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Arrive Alive. Drive Sober.

In the past few decades there have been significant changes in public attitudes and behaviour regarding drinking and driving. Impaired driving, quite simply, is no longer socially acceptable, and Canadians are now more likely to avoid getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Tactics such as using a designated driver who abstains from drinking alcohol, taking a cab, or staying overnight have all contributed to a dramatic reduction in the number of deaths caused by impaired drivers.

Avoidable Accidents

Despite the progress that has been made, over 1,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents in Canada each year. Thousands more are injured and many become permanently disabled. The saddest statistic of all is that 100% of these accidents are entirely avoidable.

A study of the year-over-year statistics seem to indicate that we may have reached a plateau in Canada with regards to improving the situation and that our society may have become complacent. Indeed, the campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s seem to have dissuaded those who were easiest to reach and those who continue to engage in this illegal activity (the so-called "hard core" offenders) may constitute a high proportion of all alcohol-related problems.

However, Transport Canada estimates that there are 4.2 million trips each year during which the driver felt they were over the legal limit, which far exceeds the "hard core" offender group mentioned above. Additionally, impaired drivers continue to account for 29% of all driver fatalities in Canada - a number that is far too high considering how simple the solution seems to be.

There are definite cost implications to our society as a result of impaired driving. Estimates by Transport Canada suggest that the annual costs associated with health care, damaged property and lost wages resulting from crashes involving alcohol in Canada exceed $5 Billion annually¹.

¹ Statistics garnered from Smashed online magazine by Transport Canada. March 3, 2005.

The ABCs of Alcohol

Many people don't understand how much alcohol is too much and find it difficult to identify the point at which they've crossed the line. Others believe that drinking a cup of coffee or engaging in physical activity will immediately lower their blood alcohol level to an acceptable amount. But do these methods work and how many drinks can a person have before driving? While alcohol affects everyone differently, there must be factors that apply to everyone. And there are.

First of all, the term blood alcohol level (BAC) refers to the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. Canadian law specifies that the maximum allowable amount of alcohol in the bloodstream of a driver is 80 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood (.08).

Simply put, the more you drink, the higher your BAC. The higher your BAC, the more physically and mentally impaired you become. The more impaired you are, the higher your risk of a crash. If you drive with a BAC over .08, you are impaired and you are breaking the law.

When you have a drink, the alcohol is absorbed directly into your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine. Given enough time, alcohol is distributed evenly throughout your body and, like most things we eat or drink, alcohol must be broken down and eliminated. The liver is responsible for oxidizing (breaking down the alcohol into carbon dioxide and water) more than 90% of the alcohol, with the rest eliminated through the lungs and kidneys.

As you drink, alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream and your BAC rises quickly to a peak. If you stop drinking, your BAC levels off. It can remain the same for as long as an hour or two because alcohol is entering your bloodstream at the same rate as it is eliminated. Your BAC will then decline steadily by approximately .015 per hour. Of course, your peak does depend upon your weight, because blood volumes differ according to body weight and size. Larger persons generally have a greater volume of blood in which alcohol can be distributed. After drinking the same amount of alcohol, a person weighing 68 kg (150 lb.) will generally have a higher peak BAC than a person of the same sex weighing 80 kg (175 lb.).

Muscle tissue contains larger amounts of blood than fatty tissue. The more muscular or lean your body is, the greater volume of body water there is in which to distribute the alcohol you drink. After drinking the same amount of alcohol, a person who weights 80 kg (175 lb.) but has a lot of body fat will reach a higher BAC than a lean 80-kg person of the same sex.

How much can I drink?

Some people suggest you limit your alcohol intake to one standard drink per hour. Unfortunately, this rule works only for the first few hours and generally only for men.

Also, it's important to note that you can't dance, sing, cry or urinate away alcohol and drinking a cup of coffee or having a cold shower will have no real effect on your blood alcohol level, as only a very small amount of alcohol is eliminated through tears, saliva and perspiration.

If you have a BAC of .09, it will take you about six hours to return to a BAC of 0. You simply can't do anything to speed up the elimination of alcohol. And don't think that 'drinking experience' plays a role either - the experienced drinker takes almost as long to eliminate alcohol as does the inexperienced drinker. Time is the only true remedy to lower the amount of alcohol in your blood.

What should I do?

Impairment begins soon after you start drinking so, if you drink, don't drive. If you find that you are in a situation where you'd like to have a drink, restrict your consumption to no more than two drinks an evening. The more you drink, the greater your level of impairment and the higher your risk of death or injury. If that's not enough to dissuade you, imagine the ramifications of losing your license and what that would do to your work, home or school schedule.

No matter how you look at it, the risks involved with drinking and driving are just not worthwhile.