DWI FAQ

How much can I drink before it impairs my driving?

Any amount of alcohol will begin to affect your judgment. Your judgment of speed and distance, as well as your decision making ability will be drastically reduced the more you drink. How much it affects your driving depends on the amount you drink, whether you’ve eaten before or after drinking, your body weight, and the length of time spent drinking. Some motorists, especially young people can experience an even greater loss of driving ability after consuming alcohol.

How do I sober up?

The only way to become sober is to wait until your body metabolizes the alcohol. Some people think that coffee, a cold shower, or a brisk walk can help them to become sober. It is important not to mistake alertness for sobriety. Even if your mind is more alert, your judgment and driving ability will still be impaired.

How does alcohol works in the body?

Alcohol is a depressant. The more alcohol that is ingested, the more the central nervous system (CNS) becomes impaired. This impairment limits both mental and physical functioning. The metabolism of alcohol has three stages: absorption, distribution and elimination.

During the absorption phase, alcohol enters the body, and then the bloodstream. Alcohol can be absorbed through the stomach, but most of it is ingested through the intestine. It then enters the bloodstream and is quickly distributed throughout the body. Alcohol can begin to affect the CNS shortly after ingestion. The bloodstream will transport the alcohol throughout the entire body. Generally a higher body weight will decrease the effect of alcohol, since there is a larger area for the alcohol to be absorbed. However, muscle tissue absorbs much more alcohol than fatty tissue. As a result, someone who has a higher muscle mass will be less affected by alcohol than another person of the same mass but with less muscle. Women are generally more affected by alcohol than men because they usually have less absorptive tissue than men.

Alcohol continues to be absorbed until about 30 60 minutes after the last drink, depending on the person. During this time the BAC gradually rises until it reaches a peak. After the peak level it gradually declines.

Somewhere between 15 and 45 minutes after drinking, the body begins to eliminate alcohol. Most of the alcohol is eliminated through the bodies metabolism, but some of it is eliminated through evaporation and excretion. The liver is responsible for about 95% of alcohol elimination. It can metabolize approximately 1 drink every hour. Health, especially liver health plays a large role in the efficient elimination of alcohol. Some alcohol can be excreted through sweat, saliva and urine. Another small amount is released in breath, which is the basis for breath testing. The rate at which alcohol is eliminated varies with the BAC. The higher the BAC, the slower the alcohol is eliminated.