OK to Swim? After Eating, Yes. After Drinking, No.

Talk about waiting in vain. If we add up all of the 30-minute "no swimming after eating" periods suffered through as children, the sum would probably equal several months in the water. Now, it seems, we were all waiting in vain. In its intriguing "Really?" column, the New York Times reports that the "you’ll get a cramp and drown" threat is yet another old wives’ tale that should be laid to rest. The newspaper quotes Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologist at the New York
University School of Medicine, who explains that while swimming strenuously on
a full stomach could conceivably lead to cramps, for most recreational
swimmers the chances are small. According to the story, at least one study that looked at
drownings in the United States found that fewer than 1 percent occurred
after the victim ate a meal. But, the story warns, swimming after drinking is another story. The Times advises us that a 1990 study of hundreds of drowning deaths among adults in
California found that 41 percent were alcohol related. Say no more. We’re persuaded.