If you’re out drinking and you realize you’ve had too much to drive, your friends may quickly offer you a lot of advice on how you can quickly “sober up” and reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). They may assure you that you can be both safe and legal quickly if you do what they suggest.
However, most of these things are myths. It’s important to know what they are so you do not get yourself into legal trouble.
Eat food, especially with a high fat content
It can help if you eat this type of food prior to consuming alcohol, as it lines your stomach and slows down the absorption of alcohol. If you’re already drunk, though, it doesn’t matter what you eat. Nothing takes the alcohol back out of your system.
Drink a cup of coffee
This advice likely stems from the fact that alcohol makes you tired, and caffeine wakes you up. Caffeine does not sober you up, though. It just makes you more awake while leaving you just as impaired as you were before.
Take a shower
Again, a shower wakes you up. It also takes time, and time helps you sober up. Not only is it likely impossible to take a shower once you’re already out for the night, but it wouldn’t help you even if you could.
The only way to a lower BAC is to wait and let your body break down the alcohol. If you get pulled over and find yourself facing DUI charges before this has time to happen, you must know what legal defense options you have.