An Old Wives’ Tale
“I had a few drinks but I also had a really big dinner so I’m okay to drive.”
Have you ever heard someone say something like this? It is a commonly held belief that eating lowers your blood alcohol concentration (BAC); it doesn’t. That is an old wives’ tale.
The truth is much simpler: drunk is drunk. As a rule of thumb, the average person’s BAC increase by about 0.02-0.03 per drink, and they will metabolize that same alcohol by about 0.015 per hour. This varies based on the size and metabolism of the person. So if you have three drinks over dinner – a cocktail while you wait for your food, beer with dinner and then a desert wine – then you BAC could easily be 0.09.
Legal Limit in Utah
In Utah, the legal limit is 0.05, and after that dinner, you’re well over the limit. If dinner was two hours long, your BAC could be as low as 0.06 but that is still over the legal limit; if you drive, you’re DUI. It will not matter how big that dinner was. It will not matter how full your belly is. And it will not matter how sober you feel. The police officer will still smell alcohol on your breath and arrest you for DUI.
The Truth
Where does this wives’ tale come from? The answer is simple: food competes with the alcohol in your metabolism so you feel less drunk even though your BAC is still climbing. In fact, eating can actually prolong how long your BAC remains over the limit because the food competes with the alcohol to be digested.
Decide if You Will Need a Ride Before you Drink
So when it comes to driving after having alcoholic drinks, never decide to drive based on how you feel. It is always best to have a ride if you are drinking any amount. But if you still want to drive home from dinner and drinks, decide based on how many drinks you actually had. More than one, and it is best to get a ride especially if you’re small. Remember, in Utah the legal BAC is much lower than in other states, and the police in Utah are unforgiving.