How many drinks take you over the limit.

How many drinks take you over the limit.

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Discussion

Sheepshanks

32,531 posts

118 months

Tuesday 18th October 2016
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paulwirral said:
Ask your self this , if i drove down your street and ran your parent , child , partner or whatever over and left them in a wheelchair for you to see everyday and i had consumed alcohol but passed a breath test , would you shake my hand and say " no probs mate , your obviously sober " or would you want my head on a plate ?
If the accident happened and you were stone-called sober would you expect a hand-shake and to be told "no probs"?

paulwirral

3,104 posts

134 months

Tuesday 18th October 2016
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
paulwirral said:
Ask your self this , if i drove down your street and ran your parent , child , partner or whatever over and left them in a wheelchair for you to see everyday and i had consumed alcohol but passed a breath test , would you shake my hand and say " no probs mate , your obviously sober " or would you want my head on a plate ?
If the accident happened and you were stone-called sober would you expect a hand-shake and to be told "no probs"?
Im guessing you know what I meant but I'll correct myself and say the pedestrian was at fault regardless .

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Tuesday 18th October 2016
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Johnnytheboy said:
But then, how often has anyone here been breathalysed?
wavey I have, after my steering failed and I shut the M5.

Mechanical failure of a steering component rather than my own driving (but still a brown trousers moment, spinning across all 3 lanes!) and fortunately amidst all the damaged cars were precisely zero damaged people. One of the police told me they breathalysed everyone after such an incident. I hadn't been drinking for several days so I knew I was happy with that. The rest was all down to swapping insurers.

Derek Smith

45,514 posts

247 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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I went on a course to be an instructor for the substantive breath test machine used at the police station.

The last evening was given over to practicals, the students drinking and then testing one another on the machine.

Not scientific I know but according to the instructors our results were identical to all the other courses'.

So here they are:

Everyone felt that they were unable to drive safely before they were over the limit.

The woman in our group had a higher reading and for longer on the same alcohol intake as any man.

The fit chap, who ran marathons, note the plural, peaked early and was the first person to go over the limit. And serve him right for being so thin. His reading dropped quicker than anyone else's. He had a hell of a hangover the next day, so good news all round.

The rugby player, an ex forward, who drank a lot in any case, was the one who drank most before stating he would not drive, yet he was under the 35 limit, although only just.

I'm tee-total and so was an observer and then tester. The behaviour of the crew deteriorated as the evening went on. I would not have been happy to have been driven by any of them after two pints. The next day some did not believe me when I told them what they'd been doing.

One bloke didn't eat an evening meal and instead had two or three shorts then had a number of pints. He blew well under right up until 1 am when I went to bed. The next morning he blew positive and not only felt unfit to drive but unfit to stand. We were told that the neat alcohol had 'stunned' the sphincter muscle at the bottom of his stomach so stopping the alcohol getting through to the intestines and slowing its ingestion. Rather sadly, he said that it was a shame that it didn't have the same effect on the one at the other end of his digestive system.

No one was fit to drive after two pints. Coordination was, quite clearly, a dim memory. The room was deliberately left cluttered and whilst a course to the machine was easy enough to find when sober it proved a difficulty when two pints were consumed. One bloke threw a chair across the room in frustration. Yet he had no recollection of it the following morning. He was of the opinion that he wasn't badly affected and that at two pints no one could tell he'd been drinking.

If you are fit and carry little fat, you will tend to peak quicker and higher than, say, a rugby forward.

If you are a woman, well tough. You have to drink less than men.

I think the little test of having to negotiate the clutter showed that their behaviour had changed. When just sitting down and chatting they just got a bit louder and laughed more.

One remarkable thing was that there were memory problems in most. I would mention one particular test when they struggled to blow for some reason and they would not remember it.

I know it is easy for someone who hasn't had a drink since April 1979 to say this, but that doesn't make me wrong:

Your behaviour will change after just one pint. This is observable.

The final day's test was established to ensure that we did not return with the feeling that getting a drink driver off the road was less important than nicking a thief.

Do not drink and drive. You put you and yours at risk but, more importantly, you put me and mine at risk also.

Bottoms up.


joshleb

1,544 posts

143 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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I got pulled out on and I had nowhere to go a few years ago on a Sunday morning.

I had finished drinking at midnight, and had a couple of pints and a couple of vodka cokes up to then.

Breathalyser was at 11ish, and even though I felt perfectly fine, I was absolutely bricking it.

Breathalyser came up 0, but the Officer could tell I was nervous, definitely taught me a lesson there!


blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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Derek Smith said:
We were told that the neat alcohol had 'stunned' the sphincter muscle at the bottom of his stomach so stopping the alcohol getting through to the intestines and slowing its ingestion. Rather sadly, he said that it was a shame that it didn't have the same effect on the one at the other end of his digestive system.
This is true. Alcohol is mostly absorbed from the first part of your small intestine (the bit just after your stomach). While some alcohol is absorbed from the stomach, this is minimal- people with their stomachs surgically removed get drunk very quickly.

Alcohol poisoning admissions often occur when someone's started on spirits, paralysing that sphincter. They keep drinking more shots until the weight of spirits (or following beer) forces it through the sphincter, and all the alcohol hits the small intestine rapidly. The person involved then often falls over.

Derek Smith said:
The final day's test was established to ensure that we did not return with the feeling that getting a drink driver off the road was less important than nicking a thief.

Do not drink and drive. You put you and yours at risk but, more importantly, you put me and mine at risk also.
Amen to that.

croyde

Original Poster:

22,702 posts

229 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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Christ! So spirits are like a form of immodium.

No wonder they help calm my nerves.

stuart-b

3,643 posts

225 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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Derek Smith said:
Interesting stuff
Interesting to read but also equally frustrating as I find your tone quite condescending, but maybe that's just me.
The part about the chap throwing the chair, it's almost written as a confirmation of standard behaviour.
I appreciate you don't drink, but your style of communicating would lead me to the conclusion you don't, even if you hadn't mentioned it.

Derek Smith

45,514 posts

247 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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stuart-b said:
Interesting to read but also equally frustrating as I find your tone quite condescending, but maybe that's just me.
The part about the chap throwing the chair, it's almost written as a confirmation of standard behaviour.
I appreciate you don't drink, but your style of communicating would lead me to the conclusion you don't, even if you hadn't mentioned it.
My apologies for my tone. I don't mean to be condescending.

When I first gave up drinking I was more than a little miffed, a sort of 'Why me', especially when out with a group. However, people act stupidly when they've had a couple of pints or more. I got fed up with being told what a great guy I was, and being told what my problem was. I'd end up talking with others who were sober, and I met some fascinating people at parties and such that way. It is impossible to fight against the feeling of not wasting time and money. It was easy to feel superior.

I've got over most of it but there is one thing which still get to me, and strongly. I've dealt with drunks and drunkenness for 30 years or so. I dealt with the fallout. At road traffic accidents we always used to bag the person who was behaving selfishly, or like a prat. The evidence is overwhelming that even a pint of beer affects behaviour. There is no argument, but you get people on threads such as this who suggest that for some strange metaphysical reason, they are exempt from the law of chemistry when it comes to drinking and driving. So perhaps I went in a bit heavy. Sorry.

I just want to emphasise that drinking and driving is selfish.


jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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Derek Smith said:
I

Your behaviour will change after just one pint. This is observable.

The final day's test was established to ensure that we did not return with the feeling that getting a drink driver off the road was less important than nicking a thief.

Do not drink and drive. You put you and yours at risk but, more importantly, you put me and mine at risk also.

Bottoms up.

Seemed OK to me, not condescending. But as voluntary abstainer myself this is certainly observable after one pint. Conversations the day after are "we had a great time" to which I ask which bit? The answer is "er"....

I usually leave when the decibel level in very repeated conversation mixed with expletives reaches a certain point.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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croyde said:
Christ! So spirits are like a form of immodium.

No wonder they help calm my nerves.
No, not your arse; the outlet to your stomach that goes into your intestine, although I daresay it would work on the external outlet too if you had a whisky enema. Bit of a waste though.

I think they're more like an anaesthetic, in how they dull feeling, neat spirits seem to work in that way in your mouth.

Pieman68

4,264 posts

233 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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I always stick with zero to be on the safe side

In answer to the question about being breathalysed - twice for me

First time was after meeting up with my mates at the pub for a catch up. Left at closing time and was pulled 200 yards down the road. Was only drinking water as had a fasting blood test the next morning so blew a zero

Second time was when my car pinged ANPR for no insurance on way to work on a Monday morning. Showed him proof of insurance and he decided that he could smell something, so got me to blow. Again, blew a zero

I got used to not drinking around cars back when we were rallying. Not even worth risking one the night before when competing so just didn't and still don't.

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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I was busted for drink driving a few years ago - 4 times the limit. Stupid as anything, I was only going about half a mile but had broken my toe so couldn't walk it.
2 year ban reduced to 18 months, and the drink driving awareness course.
ALMOST lost my job, but they needed me at work as I was the only one who could run our systems. So the apprentice got the job of driving me around.
The course was actually very interesting - around 56% of people are busted the morning after - because when you drove home at 3am the roads were empty. Swerve all over the place, not a problem. But the next day, if some old biddy bumps into you in rush hour, you are both breathalysed and that's when the "morning after" people get caught.
I've since obtained a police breathalyser (from a cop who used to teach other cops how to breathalyse people and took a couple of breathalysers home with him when he retired).
I can drink 4 pints, and still be under the limit - just under it. But I wouldn't drive, I know I'm not fully capable.
My brother, on the other hand (not a big drinker), is over the limit after 2 pints.
It depends very much on your body composition, liver health, and a billion other things.
I'm still a heavy drinker, but 2 pints is my absolute limit for driving - that puts me just under half the legal limit.
And the breathalyser has to be calibrated every year or 300 blows, whichever comes first, at a cost of £300!

guindilias

5,245 posts

119 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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Crumpet said:
Out of interest, does anyone know if the police will breathalyse you on request? Say you've been to a pub in town and had a couple and wanted to know if you were legal to drive. I realise it's absolutely not their job to do that and people should take responsibility for their own actions, but just wondered if they'd offer the 'service' if you asked.
They do if you ask nicely - pop into the police station and get tested on their intoximeter. But, bear in mind that your alcohol level may still be rising, if you have eaten and then had a few - food slows down the absorption of alcohol, so there may be another 2 pints in you just waiting to get into your bloodstream.

jamoor

14,506 posts

214 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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They really ought to just make it zero like some other countries.

Then you will only get the gang that are going to drink and drive regardless rather than the ones that will try to be under the limit and still drive.

randlemarcus

13,507 posts

230 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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jamoor said:
They really ought to just make it zero like some other countries.

Then you will only get the gang that are going to drink and drive regardless rather than the ones that will try to be under the limit and still drive.
Or the ones who have a natural blood alcohol level.



Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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paulwirral said:
Sheepshanks said:
paulwirral said:
Ask your self this , if i drove down your street and ran your parent , child , partner or whatever over and left them in a wheelchair for you to see everyday and i had consumed alcohol but passed a breath test , would you shake my hand and say " no probs mate , your obviously sober " or would you want my head on a plate ?
If the accident happened and you were stone-called sober would you expect a hand-shake and to be told "no probs"?
Im guessing you know what I meant but I'll correct myself and say the pedestrian was at fault regardless .
I'm confused.

If you ran over my partner I'd be devastated. If you were found to be under the drink drive limit I'd still be devastated. If you were over the limit, I'd be angry and devastated. What are you getting at?

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
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You can get low or zero alcohol beers but your taste buds will hate you.

The only one which tastes pretty good is Brewdog Nanny State which has 0.5% volume.

In the past I would have a lager shandy with a meal and drive but as mentioned here in Scotland it really is not worth it.

One very grey area is taking cough mixture or other remedies which have alcohol included.

I was taking a herbal remedy bought from a retail shop for stress which was in liquid form. Take 2-3 drops 3 times a day it said. Read the label and it was 95% alcohol.

Also there is the drug testing which can catch out people on tablets from the doctor.

Prescription drugs covered by the new law.

Clonazepam is prescribed to treat seizures or panic disorders
Diazepam is used for anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms or muscle spasms
Flunitrazepam (also known as Rohypnol) is a sedative originally used in hospitals for deep sedation in the 1970s
Lorazepam is used to treat convulsions or seizures caused by epilepsy
Oxazepam is used to relieve anxiety, including anxiety caused by alcohol withdrawal
Temazepam affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause insomnia problems
Methadone is used in the treatment of heroin addiction and for pain relief
Morphine or opiates treat moderate to severe pain

paulwirral

3,104 posts

134 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
paulwirral said:
Sheepshanks said:
paulwirral said:
Ask your self this , if i drove down your street and ran your parent , child , partner or whatever over and left them in a wheelchair for you to see everyday and i had consumed alcohol but passed a breath test , would you shake my hand and say " no probs mate , your obviously sober " or would you want my head on a plate ?
If the accident happened and you were stone-called sober would you expect a hand-shake and to be told "no probs"?
Im guessing you know what I meant but I'll correct myself and say the pedestrian was at fault regardless .
I'm confused.

If you ran over my partner I'd be devastated. If you were found to be under the drink drive limit I'd still be devastated. If you were over the limit, I'd be angry and devastated. What are you getting at?
Pedestrian at fault , driver not guilty of anything if sober , kid runs in front of car that's travelling at 20mph in a 30 zone scenario . Yes , you'd be devasted , but if the driver was sober and not guilty of anything other than driving home you'd have to say it was a terrible accident , however , if the same driver had drank a couple of pints and blown legal , it would still be a terrible accident but I'm guessing you would always wonder if the booze played a part ?
I never mentioned anyone over the limit , driver legally under the limit but still had a couple of beers . you've not been drinking have you ?

Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Wednesday 19th October 2016
quotequote all
paulwirral said:
Disastrous said:
paulwirral said:
Sheepshanks said:
paulwirral said:
Ask your self this , if i drove down your street and ran your parent , child , partner or whatever over and left them in a wheelchair for you to see everyday and i had consumed alcohol but passed a breath test , would you shake my hand and say " no probs mate , your obviously sober " or would you want my head on a plate ?
If the accident happened and you were stone-called sober would you expect a hand-shake and to be told "no probs"?
Im guessing you know what I meant but I'll correct myself and say the pedestrian was at fault regardless .
I'm confused.

If you ran over my partner I'd be devastated. If you were found to be under the drink drive limit I'd still be devastated. If you were over the limit, I'd be angry and devastated. What are you getting at?
Pedestrian at fault , driver not guilty of anything if sober , kid runs in front of car that's travelling at 20mph in a 30 zone scenario . Yes , you'd be devasted , but if the driver was sober and not guilty of anything other than driving home you'd have to say it was a terrible accident , however , if the same driver had drank a couple of pints and blown legal , it would still be a terrible accident but I'm guessing you would always wonder if the booze played a part ?
I never mentioned anyone over the limit , driver legally under the limit but still had a couple of beers . you've not been drinking have you ?
Oh, I see. If he blew legal then no, no I wouldn't think booze was involved, especially if pedestrian was at fault. You might as well try and work out how tired or stressed or whatever the driver was as well, if you're going down that route.