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Finished drinking vodka at 5am. Can I drive now?

Waternotsoda

Had Xmas party last night. I was drinking vodka until 5am. I am now in hotel lobby 12.10pm wondering if its safe for me to get behind the wheel of a car. I need to drive for an hour. Feel OK but guards.

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jiltloop

Being honest I've taken the risk in the past after a late night but wouldn't do it these days. For example my work Xmas party was on Friday night and I had to drive at 10.30am the next morning. There was a free bar all night but I finished my last drink at 9.30pm and left at 10pm.

I just wouldn't risk it these days, even I felt that I was capable of driving safely I just don't want to risk losing my license as it would make life very difficult indeed as I need it to collect my kids at weekends.

Raconteuse

Magnus Famous Campground wrote: »

I believe the limit is too low. There should be a limit over which I would oh condone driving over but our limit is stupidly low.

You would have to laugh at people claiming they never drive the morning after a heavy night, it’s totally impractical for most people not to drive the next day be it going to work, going to get food, going home after a night out away etc etc,

Stop projecting to make yourself feel better about your alcoholism.

the beer revolu

Raconteuse wrote: »

Stop projecting to make yourself feel better about your alcoholism.

Believe me, nox doesn't feel bad about his level of drinking at all.
Considers himself an average drinker.

Boradriver

I don't know what a tracker mortgage is.

Higgins5473

Our drink drive limit of 0.5 bac is in line with most European countries, its the UK that is unusual with its 0.8. Some of the Eastern European countries have 0% Hungary and Czech Republic which is daft. An awful lot of products can contain traces of alcohol, drink enough orange juice and you can have alcohol in your blood stream.

Shane Ross was trying to lower ours to below the 0.5 in typical recovering alcoholic anti drink fashion. I think 0.5 is just right.

[Deleted User]

Higgins5473 wrote: »

An awful lot of products can contain traces of alcohol, drink enough orange juice and you can have alcohol in your blood stream.

Factoid of the day. I'll put that on the same chart as hatless penguins in Patagonia.

corner of hells

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Factoid of the day. I'll put that on the same chart as hatless penguins in Patagonia.

I'd like to add to your chart that " nutmeg" is extremely dangerous if injected intravenously.

Odyssey 2005

Emmersonn wrote: »

Do not feed the troll.

Thought this may have been another Mr.F thread

[Deleted User]

Higgins5473 wrote: »

Sorry, but I don't believe you have never ever used your phone while driving or driven whilst excessively tired. Being over the limit the following morning I do believe you, as it is one of those things that very sensible people can avoid. Pontificating on an online forum is pointless and futile generally as who knows what the truth is, for all we know you are an absolute drunken mess behind the wheel most nights. Everybody knows driving in the morning while over the limit is wrong, whats the point in telling people how wonderful you are for not doing it and how wrong they are? The subject of being over the limit in the morning it is worthy of discussion as an awful lot of people drive whilst over the legal limit totally unintentionally and unbeknownst to them, but telling people ad nauseam on this how wrong it is and how good they are is seriously boring. Have I done it? Most probably, I don't know though for certain but I am prepared to admit this and be honest. I also do my very best to never use my phone, but I have done, I am also prepared to admit this. Nobody is perfect in this world and everybody takes risks as most, if not all of us think it won't happen to us so the pontificating in these circumstances is tedious at best. As I say nobody is perfect, that is until you log on to Boards.ie where you find out just how wrong you are and how they have never made a mistake on every topic ranging from driving whilst over the limit in the morning to letting a fart slip in a lift full of people.

No pontificating whatsoever. Simply indulging you and answering your questions directly.

To reiterate I don't drive drunk, don't use my mobile or don't drive when tired. Why risk my licence and why risk my life or that of others? I can still have plenty of nights out without breaking the law and endangering others.

Being irresponsible ain't cool anymore.

[Deleted User]

Yester wrote: »

Just trying to do the calculations here. So, If I start drinking at 7pm and have 6 pints over a 4 hour period, I should be legally ok to drive by 8am the following morning. Does that sound about right?

If the pints are 5% volume then you've taken 12 units and the alcohol is cleared out of your system by 11am. Driving any earlier is a risk.

[Deleted User]

I was nearly run down outside Charlestown shopping center by an idiot using a phone, the light has turned green for me to cross but because the car drive was looking at her phone she failed to notice it has turned red for her and went through the zebra crossing.

Drinking the next day after driving buy an alcohol breath monitor the cheap ones are possibly onely going to be roughly accurate but a great help Dunnes stores have them in some outlets.

Fiftyfilthy

Just drive with the windows down, cold fresh air lowers the alcohol in your bloodstream in seconds

Raconteuse

the beer revolu wrote: »

Believe me, nox doesn't feel bad about his level of drinking at all.

Maybe, but always such protesting from him.

Same with others here accusing people of pontificating and lying - in response to those who simply say they wouldn't drive with excess alcohol in their system (seeing as it's potentially dangerous, and you know... the whole not wanting to hit someone or something with their car; how goody two shoes of them!) What an attitude. If they do it, that's on them, but piss off with this "you're lying/pontificating" stuff in order to feel better.

facehugger99

Seathrun66 wrote: »

If the pints are 5% volume then you've taken 12 units and the alcohol is cleared out of your system by 11am. Driving any earlier is a risk.

Nope - 7am.

Alcohol is processed from when you start not when you finish drinking.

Amazing how many people can't get their heads around this.

[Deleted User]

facehugger99 wrote: »

Nope - 7am.

Alcohol is processed from when you start not when you finish drinking.

Amazing how many people can't get their heads around this.

By that logic if you've had six pints then you're safe to drink two hours after the last one as the others have been processed. Not the way it works. The calculations on time begin from when you finish your last drink.

But feel free to explain your interpretation to the Gardai.

ollkiller

Seathrun66 wrote: »

By that logic if you've had six pints then you're safe to drink two hours after the last one as the others have been processed. Not the way it works. The calculations on time begin from when you finish your last drink.

But feel free to explain your interpretation to the Gardai.

Not really. Your kidneys don't wait until you've had your last drink to start processing the alcohol. If you went out at 10pm and had 4 pints and stopped drinking at midnight then you have 8 hours until you can drive. 8 hours after 10pm is 6am. Or say 6.30am as you finished the first drink at say 10.30pm.

Now that is my understanding. I could be wrong.

[Deleted User]

ollkiller wrote: »

Not really. Your kidneys don't wait until you've had your last drink to start processing the alcohol. If you went out at 10pm and had 4 pints and stopped drinking at midnight then you have 8 hours until you can drive. 8 hours after 10pm is 6am. Or say 6.30am as you finished the first drink at say 10.30pm.

Now that is my understanding. I could be wrong.

As could I. But going by the online medical and RSA recommendations (which they admit are cautious) their only guaranteed alcohol clearance are to calculate from cessation of drinking. For safety reasons I'll continue to follow them.

ollkiller

Seathrun66 wrote: »

As could I. But going by the online medical and RSA recommendations (which they admit are cautious) their only guaranteed alcohol clearance are to calculate from cessation of drinking. For safety reasons I'll continue to follow them.

And it's a very good position to take. Any doctors in the house who could give a definitive answer. I always thought it was from when you started drinking but if it's not then i'll have to alter my behaviour.

facehugger99

Seathrun66 wrote: »

By that logic if you've had six pints then you're safe to drink two hours after the last one as the others have been processed. Not the way it works. The calculations on time begin from when you finish your last drink.

Nope - you're wrong.

As for you're 'calculation' - it's way off.

If you had 6 pints over 4 hours you're safe to drive 8 hrs after the last one - not 2hrs

ceadaoin.

ollkiller wrote: »

And it's a very good position to take. Any doctors in the house who could give a definitive answer. I always thought it was from when you started drinking but if it's not then i'll have to alter my behaviour.

Not a doctor but as soon as the alcohol hits your bloodstream, your body starts processing it. Its ridiculous to think that your organs somehow know when you plan to stop drinking and wait until then to start working. No, the process starts straight away. If you drink slowly enough with no more than one drink every hour you won't even get that drunk at all because its giving your body time to process each unit

Having said that, counting from when you stop drinking is probably a good method just because it will reduce the chances of you being over the limit with the extra time.

jiltloop

Seathrun66 wrote: »

As could I. But going by the online medical and RSA recommendations (which they admit are cautious) their only guaranteed alcohol clearance are to calculate from cessation of drinking. For safety reasons I'll continue to follow them.

Certainly wise to continue to follow those recommendations, obviously the longer you leave it to drive the better chance you are to be in the clear.

However it is certainly not biologically correct to say that your body only starts processing the alcohol after you finish your last drink, we don't need a doctor to clarify that one, just common sense.

I think people are probably too hung up on trying to figure out exactly how much time needs to pass, in reality nobody can tell you for certain because it's going to differ from person to person depending on a lot of factors such as size, weight, age, metabolism, gender, hydration, what has been consumed food wise and what kind of alcohol has been imbibed.

Just be sensible the night before so you're certain you're ok to drive instead of finding ways to convince yourself of when you can drive the next morning.

[Deleted User]

facehugger99 wrote: »

Nope - you're wrong.

As for you're 'calculation' - it's way off.

If you had 6 pints over 4 hours you're safe to drive 8 hrs after the last one - not 2hrs

Mine was in response to your post that the processing begins immediately and thus mostly done by the time you finish drinking. Which simply isn't the case.

However, your calculation above is more cautious and seems accurate.

the beer revolu

Seathrun66 wrote: »

Mine was in response to your post that the processing begins immediately and thus mostly done by the time you finish drinking. Which simply isn't the case..

But if course processing begins immediately.
If you drank slowly enough there would be almost no alcohol in your system when finished drinking.
Time is THE factor.

[Deleted User]

jiltloop wrote: »

Certainly wise to continue to follow those recommendations, obviously the longer you leave it to drive the better chance you are to be in the clear.

However it is certainly not biologically correct to say that your body only starts processing the alcohol after you finish your last drink, we don't need a doctor to clarify that one, just common sense.

I think people are probably too hung up on trying to figure out exactly how much time needs to pass, in reality nobody can tell you for certain because it's going to differ from person to person depending on a lot of factors such as size, weight, age, metabolism, gender, hydration, what has been consumed food wise and what kind of alcohol has been imbibed.

Just be sensible the night before so you're certain you're ok to drive instead of finding ways to convince yourself of when you can drive the next morning.

I'm happy to stand corrected but isn't the processing slowed down by more alcohol continuing to enter the bloodstream? And also slowed down by food intake? I've always understood that this is the rationale for calculating the hours after the drinking stops.

And I fully accept that the medical and RSA legal recommendations err on the side of caution. But I'm prepared to follow them for safety reasons. My alertness is still skewed 16-20 hours after a night out and I'd usually not drive at all even when the alcohol has clearly left my system.

facehugger99

Seathrun66 wrote: »

Mine was in response to your post that the processing begins immediately and thus mostly done by the time you finish drinking. Which simply isn't the case.

However, your calculation above is more cautious and seems accurate.

Of course processing begins immediately -

I never stated that the processing was "mostly done by the time you finish drinking" - you've just invented that bit.

The time for your body to finish processing the alcohol will depend on how much you've drunk and what time you started at.

You seem to be unable to grasp a very simple concept.

[Deleted User]

the beer revolu wrote: »

But if course processing begins immediately.
If you drank slowly enough there would be almost no alcohol in your system when finished drinking.
Time is THE factor.

I'm aware of that but isn't the processing slowed down by more alcohol continuing to enter the bloodstream? And also slowed down by food intake? The liver function is also in combating chemicals and toxins and the more there are from alcohol & foodstuffs the slower it works.

[Deleted User]

facehugger99 wrote: »

Of course processing begins immediately - you seem to be unable to grasp a very simple concept.

See my previous post. No dispute over the onset of processing, just the speed.

[Deleted User]

the beer revolu wrote: »

But if course processing begins immediately.
If you drank slowly enough there would be almost no alcohol in your system when finished drinking.
Time is THE factor.

If drinking standard beer at the very least you'd have 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the processing.

[Deleted User]

facehugger99 wrote: »

Of course processing begins immediately -

I never stated that the processing was "mostly done by the time you finish drinking" - you've just invented that bit.

The time for your body to finish processing the alcohol will depend on how much you've drunk and what time you started at.

You seem to be unable to grasp a very simple concept.

Now you're just being rude when we're having a useful discussion here.

The commencement of processing is clear and undisputed. The speed of processing is not. As I understand it when the absorption of alcohol ceases the body processes at a faster rate. Continuing intake of alcohol slows down the process as does medication and food. Not having had too much food helps, according to an Ohio University:

Food in the stomach can inhibit the absorption of alcohol in two ways:

First, it physically obstructs the alcohol from coming in contact with the stomach lining. Food can either absorb alcohol, or simply “take up space” so the alcohol does not enter the bloodstream through contact with the wall of the stomach.

Second, food in the stomach will prevent alcohol from passing into the duodenum, which is the upper portion of the small intestine. The surface area of the small intestine is very large (about the size of a tennis court), so alcohol has more access to enter the bloodstream once it leaves the stomach. If alcohol is sequestered in the stomach it will be absorbed slower.

Cordell

Can you drive? No.
Should you drive? Also no.