Stay Sober

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Plan ahead how you will get home

If you are intending on a good night out and going to drink alcohol, plan: how are you going to get home? If you are with friends, why not arrange a designated driver who will not drink any alcohol that night? Take it in turns in the future as to who will drive.

The legal limit

Legally, the alcohol limit for drinking and driving is 80 mg/100 ml of blood. In other words, two pints of normal strength beer or ONE large glass of wine could put you over the limit. (Source: UK Department for Transport Road Safety Think!)

But it is not possible to say exactly how much alcohol you can drink and stay below the limit, so if you are planning to drive then avoid the alcohol.

There is no quick fix to sobering up

Many people think they have a magic cure to get sober. Coffee, fry-ups, two pence coins and even a cold shower are on the list.

However, none of these work. If you drink lots of coffee, you will be an ‘alert’ drunk. If you eat fry ups and takeaways, you’ll be a ‘full’ drunk. If you suck on a two pence coin, you will be a ‘silly’ drunk, and if you take a shower, you will be a ‘wet’ drunk.

Hey did you know?

Once you have drunk – don’t drive

Don’t try to sober up so you can drive home. There is no quick fix to becoming UN-DRUNK. You have to wait for the alcohol to leave your system and this can take hours. Instead of trying to drive, get a cab or a lift, and if necessary stay where you are overnight. You know it makes sense!

And finally…

Never offer an alcoholic drink to someone you know is planning to drive.

Never take a lift from a driver who you know or suspect has drunk alcohol.

Warning!