Tips to Avoid a Nasty New Year's Day Hangover

Starting the New Year on the right foot without a nagging hangover requires a little bit of moderation and knowing when too much is too much.

For partygoers around enjoying those holiday spirits may be fun at the time, overdoing it with the booze may make drinkers wish they could go back in time and change their plans. The DuPage County Health Department has offered a number of tips to make sure that ringing in the New Year doesn’t mean starting it with your head in the toilet.

How alcohol will affect a person really depends on a number of factors but primarily the amount of alcohol consumed and the rate at which it is absorbed. Other factors that play a role include body weight, alcohol tolerance, mood, environment and the amount of food consumed, according to the Health Department.

After one drink a person’s coordination and judgment are affected. And, just one drink can slow a driver’s reflexes making a vehicle a dangerous weapon, the Health Department said in a news release. That one drink also affects vision and depth perception, which become distorted, emotions and moods become unpredictable, and reaction time slows.

The Health Department offers these tips on how to be safe at holiday parties where alcohol is served:

• Eat before you begin drinking. A full stomach helps slow the rate of absorption.
• Drink slowly to give your body time to handle the alcohol. Space your drinks.
• Know what you are drinking. Do not accept a drink if you do not know what is in it. Also, do not leave you drink unattended.
• Before your first drink, set a reasonable limit on the number of drinks you will have and then stick to it.
• If you are the host or hostess, serve food and stop serving alcohol a few hours before you expect the party to end. Offer non-alcoholic drinks for non-drinkers and designated drivers. Do not let a guest who has been drinking heavily drive home. Call a taxicab, have a sober friend drive or urge the guest to spend the night.

Source: The DuPage County Health Department