I see tv shows where police officers get together for drinks after work......and I'm guessing (you) don't have a designated driver.
I get upset if my boyfriend has 1 beer and gets behind the wheel.
Help me ease my fears......how many is too many?
What would you personally stop at?
FYI He has DUI's in his past.....before he met me.
2006-09-20 15:18:17 · 15 answers · asked by beth81962 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I'll give 10 points to the first person in law enforcement.....so far I have doubts that anyone who's answered, is.
2006-09-20 15:39:42 · update #1
First off, television is only there to entertain, very little of what you see on cop shows is actually the way it happens.
Yes, I've gone out with other officers after shift to the bar or a club. It isn't an all the time thing, but it happens after a particularly stressful day sometimes. Generally, I'm a designated driver. I just don't like drinking all that much, so I volunteer for the job.
As for how much is too much, each state sets its own "bright line" standard with the BAC percentage. But for most states, the percentage is to a point where most people are obviously impaired even below that level. But how much impairs a person depends on a few things. Someone who drinks a lot may be able to function very well after more than a few beers. Someone who rarely drinks may get drunk off one wine cooler. Body size/mass also comes into play. It takes more to get a big person drunk than it does a small one. And there are some people who have a naturally high or low tolerance to alcohol.
A few other things taken into account is the amount of time after drinking that he is driving and whether or not he has eaten in the last short while. Having one beer over an hour with a solid meal will probably not affect an experienced drinker very much. That same beer in 10 minutes or without any food could be a different story. It basically comes down to if the person's judgements and reaction time have been affected, and that isn't something that will be the same with every person.
But given the information that your boyfriend has a history of DUI's, I would venture a guess that his judgement is somewhat lacking as to when he has had enough. If you feel that he is not up to driving, let him know. Have him drink a beer at the house and then give him a few simple tests to check out his reaction time, judgement, and coordination. If he has problems focusing, reacts slowly, has poor coordination, has to think a little longer than usual about a simple question, then he shouldn't be driving. If he reacts the same as he would when he hasn't had anything to drink, he's probably okay after just one. But if you're not sure, it's better to err on the side of caution. A little money for cab fare isn't much compared to the potential costs of driving when you are impaired.
2006-09-20 16:58:00 · answer #1 · answered by RJ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your body burns.02 % of Alcohol in 1 hour. .02= 1 beer,1 glass of wine,1 shot (80 proof).If you drink 4 beers in 1 hour your BAC (blood Alcohol content) will be .08,if you stop there it will be .06 1 hour later,.04 1 hr later ,so on&so on. The legal limit varies from state to state In NY where I am a Police Officer it's .08 .Just because someone is a Police Officer doesn't allow them to skirt the law.If a Cop is driving Drunk and he kills/hurts someone then he is f...ed,as he should be. There is something called "Common Law "drunk driving. If the person is not a .08 and still is exihibiting signs of being drunk then the officer can charge the common law drunk citing the persons inability to pass the sobrity tests. This is very difficult to hold up in court. If he has a DUI in the past he should just STOP drinking for a while.If your boyfriend can't stop then he should think about entering into an AA program.
2006-09-21 02:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Too many" is dependant on so many variables that one cannot honestly say an accurate number. How much food you have eaten before/while drinking, how much you weigh, male or female are all contributing factors as to what is too much. Anything above .08 is considered legally drunk and from that level and up, you can be arrested regardless of how well you perform field sobriety tests. That being said, you cannot just say that you feel fine so you are not drunk. I have had people blow over .10 and seem more sober than I am and some people blow .05 and barely able to talk. The best thing for him to do if he is drinking is to ensure that he has a designated driver or cut off at one, especially if he has prior DUI's. Anything over .04 (I believe) falls to the officers discretion and if he has priors, then he is more apt to be hammered than he is to be let off the hook. I know that is wrong, but that is the way a lot of officers work. Good luck to you in the future and hopefully he will make the right deisions in regards to his drinking.
2006-09-20 16:58:00 · answer #3 · answered by HBPD 126 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Blood alcohol level is measured based on body weight and amount of alcohol consumed in a certain period of time. If your boyfriend has one beer, he most likely couldn't be legally drunk, but there are exceptions. Depending on where he drives and what he drives, he could arrested. For example, in many states, if you operate a tractor-trailer, your BAC can be no higher than 0.02%, which can be a single beer for someone. School bus drivers in many states can't have any percentage. So, if you want to play it safe, don't drive if you plan on having beers or other alcoholic beverages. Cops that drink and drive aren't smart, and they don't always get away with it. If they kill someone, they go to jail just like everyone else. I've been in law enforcement for 16 years, and I've seen plenty of cops go to jail...
2006-09-20 15:25:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well in most states it is 0.08 BAC ....if any higher it is illegal 0.08 is not even a whole beer so I would say if were to go out and drink I would not drive even if I only had one drink. If i go out and drink i do have a designated driver...btw not all officers are that stupid to drink and drive just because they are the law....an officer off duty can get pulled over too.
2006-09-20 15:22:38 · answer #5 · answered by lildevilchild_87 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im NOT a cop but I had 4 beers and blew a .04 but it depends on you body weight or the person and how far between drinks I had the four beers over a three hour period... Illegal in SD is .08
2006-09-20 15:20:38 · answer #6 · answered by rapid57702 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One, what the cop said is bull. I know of ppl who blew twice the legal limit and yet passed the soberity test. Two...if you have one...you have had to many to drive. Ask any mother who has lost a child, or someone who has lost a friend to d/d. Never drive after drinking, why take that chance.
2006-09-20 15:23:59 · answer #7 · answered by spunkyshell2000 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
TV = Make believe
Real Life = Real Life
As for how many is too many, that really depends on the individual.
2006-09-20 15:20:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
post duty policemen also needs a drink after work like you and me and they are also pulled over if suspected of DUI. they dont use police cars to go to the bar!
2006-09-20 15:27:21 · answer #9 · answered by lisette 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
anything more than 2 beers is over the limit.. 1 beer is legal.. this is also dependent upon body weight
2006-09-20 15:26:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋