THE PLEASURE ZONE
Where personal pleasure and social responsibility meet for a drink
A study told us what many already knew (not unusual for a study)... drinking alcohol can be very pleasurable. What was revealed - the pleasure was all about the pace of drinking. The research has been coined the Pleasure Zone Study.
DRINKWISE is a big-time believer in spreading the word about the pleasure zone.
Why?
We agree with the recommendations in the British Psychological Society article on how to change drinking behavior:
"Developing appropriate guidance for public alcohol consumption beyond the concept of "responsible drinking" to increase the impact of public health campaigns."
A class to learn how to drink?
I hear the snickering.
No, simply the sharing of information...
Too often, the drinker is unaware of the pleasure zone's limits and the drinker will chase their buzz by ordering more alcohol too soon, which then kicks them out of the zone.
We all benefit when drinkers keep their inebriation within the pleasure zone.
How the Drinker Benefits
Researchers provided people with alcohol, measured their BAC, and interviewed them. They continued the process to identify which BAC levels brought the drinkers the most pleasure and which BAC levels generated negative feedback.
Read carefully to discover the pleasure zone's G-spot (relax, it's a metaphor).
Two-Phase (Biphasic) Effects of Alcohol
"As BAC slowly rises and is under .06%: The drinker experiences stimulating effects such as increased energy, self-confidence, sociability, and a feeling of wellbeing or "euphoria." This is the "Buzz Zone."
At a BAC of ~.04%: Peak stimulation and euphoria occur. After this "Point of Diminishing Returns," higher BACs will result in fewer and fewer positive effects.
As BAC surpasses .06%: The drinker begins to feel the depressant effects of alcohol such as sluggishness, fatigue, sloppiness, lack of balance and coordination, slurred speech, etc. To others, the drinker often appears "drunk."
To maintain this "high" it was essential for the drinker not to exceed a .06 BAC. Once a drinker goes beyond a BAC of .06, it is impossible to return to the Pleasure Zone.
So... How can drinkers stay in the pleasure zone?
We recommend drinkers download a cell app
(many are free) to track their BAC - only the drinker knows what they consumed before visiting a restaurant or bar.
Or...
A drinker might create their personal profile by visiting an online BAC generator site, where you enter your weight and the type of drink you routinely enjoy. You can play around to see how many drinks you can consume over the selected time to stay within the zone.
Here's our preferred BAC generator (yes, it's free!)
How Bars & Restaurants Benefit
Alcohol businesses benefit when customers keep their inebriation within the pleasure zone.
Businesses seeking to help spread the word with their customers can download a free Drinker Guide
Displaying Drinker Guides is an opportunity to discuss how critical it is for cocktails to be poured properly so the customer can guide their inebriation experience.
Sharing a Drinker Guide with your customers might also score some goodwill points according to a Cone Communication Study that revealed: 87% said they'd be "willing to buy a service or product based on a business' advocacy on a social matter".
How the Community Benefits
The more drinkers keep their inebriation in the zone, the safer we all are.
Safer on the road and everywhere else...
About 30 percent of the time, trauma room patients have a BAC above .08 percent.
Knowledge of the pleasure zone follows the customer out the door. Together, we can spread the word, helping drinkers enjoy their experience more and making our communities safer.
