Don’t drink and lie

As many as 1 in 5 Californians (20 percent) say they’ve lied to health care providers about their alcohol consumption, according to a study of 3,000 adults by American Addiction Centers, a nationwide network of rehab facilities. The same percentage of drinkers across the U.S. admitted to being dishonest with friends and family about how much they are imbibing. In addition, half of respondents said they would not take their doctor’s advice to cut down their alcohol intake, and almost one-third said they ignore medical advice to stop drinking when using certain medications, such as antibiotics. American Addiction Centers published advice along with the study, urging people to be honest about their alcohol intake, chiefly because consumption plays a significant role in many medical conditions. Symptoms that could be caused by excessive drinking include migraines, poor sleep and weight gain. Alcohol also causes drowsiness when combined with certain medications, making driving dangerous.