Is There Any Such Thing As Drinking Smart?

I'm sure you have seen the ads saying to drink smart, or drink wisely.  I was curious exactly what does that mean.  And believe it or not I found some tid bits here and there that can explain it.

• Scotch is better with water than with soda.  The bubbles force alcohol into the bloodstream more quickly.  So, if you are not drinking your alcohol straight, it's better to dilute with water.
• Depression, fatigue, flu or a cold can speed up the effects of a drink.  Not to mention, if you are on medication, better to check with doc before drinking at all.
• Make every other drink a club soda or one of those fancy waters.  You'll be cutting down on calories and alcohol content while maintaining your coolness.
• A study by Dr. J. MacDonald and A. Johnson found that smoking while drinking can kill because a chemical called ethyl nitrite appears in detectable amounts in the breath.  Holding the alcohol drink and the smoke in the mouth together for as long as 10 seconds results in the heaviest concentration of the chemical.  This chemical produces mutations, often carcinogenic, in living cells.

And by the way, you can't sober up fast.  It takes the body one hour or more to get rid of one shot of whiskey, four ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer.  Exercise, black coffee or a cold shower doesn't reduce the alcohol levels in the bloodstream.  These activities usually just makes for a wide awake drunk.