Drinkaware, the national, independent charity, working to promote public health and reduce alcohol harm is providing the public with tips to have a safe May Bank Holiday.
With the long weekend approaching, Drinkaware wants to remind people of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking, highlighting the Drinkaware drinks calculator as a useful tool to keep track of how many drinks you have had and providing an estimation of how long it will take your body to process alcohol.
Figures from An Garda Síochána revealed that over the May bank holiday weekend in 2022, there were 146 arrests for drink/drug driving (88 alcohol/58 drugs).
The tips include:
It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink
An average pint of beer equals two standard drinks.
Alcohol levels continue to rise for hours after consuming the drink of choice.
The only way to remove alcohol from your system is time, no amount of food or water will speed up the process.
The processing time starts from when the last drink is finished.
Alternate every drink for a glass of water
Don’t top up your glass, let yourself finish the drink before pouring another
Set a spending limit and stick to it
Plan a safe route home before you go out.
