Hangover shortcuts lead to the wrong destination
Quick-fix hangover cures only distract from learning how to develop healthy drinking habits.
A Manitoba company is touting the all-natural Clear Head, a pill designed to cure symptoms of hangovers. It’s not the first of its kind, but taking a pill before a night of drinking to prevent pain the morning after may become an unhealthy replacement for promoting moderation in drinking.
The all-natural label may be true, but an “all-natural” cure to make up for consuming large amounts of “un-natural” alcohol seems ironic. If we’re so concerned with harmless ingredients, a pill the next morning seems a little too late.
This pill is among the many hangover cures that emerge every year. But while there’s a market for them, they may perpetuate the wrong idea — especially to students already struggling with heavy campus drinking cultures.
If there’s a cure for feeling bad later, there’s one less reason not to get hammered tonight. That’s the opposite of how alcohol should be treated on campuses — with moderation in mind.
That being said, for students wishing to have a fun night out while also being able to study the next day, having a pill that ensures they can do both doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Whether or not the pill lives up to its promise and students start using it, taking a shortcut to avoid the temporary pain of drinking is an unhealthy replacement for taking the longer and safer road to a healthy lifestyle that includes alcohol.
Our mindset around drinking culture should be one of safe drinking and a healthy lifestyle — not taking a pill to erase any pain the morning after.
