Do We Get Drunk More Easily On A Plane

Do We Get Drunk More Easily On A Plane - When you’re stuck inside a plane for hours, it can be tempting to indulge in a beer or glass of wine to pass the time (or several – especially if they’re included in the cost of the flight).

But does alcohol affect us differently at high altitudes? Should we be more careful than we would if we were on solid ground?

Not necessarily.

“Essentially, the way we react to and process alcohol in the air is no different from when we are on the ground,” says Ivo Grebe, president of the Association of German Internists.

But there’s a catch. The air pressure is different in a plane than at sea level. According to the German Aerospace Centre, it’s equivalent to being between 1,900m and 2,500m above sea level. That means our lungs get less oxygen than we’re used to.

“That can make you start to feel light-headed or drunk more quickly,” Grebe