in almost a third of these aggressive incidents someone intervened to end it. In general, the most solicitous were men (80%); however, in the most common type of reported aggression - men harassing women - intervention was less likely. Some situations increased the likelihood of someone intervening: if the aggression was truly severe and mutual, if it occurred between two men and if the participants were intoxicated.

(Source: Dain Sandoval / Reproduction)

5. Sleeping drunk is dangerous

In 2017, an 18-year-old freshman was heavily drunk at a frat party in Louisiana. When he passed out, his friends decided to put him to sleep. Instead of waking up from a hangover, the student was taken to hospital the next morning and pronounced dead. Her blood alcohol level was 0.495, six times above the legal limit. Unfortunately, that was not the only case.

In milder situations, letting a person sleep drunk may be the best solution, but in stronger cases it can be fatal. The reason? Even after drinking, the blood alcohol content may increase. This can lead to vomiting, asphyxia, seizures, coma, breathing difficulties and even death. If the person vomits while unconscious, does not respond to stimuli and their breathing is more than 10 seconds apart, seek medical attention.

(Source: Pexels)

4. Drunken birds have difficulty vocalizing

There is a lot of research related to how birds communicate. In 2014, researchers at Oregon University of Health and Science wondered if drunken birds would also lose verbal control like humans. The study used zebra finches, which received a 6% alcohol juice and developed a blood alcohol level of 0.05% to 0.08%. The result? Interestingly, the drunken finches sang less. However, when they did, the songs were dragged and often disorganized, showing difficulty in vocalizing.

(Source: Pixabay)

3. In the fish world, the drunk becomes a leader

At New York University, projects study how alcohol affects living organisms. In 2014, researchers conducted tests with zebra fish. They were placed in different tanks that contained varying concentrations of alcohol. After getting drunk, the fish were transferred to clean water tanks.

To study their social dynamics, each drunk zebrafish received four sober companions. The fish affected by the drink became hyperactive and agitated and were "followed" by their sober companions. Researchers cannot explain why, but there is a theory that drunken fish was perceived as a leader by others.

(Source: Pixabay)

2. Identifying Drunk Drivers

For cops, approaching drivers who may be intoxicated is a kind of guessing game. Signs such as driving out of lane or being too slow or too fast can mean that the person is too tired or drunk. But often a police officer will not know the exact answer until he takes a breathalyzer test.

With this in mind, a team of researchers from the Polish Military University of Technology has developed a device capable of detecting high blood alcohol levels 20 meters away using a laser beam. It works like this: A laser emitter and receiver is on one side of the road, while a mirror is on the other. When a car passes by, the emitter sends a laser beam through the vehicle window and projects it into the mirror. The beam is sent in a wavelength that can be absorbed by any alcohol vapor - so any energy loss is equivalent to the presence of drink in the car. If you have alcohol, there is no energy absorption.

Although still being refined, the equipment can transform the way police act in these cases.

(Source: Pixabay)

1. Drunk pigeon wins prize

Every year, the Forest and Bird organization, focused on nature conservation in New Zealand, promotes a competition in which people can vote for their favorite wild bird. In 2018, the winner was a kereru dove ( Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae ), described as “clumsy, drunk and glamorous”. It is not an exaggeration.

Sometimes they are so drunk that they fall from the trees. This is because they eat fruits that fall on the forest floor and end up fermenting. The species plays a key role as it is the only New Zealand bird large enough to ingest and disperse large seeds of various plant species.

(Source: List Verse / Reproduction)