Austin TX DWI Lawyers - Ian Inglis

Intoxication and the Legal Limit

The view that drinking alcohol is akin to tasting “forbidden fruit” has persisted in popular culture for decades, giving rise to a sort of mystique and social distinction at the same time as it fosters the spread of inaccurate – and often dangerous – myths about the biological and social effects of alcohol consumption.

Myth #1 – Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower helps you sober up.

Intoxication occurs when alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and begins to affect brain functions. The absorption process is gradual, and can take place over several hours. At the same time, the body is actively working to rid itself of the alcohol at a rate approximately equal to one beer an hour. This slow, natural process is the only way to sober up. Coffee and cold showers may give the illusion of alertness, but do absolutely nothing to mitigate the intoxicating effects of alcohol.

Myth #2 – Eating a large meal before drinking keeps you from getting drunk.

As mentioned above, there is a gradual rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. Prior to being absorbed, alcohol has no intoxicating effect on the body. The presence of food in the stomach does, in fact, slow down the process of alcohol absorption, but it does not prevent it. Eating before drinking alcohol only delays the onset of intoxication.

Myth #3 – Alcohol has a universal effect on people.

There is no magic formula for determining an individual’s reaction to alcohol. A person could drink one beer and become intoxicated, or drink 10 and feel no effects at all. There is simply no way to tell for sure. Science tells us, however, that factors such as age, weight, and sex do tend to influence a person’s alcohol tolerance.

To learn more about the truth of alcohol and DWI, contact Austin DWI lawyer Ian Inglis at 512-472-1950.