Late-night revelers looking to calm their gurgling stomachs full of beer might seek solace in greasy food and, more recently, over-the-counter drugs.
Although there are myths detailing ways to lessen a drunken stupor — including drinking black coffee and taking cold showers — no cure is more effective than giving the body time to process the alcohol, said Reggie Robinson, the program manager of Health Recovery Services’ prevention services in Athens.
Recently, however, drinking supplements such as Alcopal, Chaser and drinkwel have joined the healing brigade, claiming to make drinking alcohol safer or healthier.
Drinkwel, a vitamin that claims to help people drink in a healthier way by replacing vitamins typically lost during a night of drinking, is on the market in the United States and is available in stores and online.
“We believe that the world is full of healthy people who still like to have a good time,” says the drinkwel website. “That’s why we created drinkwel: the first daily multivitamin for healthy people who drink alcohol.”
Robinson said drinkwel and similar supplements are different than other substances because they claim to help relieve some of the effects of alcohol in a less dangerous manner.
“It is one of the many things that are supposed to help you not to have a hangover,” he said. “It’s less of a stop of an impairment and more to help the effect.”
Chaser, on the other hand, is a drug that allegedly eliminates any symptoms of a hangover by decreasing inflammation. It has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Specialists have their doubts about the drug’s effectiveness because there is not just one type of hangover. In addition to inflammation, hangovers can be caused by dehydration and high blood pressure.
Alcopal is another drug designed to decrease alcohol’s effects. The drug prevents alcohol from being absorbed into the bloodstream by blocking the lining in the stomach, according to its website.
In an interview with Road Safety News, Arthur Kibble, a seller of Alcopal, said it is completely safe.
He added that the pill modifies Breathalyzer results.
“The Alcopal capsules give a breath test result, which is nine times lower than it should be,” he said in the interview.
However, Joe Gay, the executive director of Health Recovery Services, said that is the very reason the pill isn’t safe.
“Anything that would give a person greater confidence about drinking and driving is dangerous,” Gay said. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Alcopal was banned in the U.S. within the past year.
“If someone passed a Breathalyzer test that shouldn’t have, that person could easily do something reckless on purpose or cause an accident because they were too intoxicated to make good decisions,” said Kaitlyn Camp, a sophomore studying psychology.
Robinson added that the principle of the drug does not make sense, as coating the stomach wouldn’t be effective.
“It’s not just a knee-jerk reaction that I think Alcopal doesn’t work,” Robinson said. “Even if you did coat your stomach, only about 10 percent is absorbed in your stomach.”
Robinson said the best way to prevent hangovers and a drunken state is by eating before a night out.
Dan Hudson, a pharmacist at Campus Care, said he also has doubts about the substances. He said drugs similar to Chaser and Alcopal are not FDA approved and that the most effective drugs to take would be Advil or Tylenol.
“Over the years, people have come out with studies, but nothing has been proved and FDA hasn’t approved,” Hudson said. “There’s no magic answer.”
As to whether the drug actually works is up for users to decide.
“I’ve heard that some can be effective and some that are not,” Robinson said. “The best way to not have a hangover is to use alcohol in moderation, use good sense and use alcohol in a low-risk fashion.”
Nate McGinnis, a senior studying meteorology, said he typically avoids alcohol but believes he would take the supplements if he had to avoid getting in trouble and wanted to stay healthy.
“But since I don’t drink in the first place, I think it would be morally wrong and dangerous when it comes to removing people off the street who could harm others,” he said.
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