BREATHE EASY WITH A HOME BREATHALYSER
THE nearest pub to my house is three kilometres away, so I don’t go very often. The road is not well lit in places, and while there have been improvements to the footpaths over the years – as in, we actually got some – there still are stretches with no path at all. Add in the boy racers and walking in the dark is not worth the risk.
This is the case all over rural (and in my case, semi-rural) Ireland, and the lack of bus transport makes life difficult. On Thursday night, I met a friend for a couple of pints and had to take taxis each way, €7 there and €10 home. That’s 17 quid gone from the wallet before I even bought a drink.
One thing I never would consider though, not even for a second, is taking the car. The new drink-drive laws that came into effect in October sanction the automatic loss of your licence for three months if you’re even a tiny bit over the limit.
Astonishingly, new research from Red C, commissioned by Allianz, shows that 82% of drivers plan to drink alcohol over the Christmas period, but 35% are unfamiliar with the limits and the penalties. So, just to be sure, the legal limit for all drivers is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, and just 20mg for professionals such as bus drivers, goods vehicles and public service vehicles.
Loath though I am to give you guidelines, because your ability to process alcohol also depends on your weight, sex and whether or not you have eaten, that roughly equates to a pint of beer or a glass of wine (and that means a small, standard tulip glass, not the goldfish bowls people drink from nowadays).
To be honest, I think that’s just teasing yourself, and I wouldn’t bother at all, opting instead for alcohol-free lager. Where you really have to be careful is the next morning. Your body can process one unit an hour, and there are up to three units in a pint, depending on its strength. If you have three pints and go to bed at midnight, you quite likely will be over the limit driving to work next morning.
To be safe, test yourself. If someone you know is stuck for a present for you this Christmas, gently hint at the best one of all, a home breathalyser.
Never mind your licence – it could save your life.