"You can't drown yourself in drink. I've tried, you float"

John Barrymore was a popular American actor understood for his roles in various films and his love for alcohol. The quote "You can't drown yourself in drink. I've tried, you drift" is a reflection of his drug abuse and specifies how alcohol didn't enable him to escape his issues however instead, it made him feel worse. The quote suggests that no matter how much an individual beverages, they can never completely lose consciousness as the body still functions and floats in water even when greatly consumed by alcohol. This quote has actually become a common expression used to explain alcohol's failure to provide a complete escape from life's problems.