For many, the ideal summer includes plenty of time relaxing at the beach, pool or lake. Often these activities include an alcoholic beverage, whether it’s a can of sparkling water, a cold beer, or a fruit cocktail garnished with a small umbrella.
But while partying by the pool or drinking a margarita with your toes in the sand may sound like fun, drinking alcohol near the water and in the blazing sun presents some real safety risks. Here’s what health experts want you to know about avoiding dehydration, heat illnesses and accidents.
Take water safety seriously
If you are drinking, you should be extremely cautious around pools, lakes, and the ocean. (It’s worth noting that, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accidental drowning rates have increased in the United States after years of decline.)
“Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination and reaction times, making activities such as swimming or boating much more risky,” Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider tells Yahoo Life. “The risks of drowning increase significantly with alcohol consumption because a person’s ability to assess their swimming strength and the depth and currents of the water is impaired.” To stay safe around water, avoid swimming after drinking alcohol, she says.
You should also be careful with alcohol when choosing whether or not to board a boat. “The laws vary depending on the location, but it is It is illegal to drive a boat while drinking and similar to riding in a car, you should never ride with someone who is drinking or has recently been drinking,” Dr.doctor at Yale Medicine who specializes in chemical dependency, told Yahoo Life.
Dr. David Deyhimyaddiction medicine specialist and anesthesiologist, told Yahoo Life that, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 60% of boating deaths may involve alcohol. A boat driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.1 is 16 times more likely to die in a boating accident than someone with a BAC of 0, he adds.
But it’s also risky to be a passenger on a boat if you’ve been drinking, he says. “There are often drunk passengers on boats who are more likely to get injured or fall overboard and drown,” explains Deyhimy.
Take steps to avoid dehydration when drinking in the sun
One of the biggest problems with drinking in the summer – especially in intense sun – is dehydration. Ungerleider says that when the temperature rises, our bodies naturally work harder to regulate heat through sweating. Why alcohol is a diuretic – which means it causes our body to expel liquids at a faster rate – we can feel dehydrated more quickly when we drink.
“Dehydration can exacerbate the effects of heat on the body, increasing the likelihood of heat exhaustion or heatstroke,” she says. “Symptoms of these conditions include dizziness, headache and fainting, which are more dangerous when you are away from immediate medical help.”
Deyhimy recommends these tips for anyone drinking alcohol while out in the sun:
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Pre-hydrate with non-alcoholic drinks before consuming alcohol.
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Dilute your alcoholic drinks with juice or water and/or drink drinks with a lower alcohol content.
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Drink water, sports drinks, juice, etc. between each alcoholic drink.
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Eat a large meal before drinking and continue eating throughout the day. Food slows down the absorption of alcohol and intoxication.
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Stay cool in shaded areas when possible. Reapply sunscreen frequently.
Track how much you are drinking
Whether you’re sharing a pitcher of margaritas poolside or constantly replacing your lukewarm, half-empty beer with one fresh from the cooler, it can be difficult to gauge how much alcohol you’re consuming. For the record, Hawk notes that the NIAA recommends no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women, which is largely based on gender differences in metabolism. Drinking five or more standard drinks (for men) or four or more (for women) in a two-hour period is considered binge drinking.
“You should be aware of the number of drinks you have… as it can be easy to lose track of the number of drinks you have if you are out and about for an extended period of time,” says Hawk.
