I need to ask a question

[DeltaDelta]

I feel its a question i should automatically know the answer to but actually don't. I can't ask anyone in rl because they will probably be shocked. So here goes:

I hardly drink. The reason i say 'hardly' is because i've probably had the equivalent of 1 glass of wine this yr. I never drink beer. I have a teaspoon of gin if i feel a chill coming on. That's it.

My question is:

Do people say "don't drink and drive" because they want to be on the safe side as most people will go over the alcohol limit set by law OR does the law actually say to never ever drink if you are going to drive?

The law has a set limit of alcohol that can be detected in blood but personallh I would not drink at all. We all break down alcohol differently and it would be very difficult to accurately know that you were not over limit. Theres a lot of factors involved

I don't feel safe driving if I've drunk anything. Some people are perfectly fine after a glass of wine or a pint. I abstain completely if driving. (Have been known to cave and abandon the car in favour if taxi!)

My opinion is that one drink does not make me feel any better by itself. I'm no alcoholic but I need a few drinks for it to be worthwhile. Therefore if I'm driving then I won't drink any alcohol. It's not worth the risk.

For me it falls into the category of 'better safe than sorry '.

I don’t drive if I’m intending to have a drink and have never done so. It’s jusy not worth it for me. I could probably legally have one drink, though as alcohol affects people differently, I don’t want to find out.

Okay, so i'm understanding that actually there is an 'alcohol limit', if you are driving but people prefer to just not drink at all to be safe, which is sensible.

If you drink that rarely, you're tolerance is bound to be really low so in your shoes, I wouldn't chance it even after one.

It depends on the timing too, OP. You usually metabolise about one unit of alcohol per hour, so if you had one small drink at the start of a meal out or a social event, you’d be ok to drive a couple of hours later.

My thyroid is dead, which means I have no real metabolism. Mine is unreliable (weight up and down, and so is my body temperature, etc) and I rely on medication to keep me alive because of this. I rarely drink, and when I do, I know I feel the affects of alcohol more quickly than regular people - (ie - I pretty much get tired before I finish the second drink.) Because of this, I know if I were to have one glass of wine, I wouldn't metabolise it normally. I wouldn't trust myself to have normal reflexes, and I certainly wouldn't drive afterwards. I am fairly confident that if I were to be breathalyzed, I would blow over the limit, but it is the knowledge that I could potentially be a lethal weapon that is first in mind that stops me from driving after a glass of wine.

Thanks very much for all this information. I'm still reading.

But, a teaspoon of gin when you feel a chill coming on?! I’m so confused by this! Can you explain that for us please?

The amount you can drink before exceeding the legal limit is different for everyone. A small person who drinks one glass of wine will have a higher blood alcohol level than a large person who drinks the same glass of wine. It’s impossible to recommend an amount that’s safe for everyone, the only safe amount is “none”.

Teaspoon of gin if you feel a chill coming on?

I don't drink hardly at all - one glass of wine at christmas is about my limit - and I would never ever drink if I was driving.

There is a blood alcohol limit for alcohol in your blood if you go above it you are breaking the law if you drive (different in Scotland to the rest of the UK) but that measured limit is different in every person, so you can't say one glass of wine is fine or two is ok or whatever.

I don't know about the rest of the country, but the drink drive limits were reduced in Scotland four years ago. Previously, if I was going out for dinner and it was going to be all evening before I was driving, I might have had a small glass of wine. With the new limit, I don't have any alcohol if I'm driving. It's not worth putting someone else at risk (or yourself).