Drinking and then driving has never been a good idea.
Dr Robyn Holgate emphasised the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.
She said society needs to have zero tolerance for people who drive while under the influence of alcohol.
In addition, Dr Holgate said mild to moderate intoxication can impact a person in a number of ways. It could lead to mild incoordination, nystagmus (fast, involuntary movements of the eyes), ataxia (loss of full control of body movements) and slurred speech. A higher level of intoxication may lead to coma, respiratory depression and a drop in blood pressure. Loud, aggressive behaviour with the loss of inhibition may also occur as a result of alcohol consumption.
Dr Holgate said in South Africa, the legal limit is a breath alcohol content of 0.24mg per 1,000ml, or a blood alcohol limit of 0.05g per 100ml.
“The general rule of thumb is a maximum of one unit of alcohol per hour. However, to be safer if you are going to be driving, rather refrain from drinking any alcohol. Alcohol distorts a person’s judgement and perceptions, and also slows down reaction times,” she said.
“If you are ever in doubt about the serious consequences of driving while under the influence, volunteer for a shift at your local EMS or police service,” she said.
Dr Holgate said apart from witnessing how lives are torn apart, one will witness the difficulty paramedics experience when attending to an intoxicated patient. You will also experience the problems encountered by paramedics who try to attend to a patient in the company of an intoxicated, uninjured person on scene.
Gaining correct information from an intoxicated patient, such as how the incident happened, what they remember and contact details for family members who need to be informed of the patient’s injuries, is challenging. It is also difficult to gain information from an intoxicated patient on their medical conditions, as well as medication they are on.
Dr Holgate said people who consume alcohol should note that the rate at which a person becomes intoxicated varies. She said on average, it takes about one hour for the body to metabolise one unit of alcohol. However, this can vary based on body weight, sex, age, personal metabolic rate, recent food intake, the type and strength of the alcohol and medication taken.
She provided the following explanation:
- If a man and woman of the same weight were to drink the same amount of alcohol at the same rate, the woman would be more intoxicated than the man. This is due to gastric alcohol dehydrogenase concentration being significantly higher in men than in women. Gastric alcohol dehydrogenase is the enzyme that begins the break-down process of alcohol in the stomach. More alcohol makes its way to a woman’s small intestine for absorption. A woman ’s blood alcohol concentration increases by about seven percent more that a man. Women have a naturally higher percentage of body fat than men. This results in them having a higher blood alcohol level than men.
- An older person often has a higher fat-to-muscle ratio and less body water. As a result, when compared to a younger person with the same weight who has had the same amount to drink, they may have a higher amount of alcohol in their blood.
- The use of illicit drugs and medication such as antihistamines, pain relievers and antidepressants in conjunction with alcohol can increase the effect of the alcohol consumed. Drinking alcohol while on illicit, over-the-counter and prescription drugs can lead to illness or death.
- Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can affect a person more than if they were to eat before drinking liquor. The rate of alcohol absorption depends on how fast the stomach empties its contents into the intestines. Foods high in fat for example take longer to exit the stomach. If you eat before you consume alcohol, the alcohol will be absorbed slower than if you were to drink on an empty stomach.
- Alcohol may be metabolised more slowly if your liver function is impaired.
Dr Holgate said to calculate the number of units of alcohol you have consumed you need to multiply the volume of the drink (in millilitres) by its percentage alcohol by volume and divide by 1000 to determine the number of units of alcohol in the drink you had.
Information provided by ER24
