It so happened in Russia, and in many other countries, that during friendly meetings, dates, parties and other celebrations, it is customary to drink alcohol. They help people relax, have fun, make new friends. But when the holiday ends and the time of work comes, many people have questions about how much alcohol is in the blood and how long after drinking it can you drive.
This article has collected all the information about the permissible doses, the timing of their removal from the body, as well as how to quickly get rid of alcohol intoxication.
Minimum Dose Changing Behavior
The human body is not designed to have alcohol in the blood, which changes consciousness and disrupts the stable operation of all systems. And do not think that a little is not considered. Any dose of alcohol, even “for shine in the eyes,” is reflected in the mental state of the drinker. Just depending on what the blood alcohol content is, the signs may be more or less obvious to others. For example, a glass of vodka has an effect, but its effects are not visible to the naked eye, but a drunk glass of this drink can easily distinguish between a sober and a drunk.
Signs indicating a state of intoxication
The following criteria indicate an elevated blood alcohol content:
- complete or partial spatial disorientation;
- impaired coordination of movements: staggering, winding gait, falls;
- inhibition of speech, confusion of thoughts, forgetfulness, decrease in intellectual level;
- hearing loss, decreased sensitivity, decreased sense of smell.
All this happens due to the fact that certain parts of the brain begin to work more slowly due to intoxication with ethanol. That is why workers whose activities depend on quick decision-making and clear, coordinated movements are not allowed to drink alcohol at all.
Alcohol in the blood causes multiple accidents, drunken fights and showdowns, executions of innocent people. And how many stupid things and rash acts are done! It is proved that in addition to the inhibited brain processes, a drunk person also has an inadequate perception of the situation and his own abilities. Under the influence of alcohol, it seems to the driver that he owns the car perfectly, no worse than Formula 1 drivers, and he carefully monitors the situation on the road.
Allowed Blood Alcohol
The most common task of a forensic laboratory is to determine the amount of alcohol in the blood. To carry out this study, the sampling of genetic material is necessary, but, in principle, it is possible to find out whether a person drank or not, without laboratories. A rather simple device has been invented that gives an instant answer to a question of interest - this is a breathalyzer, and it not only determines the fact of drinking, but also shows how much alcohol is in the blood. The principle of his work is that he analyzes the vapors coming in with the exhaled air. The testimony of this device is not as accurate as a blood test, but in most cases its results are enough to detain a drunk driver or a public disorder.
Russian lawmakers are constantly arguing about whether there is alcohol in the blood of drivers, and if so, in what quantity.The bar then drops to zero, then rises again to the minimum acceptable level. But this does not mean that drivers can drink alcohol at the wheel or shortly before getting behind it. The allowed tenths of a ppm is projected primarily on the inaccurate operation of the breathalyzer and on endogenous alcohol (in some people it is constantly present in minimal amounts, since, as a chemical element, it is synthesized in the body, regardless of whether a person drinks or not).
As laboratory studies have shown, an alcohol level of 0.2-0.3 ppm does not worsen concentration of attention and coordination. But it’s better if there are only crystal clear sober drivers on the roads.
Complete elimination of ethanol from the body
Many drivers and pedestrians forget that alcohol in the blood lasts quite a long time. There is an opinion that if you drink before midnight and then go to bed, then after 8 hours you can safely drive. Of course, if we are talking about a bottle of beer, then it is possible, but if on the eve there was a serious feast with strong alcoholic drinks, then you should not think about any driving trip in the morning.
In addition, the gender of the drinker affects how much alcohol is held in the blood. That dose of ethanol, which will be excreted from the male body in 2 hours, will be excreted from the female after 5-6 hours. So, for example, a drunk glass of cognac will lead to intoxication of a man for 2 hours, and a glass of wine drunk by a lady will leave a mark in her blood for the next 7 hours. The more drunk glasses and glasses, the longer the time to remove alcohol from the body.
Fast ways to reduce alcohol intoxication
There are a number of ways that can lower your blood alcohol. For such purposes, special medicines have been developed, and there are also a couple of tips from traditional medicine.
Experienced people recommend drinking a glass of sunflower oil. The process is rather unpleasant, but effective. More gentle methods are also possible: strong sweet tea or coffee, a Russian bath. The latter option is permissible only with a healthy cardiovascular system, otherwise unforeseen reactions of the body are possible. The opposite option is also dangerous: an ice or contrast shower. If a person has lost consciousness, then before the ambulance arrives, his ears should be rubbed. A rush of blood helps to reduce the severity of intoxication. But in order not to resort to these methods of sobering up, it is better to immediately control alcohol in the blood and monitor your well-being. For such purposes, you can purchase a pocket breathalyzer.
"Have a bite" and "time to freshen up"
These catchphrases are known to all drinkers and sober-minded people. It has long been noticed that drinking alcohol in a stuffy bar without a good snack leads to people getting drunk quickly, while alcohol taken in the fresh air during a lavish feast, intoxicates the participants of the event much more slowly. All this is due to the fact that alcohol is absorbed worse when it is ingested with food.
Alcohol immunity
Each person has their own resistance to the amount of alcohol. Therefore, the same dose of drunk on different people has a different effect. Medicine has established a lethal dose of alcohol - it is 3.8 ppm and higher. This is 3-4 bottles of vodka.
Nevertheless, the world knows cases when much larger doses were drunk, and the "heroes" remained not only alive, but also in consciousness. So, for example, in a 67-year-old Bulgarian pedestrian knocked down by a car, 9.14 ppm of alcohol was found in the blood. At the same time, he talked rather coherently and built logical chains.
How much alcohol is held in the blood depends on a number of factors:
- volume of drink consumed;
- gender, weight and age of the drinker;
- metabolic rate in the body;
- which alcoholic drink is consumed;
- the person began to drink on an empty stomach or not, does he have a bite in the process;
- emotional state and reason;
- the quality of alcohol and food consumed.
It should be remembered that the more weight, the slower the person gets drunk, but the longer ethanol is excreted from the body.
Alcohol and pregnancy
More recently, it was believed that the interesting position of women is not a reason to completely eliminate alcohol from your diet. Even evidence was provided that it is useful to drink a glass of red wine from time to time. A tolerable alcohol dose for pregnant women has been developed. According to these figures, a woman can periodically consume 0.33 liters of beer, 1/4 liter of wine or 70 g of vodka.
In the 21st century, doctors changed their minds: there is no acceptable dose of alcohol for pregnant women, because ethanol in any quantities passes through the placenta unhindered. And this can cause many pathologies, congenital diseases, deformities and even death of the child. During lactation, alcohol is also unacceptable.
You must always remember that alcohol is poison, and its use is voluntary poisoning and self-destruction. Love yourself, choose a long and healthy life!
