Three volunteers participated in the study. None of them had suffered from chronic skin or liver disease and were not addicted to alcohol or psychoactive drugs. The volunteers did not drink alcohol in the 24 hours prior to the experiments and provided a blood sample before dipping their feet into a wash basin containing three bottles of Karloff Vodka. The participants kept their feet in the vodka for three hours and provided blood samples every hour and a half.
The group went through self-assessment tests on drunkenness in which they were rated on a scale of 0 to 10 for self-confidence, speed in speaking and the number of times they wanted spontaneous hugs. The results show that after three hours there was no increase in the concentration of alcohol in the participants' bloodstream.
Kristensen concludes that "the Danish urban myth about getting drunk by dipping your feet in strong alcoholic beverages is just that: a myth." The researcher adds that the study has many implications, including evidence that driving a vehicle or boat with boots full of vodka seems safe and that distillery workers cannot get intoxicated by falling into a vat of alcohol.
