Boozy news 2013: The good, the bad, the healthy

THE GOOD

Good news for those who like a drink but hate the after effects - hangovers get better with age, a study has found.

Unfortunately, for those in their 20s it may take another 30 years before they stop waking up the morning after the night before without the headaches, nausea and sickness.

Read more: Hangovers ease with age

A contentious new study is suggesting people who drink regularly live longer than those who completely abstain from drinking.

Research published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found those who did not consume any alcohol appeared to have a higher mortality rate, regardless of whether they were former heavy drinkers or not, than those who drank heavily.

Read more: People who drink alcohol outlive those who abstain

Alcohol can be used for social advantage at work by young employees and their organisations, new research from Victoria University of Wellington has found.

Master's graduate Benjamin Walker and Dr Todd Bridgman, a senior lecturer from Victoria Business School's management school, examined the influences on young people's drinking habits in a white-collar environment.

Read more: Alcohol can help in the workplace

For years people have argued over what they believe is the essential remedy after a heavy night - from a strong coffee to a hair of the dog.

But now it has been revealed that revellers who go for the healthy option and console themselves with a herbal tea could actually be making their hangover worse, whilst a can of fizzy pop - in particular Sprite - could speed up recovery.

Read more: Fizzy drink better than hair of dog
THE BAD

Hangovers don't just induce nausea, a thumping headache and a dry mouth, they make you stupid too, according to new research.

Experts have discovered that the hangover - technically the symptoms left behind after alcohol levels in the blood return to zero - impairs brain function.

Read more: Hangovers make you dimmer

A hangover is as dangerous for drivers as being drunk at the wheel, a study suggests.

The effects of a night's heavy drinking lasted even when the last alcohol had cleared the system, scientists found.

Read more: Driving hungover as dangerous as being drunk

Traditionally alcoholism has been understood as a black-and-white condition. Just like it's impossible to be a little bit pregnant, it's long been considered that a person must be either an alcoholic or not an alcoholic.

Yet the mood is shifting as various shades of grey emerge and some experts claim that there may be an entire spectrum of possibilities that lie between the non-alcoholic and the alcoholic state.

Read more: Shelley Bridgeman: Are you 'almost alcoholic'?
THE HEALTHY

It's strange. We continue to enjoy the lure and excitement alcohol offers while constantly being reminded about the pitfalls of drinking too much. I think it is fair to say that the guidelines setting the boundaries for what declares a "health conscious drinker" have not changed our boozing habits in the slightest.

Read more: How to enjoy alcohol the healthy way

It's an age-old question: how do you cure a hangover? And it's one that, given our well-documented booze culture and penchant for binge drinking, tens of thousands of New Zealanders are likely to be grappling with.

I can virtually guarantee that I'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on January 1, not because I'm a model of virtuous restraint but rather because I just can't get excited about New Year's Eve celebrations.

Read more: Shelley Bridgeman: How do you cure a hangover?

The party's over, now it's the morning after. We ask some social butterflies how they cope with over-indulgence and late nights during the social season.

Read more: Hangover cures from Kiwi party animals