# Is it possible to sobber-up fast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219 "2003-03-10T03:56:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/1 "2003-03-10T03:56:46Z")
This has happened to me a once and other people have told me it has happened to them as well. I was fairly drunk at a party, and a situation arose where I had to “sobber-up” on the spot. Nothing too serious, but I had to complete a fairly complex task. And because of my condition, I don’t think I should had been able to complete it. Now does our body produce some sort of endorphin or adrenelin that counter-acts the alcohol in our systems? Or was it all in my head? If it was a chemical that our body creates, isthere any way to synthetically reproduce this? MtM ---
**Author:** ![Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermann_Cheruscan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/2 "2003-03-10T03:59:47Z")
I really don’t believe that there is any way to “sober up” quickly. Even if you give caffeine or other stimulants to a drunk, all you end up with is a wide awake drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/3 "2003-03-10T04:02:53Z")
Probably you just increased your levels of alertness. Everyone does this to some degree when required. However you’re still under the same influence of alcohol as you were before. Your body processes alcohol at a set rate and there is no special way to speed up the process. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/4 "2003-03-10T04:04:26Z")
IIRC, alcohol is a psychosematic drug. That is, some (not all) of its effects are only imagined, because you want to be drunk. When you don’t want to be drunk, then your mind kinda takes over and you feel (more) sober. Of course, this is all based on what I was taught in middle school health class…the same class that told me marijuana would make me a serial killer. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/5 "2003-03-10T04:06:13Z")
Either you weren’t as drunk as you thought you were or the task was easier than you expected it to be. What was the task? And if there is a means of attaining “instant soberness” it hasn’t been discovered yet. Ha! Even my sig is appropriate for this thread. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/6 "2003-03-10T04:55:11Z")
When you get drunk, it’s because you have alcohol in your bloodstream. Short of a blood transfusion, there’s no way to speed it up. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/7 "2003-03-10T05:30:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Peanuthead \* > \*\*… And if there is a means of attaining “instant soberness” it hasn’t been discovered yet. > \*\* Try having a cop pull you over. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/8 "2003-03-10T05:59:44Z")
No, Johnny nailed it. Wide awake or scared drunks are still drunks. And xgxlx, please tell me you just forgot a sarcastic smilie or something, otherwise you may be an idiot (or have been taught by them). ---
**Author:** ![Noxxer2k3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/76d3ee/32.png) [@Noxxer2k3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noxxer2k3)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/9 "2003-03-10T06:29:17Z")
a friend of mine was practicing putting in IV’s for some reason or another, and one day they were talking about how they would get really drunk then put a saline solution IV in and it would clear out their system of the alcohol effects (she said she did it until she pee’d twice)… i don’t have any cites for this but it sounds reasonable to me… _grin_ ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/10 "2003-03-10T06:57:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xgxlx \* > \*\*IIRC, alcohol is a psychosematic drug. That is, some (not all) of its effects are only imagined, because you want to be drunk. When you don’t want to be drunk, then your mind kinda takes > \*\* I was never able to _will_ myself sober. IIRC its a depressant that acts upon the central nervous system. > [@](#): > > \*\*over and you feel (more) sober. Of course, this is all based on what I was taught in middle school health class…the same class that told me marijuana would make me a serial killer. \*\* No, according to the commercials pot makes you a 15yr old pregnant girl… ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/11 "2003-03-10T07:00:32Z")
IANOD but IIRC the only way you’ll sober up is after your liver metabolizes the alcohol… ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/12 "2003-03-10T07:03:48Z")
**Noxxer2k3** , wouldn’t that also dilute her blood to dangerous levels? ---
**Author:** ![honkytonkwillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@honkytonkwillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/honkytonkwillie)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/13 "2003-03-10T07:04:01Z")
There is such a phenomena known as accomodation. In December 2001 I attended the [Borkenstein](http://www.indiana.edu/~lawactn/course/borkenstein_course.html) course at IU which concerns testing, research and litigation of alcohol as relates to highway safety. I don’t have my materials handy for a cite, but some research presented showed that at some point after which intoxication (measured by blood/breath alcohol concentration) is achieved and maintained, subjects will begin to improve their performance in tests involving concentration, coordination, divided attention and such; approaching levels normally attained while sober. The class was pretty evenly divided between those who refused to believe it was possible, and those who were not surprised at all, quite possibly validating their own personal experience. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mr.Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Hand)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/14 "2003-03-10T07:23:03Z")
You guys are so dismissive. _Of course_ drinking coffee, eating bread, and taking cold showers sobers you up. After, it takes time to do all these activities – during which you metabolize alcohol… ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/15 "2003-03-10T07:33:20Z")
Why didn’t I thinjgk of that? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/16 "2003-03-10T08:33:29Z")
Marajuana users, on the other hand, have been shown in studies to be able to snap out of their stupour when they need to. ---
**Author:** ![Triss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Triss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triss)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/17 "2003-03-10T08:41:46Z")
I’d love to see a cite for any of those studies, **mcbiggins**. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/18 "2003-03-10T09:07:41Z")
I once had a party on the roof of a three-storey apartment block. Two of my friends fell off the roof, nearly killing themselves. I may not have been sober in the true sense of the word, but during the 2 hours it took to get them to hospital I was as alert and acute as if I had been. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/19 "2003-03-10T13:14:05Z")
A recent study in New Zealand validates the theory that drunken behaviour can be partially pycho-somatic. A group of students were told that they would be tested on their response to alcohol. A number of cognitive and physical tests were to be completed at various stages. The students were given drink cards to obtain drinks from the barman. Half the students were told they were being given vodka, but were in fact given tonic water, and half were given a tonic water drink with no alcohol in it. The results were revealing - the behaviour of the students who were told they were given vodka (up to a point) were very similar. They exhibited typical drunken behaviour, but they were not drunk at all. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3050524](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3050524) For those that do not understand the “Claytons” reference, it was a brand of non-alcoholic Whiskey substitute advertised in NZ with the tag “The drink you have when you aren’t having a drink” - early '80s I seem to recall I can imagine that in a social situation where people are drinking, drunkenness can outstrip alcohol consumption by a considerable margin (feeding on the behaviour of those who are really drunk). In this situation, a rapid sobering up is indeed possible, where the drunken behaviour stops, and the clinical alcoholic effect is actually pretty minimal. I have experienced this myself - spending a happy evening with friends and not feeling out of place because I was drinking low-alcohol beer (1-2% which was in plentiful supply in NZ - and excellent tasting as well - on thing I miss here in the UK) Simon ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219/20 "2003-03-10T15:40:39Z")
What about if you drink on an empty stomach, and then eat? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-sobber-up-fast/160219.md?page=2)