I love a good cocktail. Whether it be a nice mixed drink, a glass of my favorite wine, or a cold brew, nothing eases my stressful college life like a fun night with friends and drinks. As a general consensus of my friends, it seems like most college kids choice of glassware is a nice red solo cup and straw.
Being the science major that I am, my mind is constantly flooded with questions of curiosity, one of those being HOW can us college kids get drunk faster? I’ve seen a few headlines claiming that drinking out of a straw can do just that, so I had to dive into the research.
What I found was two theories: one obvious and one not-so-obvious. And for all you science-intolerants out there, I’ll water down the science of the not-so-obvious.
The Obvious
In my days of virgin cocktails and family vacations, I remember be constantly told, “don’t suck your drink down too quickly.” Now, the consequence here was that I would be too full for dinner; however, the idea still stands with alcohol.
Think about it: straws typically make you drink faster than you would normally. This, obviously, causes you to drink more and get more drunk than you normally would. Who knows specifically why this is the case, but it likely has something to do with the convenience and the entertainment that comes with using a straw.
The Not-So-Obvious
Although no scientific research has been done on this “straw theory,” there seems to be some hypothetical science behind the notion that using a straw could increase your intoxication level. Sources claim that a straw is like a vacuum system. As we inhale, we eliminate the oxygen in the straw, making the alcohol hit us quicker than if we were to drink it the normal, oxygenated way.
In addition to this idea, the vacuum system causes the boiling point of alcohol to fall. We then inhale the alcohol vapors that are created straight into our lungs. This, in turn, causes the alcohol to be absorbed by our bodies quicker, giving us that buzz sooner than expected.
Although there is no concrete scientific evidence regarding the straw theory (however, I’m thinking my university should fund it), many people (including myself) have seen a connection, as it seems like their blackout nights are linked with straw usage.
However, others say that although these ideas may seem logical, the difference may be too negligible to tell. Despite this, drinking through straws has other benefits, such as preventing decay from sugary drinks and fighting wine stains on those pearly whites.
Although I’m a huge supporter of the straw theory, I’ll let you be the judge. Do your nights of little remembrance link with a straw? Only you will know.