It is a familiar scene in movies: Two determined individuals engaged in an intense drinking duel. Typically, one person ends up passed out on the floor while the other remains seemingly unaffected by the alcohol. However, research conducted by the University of Chicago suggests that the portrayal of heavy drinkers with high tolerance is mostly a myth. According to study author Andrea King, the research “supported that a bit, but with a lot of nuances.” In their study, participants with high tolerance experienced significant impairments on both fine motor and cognitive tests, even at doses similar to their usual drinking patterns. This impairment was greater than what a light drinker would experience at an intoxicating dose.
The study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, also confirmed previous findings by the same research group regarding the social aspect of drinking. According to King, socializing between light and heavy drinkers can create a “double-edged sword” effect, where cravings for alcohol increase among heavy drinkers, leading to even more consumption despite the resulting impairment. The researchers analyzed three groups of individuals in their twenties based on their drinking habits: light drinkers (up to six drinks a week, no binging), heavy social drinkers (10 drinks a week, occasional binging), and individuals with alcohol use disorder (28 or more drinks a week, frequent binging).
While participants with alcohol use disorder were less impaired than the others after consuming four to five drinks (which is roughly the drunk-driving threshold), consuming a few more drinks led to significant impairment. In fact, this impairment was more than double compared to the effects of consuming a smaller intoxicating amount of alcohol. Even three hours later, the impairment persisted. Furthermore, individuals with alcohol use disorder experienced greater impairment after consuming a larger amount of alcohol compared to what light drinkers experienced after drinking a lesser amount.
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