Why You Feel Drunk If Your Friends Are Drinking
Science has just legitimized feeling "contact drunk"
Ever get the feeling you're more drunk than you should be, especially when you've only had one beer to your friends' four?
Well, a study published today by BioMed Central Public Health has just legitimized all those years of feeling "contact drunk," or just as loopy as the tipsy friends surrounding you.
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The study surveyed 1,862 people at bars and pubs on Friday and Saturday nights, and found that the perception of drunkenness is relative. According to the study, drinkers evaluate their degree of inebriation based on those around them. If your friends are drinking aggressively, you may feel more drunk and vice versa.
The research suggests that having more sober people out at "da club" could keep risky drinkers from behaving badly. One researcher tells Munchies, "We know that as the number of pubs and clubs increase in an area, you tend to see more alcohol-related harm. Coupled with our findings, I think we would suggest that altering the mix of venues, that is bring more sober people into the night time environment, might help."
More research is needed to confirm that hypothesis, and while we support further investigation, we respectfully decline to partake in said study.