There’s nothing wrong with putting a little pep in your step after a long day at work. Sometimes, that peppy feeling comes from a beer or mixed drink, but now we also have energy drinks to get us up and moving after clocking out. As an innovative and industrial society, we have quickly combined those two different drink types into a lively potion, resulting in better times at the bar and more DUI danger on the roads.
Welcome to one of the worst ways to be safe and responsible when drinking.
Alcohol relaxes the body and mind, causing a steep decline in executive function with every drink consumed. Inhibitions are lowered, reflexes are slowed, and personal beliefs in dance skills are enhanced. At around three normal drinks, a person can reach the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for a DUI or drunk driving conviction.
When those three servings are combined with energy drinks, you get to experience same effects of the alcohol at a vastly different level. The energy drink makes you feel less intoxicated, so you are more likely to drink more alcohol to experience the same buzz you are used to with regular mixers. You may honestly believe you are okay to drive, and while your mind may feel more alert, you are still over the legal BAC limit. That peppy drink combination just steered you into a DUI, car breathalyzer requirement and maybe even jail time.
Energy drinks aren’t the only mixers that up the effects of alcohol, but they are among the most warned against because of health and safety issues associated with the blend. If you plan to drink, always have a safe and responsible way to get home, and maybe save the energy drinks for the next day when you can fully appreciate the pep in your step.
Oklahoma Affirms Car Breathalyzer OK Under New Law