If a friend is drinking too much at a party and is well on the way to getting drunk, you should start counteracting the effects of being drunk. Long before hangover symptoms like nausea and headaches occur, there are things you can do to alleviate the discomfort.

Alcohol takes about an hour to pass through the body, and in that one hour there are a few strategies if you don't want to get too drunk or wake up hungover the next day. This way you can make sure that your friend or you enjoy the party.

Dilute the alcohol already in the body

The emptier the stomach, the more devastating the effects of alcohol. Therefore, one should eat enough before and during alcohol consumption. Eating helps to absorb the alcohol and thus supports fast sobriety. 

Foods with a high fructose content such as dried fruit, honey or Coca Cola are particularly good. Experience shows that white bread and olives also help absorb the alcohol.

Drinking plenty of fluids is very important to dilute the alcohol in the blood and help it to be flushed out. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water after every glass of alcohol.

Alcohol dehydrates the body, and the lack of fluid causes most of the discomfort during a hangover. 

It doesn't have to be water every time either, caffeinated drinks like Coca Cola or coffee stimulate the metabolism and support a clear head.

Stop in time

Every sip of alcohol in the body takes time to break down. Take care of your friend and try to prevent him from excessive consumption in time. As soon as the first signs appear that he is drunk, he should cut down on alcohol or at least take a longer break.

Drastic measures

If the drunkenness is already becoming too obvious and a hangover seems inevitable, you can also resort to more drastic measures, namely trying to empty the stomach. While it is not a pretty prospect to make someone vomit, removing the alcohol from the stomach before it enters the blood is the quickest way to prevent worse. Such drastic measures may be necessary if the drunk person is already losing consciousness in order to avoid alcohol poisoning.

Put your finger down his throat and make sure his head is hanging over a toilet or bucket. It is important to make sure that the airways are clear after vomiting.