Drinkaware this Christmas: Give your body time for alcohol to leave system

ALCOHOL awareness charity Drinkaware is reminding people that the only way to let alcohol pass through your system is time – and they should be mindful when driving the morning after drinking.

The charity is also dispelling common myths that people use in an attempt to sober up, which aren’t as effective as they appear.

These myths for making alcohol wear off include going for a shower, going for a run or exercising, drinking energy drinks, drinking coffee, or having a big breakfast.

According to Drinkaware, these actions may make a person feel better, but they will not make alcohol pass through their system any quicker.

The charity advises that it takes at least one hour for your body to process a standard drink, and the time for this only commences when you’ve consumed your last drink.

For example, if a person finished drinking at midnight, and had three pints, they would have consumed six standard drinks.

This means they need to wait at least six hours from midnight – when they stopped drinking – before their body will have processed the alcohol. As such, they should not get behind the wheel of a car until 6 o’clock the next morning at the earliest.

Jennifer Flynn, director of communications for Drinkaware, commented: “There are so many myths around how to sober up the night after having a few drinks.

“Drinkaware wants to remind people this Christmas that although a large breakfast, cups of coffee, showers or exercise might make a person feel better, they simply do not remove alcohol from your system.

“The only way to ensure you’re safe to get behind the wheel the following day is to keep track of how many drinks you have had and give your body the appropriate amount of time for the alcohol to leave your system.”

Ms Flynn added that this Christmas, Drinkaware’s ‘Myths’ campaign aims to inform the public about the morning after drinking and urges them not to take any risks that could put themselves or others in danger.

The charity advises that people who are planning to drink should take public transport and lifts to their destination instead of driving.