Does coffee and fresh air help a person sober up from alcohol consumption?

While coffee and fresh air might provide a person with a temporary sense of alertness, they do not actually speed up the body's ability to metabolize alcohol. Alcohol remains in the bloodstream and affects the central nervous system until the liver can process it. This process takes time and is not influenced by how awake or alert a person feels from caffeine or being outside.

Fresh air may invigorate someone, and coffee could make them feel more awake, but neither has any pharmacological effect on alcohol removal. The misconception that these remedies can help someone sober up is common but misleading. In reality, a person must wait for the alcohol to be processed by the liver before they can be truly sober, which is why it's important to wait and avoid activities such as driving until they are sober.