How to Sober Up

Many of us have had the experience of indulging at a party to the point that we are obviously impaired and unable to drive safely.  During such a situation, it can be tempting to look for a quick solution, especially if we feel we must drive for some reason.  There are many myths about how to sober up, and while some of them may make us feel better temporarily, they do not actually affect blood alcohol content.

We’re all pretty familiar with these myths as well — but we may not know just how inaccurate they are.  The danger of these techniques is that we can trick ourselves into feeling ready to drive, but that feeling may not be accurate or may pass, or we could be stopped by an officer for any reason (including a random checkpoint) and still face DWI charges.  Remember, in the US, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher, no matter how well you are doing at driving.  Officers do not need to observe suspicious behavior to arrest you for a DWI.

The myths include:

• Exercising or doing anything that causes you to “sweat out” the alcohol
• Getting fresh air
• Eating starchy foods will absorb and neutralize the alcohol
• Perhaps most commonly, drinking coffee or other caffeine

It’s fine to use these techniques to help yourself feel better — though be aware that exercise could dehydrate you and make you feel worse the next day — but it’s important that you not drive until you have employed the only true sobering-up technique: waiting it out.  You must wait a minimum of 45 minutes per serving of alcohol before your blood alcohol content will be in a safe range.  This varies by individual, so waiting an hour or more would be more safe.

You may now be facing a DWI because you tried one of these sobering-up tricks and found it did not work.  Whatever the circumstances of your case, the San Antonio DWI defense attorneys can help.  Contact our dedicated lawyers at the Law Offices of Chris S. Barnett by calling 210-587-6464 today.