As some NIU students come home after a long night of drinking at a local bar, their heads are pounding.

Many home remedies such as sleeping, drinking water and taking aspirin are ways students have tried to get rid of hangovers.

But according to manufacturers of the two anti-hangover pills, RU-21 and Chaser, getting rid of headaches from a hangover is as easy as swallowing a pill.

Conflicting information has emerged over the Internet about the effectiveness of these so-called hangover pills.

Steve Lux, a health educator with NIU Health Enhancement Services, said the two hangover pills do not get rid of hangovers and are marketing schemes for college students.

“The only way to get alcohol out of the system is time itself,” Lux said. “There is no consensus to this pill.”

According to Web sites for Chaser, the pill is a patent-pending formula of activated calcium carbonate and vegetable carbon. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in most calcium supplements and antacids. Vegetable carbon has been used for centuries to absorb toxins.

The ingredients in Chaser generally are recognized as being safe by the Federal Drug Administration, according to the Web site. The Chaser pill is sold online for $39.95 for a 40-count bottle.

“This is a marketing scheme to try and make money,” Lux said. “They prey on people who don’t want hangovers.”

Lux also said these pills are not dangerous in terms of substance, but they do raise concerns of overconsumption of alcohol among college students.

“The real danger in the pills is people may feel they don’t have to worry about how much they drink because they think they won’t get a hangover the next day because of these pills,” he said. “This presents a different kind of danger – such as alcohol poisoning.”

RU-21 is similar to Chaser.

According to its Web site, RU-21 eliminates Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol metabolism that has been linked to various types of cancer, liver cirrhosis, hangovers and premature aging of skin. The site said that the pill helps maintain a balanced central nervous system and supports healthy DNA cells.

RU-21 also can be purchased online, with a 20-pill box costing $6.79.

Although health educators disagree with the usage of the pill, they do say that pacing the amount of alcohol intake and eating a substantial meal before drinking to absorb the alcohol are ways to drink safely.

Healthy lifestyle tips

– Drink slowly

– Space out drinks over a long period of time.

– Avoid drinking games.

– Drink lots of water before, during and after drinking alcohol.

– Be aware of where you are, who you are with and how much you drink because heavy drinking and unwanted sexual activity often go hand in hand.

– Drink fewer than five drinks in one sitting; for most people, five drinks are way too many.

– Straight liquor contains much more alcohol than beer or wine; drink in moderation or not at all.

Source: Safer Drinking Tips www2.ucsc.edu/aod/SafeDrink.html