How To Get Alcohol Off Your Breath

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Alcohol breath can be annoying and embarrassing. If you don't want to go to an event smelling of booze, there are ways to lessen the scent of alcohol on your breath. By eating and drinking certain substances, cleaning yourself up, and working to prevent booze breath to begin with, you can end up smelling alcohol-free!

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Eat before or while you're drinking. Eating while you're drinking can help reduce alcohol breath. Food absorbs some of the alcohol you drink while also stimulating the production of saliva. This can prevent dehydration, which can heighten the presence of alcohol breath.
- Bars often provide snacks like peanuts, popcorn, and other munchies to make sure patrons don't get sick from over-drinking. Try to periodically snack on these complimentary foods while you're out.
- If you're drinking at a friend's place, offer to bring a snack for the group. Bring a couple of bags of potato chips or some microwave popcorn. This can benefit you by reducing alcohol breath and also make you look generous in the eyes of the host.
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Try onion and garlic. Highly aromatic foods can help override alcohol breath. Red onion and garlic both stay on your breath for a long time, reducing the smell of alcohol.
- You can order bar foods that contain onion or garlic. Garlic-infused items, such as garlic fries or garlic bread, are often popular bar items.^[1]
- Add red onions to a sandwich, burger, or salad after drinking.^[2]
- Some people, if they're looking for a fast cure, simply eat onion or garlic raw. While this is quite effective, keep in mind the smell of garlic or onion can be quite strong. Not only does it radiate from your mouth it also comes out your pores. If you're trying to eliminate alcohol breath because you have somewhere to be, this might not be your best option. The smell of garlic, while more socially acceptable, can be as off-putting as booze breath.^[3]
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Drink coffee and water. Drinking both coffee and water can help reduce alcohol breath. Water replenishes the hydration you lost drinking and promotes salivation, which can lessen alcohol breath. Coffee has a strong smell on its own, which can cover up the foul smell of booze. However, coffee is best used in the morning after drinking. Mixing stimulants and depressants can cause a spike in energy, making you feel less drunk. This can lead to inadvertently drinking more than you can handle.

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Brush your teeth for an extra couple of minutes. Brushing your teeth can help lessen bad breath associated with drinking. Spending a little extra time on your dental hygiene can help cover bad breath.
- Use a strong-smelling toothpaste that contains menthol. This is most effective for covering alcohol breath.^[4]
- Spend an extra two minutes brushing your teeth. You'll need this extra time to get alcohol residue and alcohol-soaked food out of your mouth.
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Floss. Do not neglect flossing after a night of drinking. Food particles, which are diluted with alcohol, often get stuck between your teeth. This can contribute to alcohol breath even after you've brushed your teeth thoroughly.
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Use mouth wash. Once you've brushed and flossed, make sure to gargle and rinse with a good mouth wash. Mouth washes are designed to eliminate bad breath and tend to have a minty scent that will cover alcohol breath. Gargle for the recommended time listed on the bottle, usually around 30 seconds, and then spit into the sink and rinse with water.
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Shower. Alcohol does not just affect your breath. It also seeps through your pores, causing a boozy scent to come from your body. Always take a shower the morning or night after drinking.
- Take a normal shower, paying special attention to washing your body.^[5]
- Strong-smelling soaps, shampoos, and conditioners may help eliminate or lessen the smell of alcohol.^[6]
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Drink in moderation. Drinking moderately rather than binge drinking can lessen the smell of alcohol. Try to stick to a few drinks over the course of the evening. Binge drinking can not only result in a strong smell but other health problems, especially when done frequently. Cutting back on drinking, and not drinking to get drunk, can help prevent alcohol breath.
- Try to stick to drinking only two drinks per sitting.
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Do not mix drinks. Different drinks have different odors. If you mix a variety of types of alcohol, this can make the overall odor worse. Stick to one type of alcohol you like for the night as this can lessen alcohol breath.
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Stick to simple drinks. Mixed drinks that contain herbs and spices can have a stronger odor than simple beer, wine, and liquor. Stick to simple drinks as this will lessen the smell of alcohol on your breath.

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Question

How can I talk myself out of drinking alcohol?

Tiffany Douglass is the Founder of Wellness Retreat Recovery Center, a JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) accredited drug and alcohol treatment program based in San Jose, California. She is also the Executive Director for Midland Tennessee at JourneyPure. She has over ten years of experience in substance abuse treatment and was appointed a Global Goodwill Ambassador in 2019 for her efforts in residential addiction treatment. Tiffany earned a BA in Psychology from Emory University in 2004 and an MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Organization Behavior and Program Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in 2006.

Founder, Wellness Retreat Recovery Center

Expert Answer

If you're craving a drink, pause and think about the consequences of having that drink, like feeling ashamed or guilty later on or going on to binge drink. Reminding yourself of what might happen can help you resist your urge. You can also try distracting yourself with an activity until your craving goes away, like exercising, taking a bath, or going for a walk.

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Keep peppermint, cinnamon, or spearmint gum close at all times.
If you think you have a drinking problem, consider going to a social support group like Alcoholics Anonymous. Connecting with a community of people who are supportive and understand what you're going through can help make quitting drinking easier.^[7]
Consider talking to a therapist if you're worried about how much you're drinking. Talking to an unbiased person can help give you perspective.^[8]
If you're struggling with alcohol addiction, talk to a family member or loved one about what's going on. Being honest is an important step toward recovery.^[9]

If you have feelings that you need to cut down on the alcohol, if you feel annoyed by people telling you you are drinking too much, if you feel guilty after your drink, or if you need an eye-opener in the morning to get you going, then you may have a drinking problem. Talk to your doctor about how much you are drinking and what you can do to cut back.

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Article SummaryX

To cure alcohol breath, chew on something with a strong flavor, like gum or a piece of garlic. You can also drink a cup of coffee, which will cover up the smell of alcohol on your breath. If you're at home, brush your teeth for several minutes or rinse your mouth out with mouthwash. Then, floss between your teeth to get rid of any leftover alcohol smell. To learn more from our Physician co-author, like how to avoid getting alcohol breath, keep reading the article!

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