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Facts, myths & what science says about alcohol |
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Dear Resident,
Our summer drink drive campaign is here! When it comes to drink driving, there are a lot of myths — but the science is very clear. Understanding how alcohol is processed in your body can help explain why the safest choice is always not to drink if you’re driving. I trust that all of you reading this don't need to hear this information, but sometimes it's still interesting to know!
However, if you are guilty of telling yourself any of the following, read on, because it might just get you out of trouble one day: Myth 1: “I can have a couple of drinks and still drive.” Myth 2: “I feel fine, so I must be under the limit.” Myth 3: “Drinking water will sober me up." Alcohol doesn’t need to be digested like food. Around 20% is absorbed through the stomach, with the remaining 80% absorbed in the small intestine. This means alcohol can reach your bloodstream — and your brain — within 5 to 10 minutes of your first drink. It is a central nervous system depressant which means it slows down communication between your brain and body by affecting neurotransmitters. This is why people often feel more confident after drinking — even though their ability to drive is actually getting worse.
Your liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol, using enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase. On average, the body can process around one unit of alcohol per hour — but this varies depending on factors like body weight, sex, metabolism, food intake and hydration (prior to drinking) and your overall health. Importantly, metabolising alcohol - i.e. sobering up - cannot be sped up with food/water/sleep/coffee. Your body will take the time it needs, so forcing down a loaf of Hovis 50/50 will do absolutely nothing for you. Food and water consumed prior to or during drinking alcohol may slow the level of absorption; but be careful of that. It is the exception, not the rule.
One of the most misunderstood risks is driving the next day. After a skin-full, alcohol cam remain in your system for many hours. 6 pints of regular beer may take over 13+ hours to fully process. So even if you stop drinking at 11pm, you are unlikely to be safe to drive until midday the next day. This is not gospel - it is a guide to help you understand the length of time it can take. If you've had a real party and drank for hours, you may not be safe to drive the following day at all. Especially if it was a late night.
How do we calculate how much alcohol you've consumed? When you drink alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and is carried throughout your body. Because alcohol is volatile (i.e. evaporates easily), a small amount passes into the air in your lungs when you breathe. This means that every time you exhale, you release a small amount of alcohol vapour. Breathalysers measure and analyse this breath to estimate the level of alcohol in your system.
Breathalysers rely on two main types of technology.
For those that pretend that they can't provide a big enough breath sample, will be charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath. Our machines are designed to work on people with one lung. Everyone can do it. What's more, there is absolutely no way to trick the machine, no matter how hard or softly you breathe, whether you hold your breath or try and expel breath from the mouth instead of the lungs. The machine never lies…
In England, the legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. How many drinks does that amount to? There is no fixed answer. Sometimes one. Sometimes none. But is it worth the risk? Absolutely not…
I hope you found this interesting - have a great weekend - speak to you all soon. Cheers!
South Wigston Beat Team | ||
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