Being under the influence without drinking

Is it possible to be under the influence without drinking? Researchers have shown that it is. A study published in the journal Psychopharmacology found that just inhaling the smell of alcohol can make you feel a little tipsy and take some of your inhibitions away.

To test how smelling a whiff of whiskey affects our brains and behavior, a team of researchers put on face masks treated with an alcohol solution to a group of participants. The other group was given a mask with a non-alcoholic citrus solution, after which both teams had to make impulse tests on the computer.

All participants were instructed to press a button when they saw the letter K or a picture of a beer bottle appear on the screen. Sounds simple, but alcohol inhalation caused the button to be pressed too late more often than those wearing a non-alcoholic mask.

Close your nose

If you are going to drink wine or beer this Christmas or if you have a pleasant afternoon drink with some friends ahead, put a clothespin on your nose. They won't have you!

Source: Harper's Bazaar