Drivers Beware: Silly Tactics to Negate the Affects of Alcohol
As the night winds down and you gulp down the last of your beer or vodka and tonic, certain questions probably come to mind. How am I getting home? Am I really that drunk? Due to the strict .08 BAC enforcement in many states, including Arizona, you most likely know you have met or exceeded the legal drunk driving threshold and shouldn’t get behind the wheel. But yet still find yourself brainstorming for ways to reverse the effects.
Tactics such as drinking a lot of water or taking a few aspirin after a few drinks have been used countless times to negate the effects of alcohol. Unfortunately, all of these approaches to justify drinking and driving are simply useless.
Drinking coffee is also a popular course of action. You may think drinking coffee and loading the blood stream with caffeine will lessen the drowsy effects of alcohol; thus improve your driving capability. In fact, drinking coffee after consuming alcohol will not “sober” you up, nor will it “wake” you up. In actuality, all it does is simply increase the work-load on your liver.
No scientific proof exists that drinking coffee or any other caffeinated beverage after consuming alcohol will either increase the rate that your body metabolizes alcohol or lower your blood alcohol content (BAC). There is also no proof that caffeine’s stimulation counter acts alcohol’s sedative nature either.
Like alcohol, your body considers caffeine a “toxic” substance. The only reaction your body will have to the coffee or energy drink is stimulating the liver to expel these harmful substances.
Eventually, your body will process the alcohol from your system and lower your BAC below the point of intoxication-but it won’t be happen 20 minutes after you’ve stopped drinking.
The best course of action is to have a designated driver, call a cab or to stay put to wait out the natural process of metabolizing the alcohol. The risks of driving while under the influence and getting a DUI are extreme. Loss of a driver’s license, hefty fines, a spike in insurance premiums, required jail time and alcohol classes, and mandatory use of an ignition interlock devise are all potential consequences you will face.
However, if you have been arrested for suspected drunk driving, contact an experienced DUI attorney immediately. An attorney can protect your rights and mitigate the consequences you face.
