How do you know you have enough to drink?

[Mindy]

Nords,

I love wine and be happy to try out the napa wines. Took a trip three years ago to napa valley and visited the vineyards.

I can't wait to be able to go back.
Thanks
Mindy

 

[Moscyn]

All your comments are so interesting and I do agree that children should not consume alcohol regularly and even there should be a limit of how much they should drink even for a one off celebration. I just think their organs are still developing and alcohol can only do harm at this stage. In fact one of the children asked why can't she drink more since she thinks she can handle more, and I very firmly told her off and explained about her developing organs. Sometimes adults don't even know when they have enough, so I don't think kids can decide on this issue.

 

[MichaelB]

I could write a book here about pharmacology and alcohol in the human body. But since this is my first post I'll spare you.
Children under 18 YOA should not consume alcoholic beverages on a regular bases. Yes there are immediate consequiences (that laws prohibit) but it is the possible long term affects that need to be thought about. Most children are not fully developed at 18 YOA. Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages can disrupt organ development. This is a long term affect, as it my not rear it's ulgy head till you start a family or have a serious illness and can't (or slowly) re-cope from.
All States' DUI laws state "under the influence of" not drunk or can't drive.
After a drink or two do you feel the affects of driniking? Like you face is a little flush, you feel a little at ease, you feel courageous, just a slight buzz. Guess what you are under the influence of alcohol. Sure you can walk, and even drive but should you?
FYI each regular mixed drink or 8 oz glass of wine and 12 oz beer. each have approx. 1/2 oz of alcohol. Regardless of your size most humans can only eliminate 1/3 of an oz per hour. You do the math.

Just a minor quibble - a 4 oz glass of wine would have around 1/2 oz of alcohol.

 

[braumeister]

Just a small point to add here.
Cultural differences play a huge role. Walk into any supermarket in Brussels, and you'll see people buying "table beer" which is similar to the US "non-alcoholic" beer (around 1/2 percent alcohol). The whole family will drink it, including the kids, at dinner.

Due to his northern German heritage, my father started me off early. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I started getting a shot glass of beer with Sunday dinner. Certainly a treat for me, and likely a good thing, because as I grew older, I would gradually get the amount increased (under parental supervision) until I occasionally was allowed a whole can on a very hot summer day by the time I was a teenager.

Learning to drink in moderation that way meant that I've never had a problem with alcohol, and I still average 1-2 glasses of beer a day. I wouldn't ever recommend this approach to anyone else, but it did work out well for me.

 

[bbbamI]

You do the math.

Numbers is hard....(so I've heard)

 

[HFWR]

How do you know you have had enough to drink?

When the bottle is empty?

 

[BigMoneyJim]

I mostly stop at two if I make it that far (I usually won't finish a beer), and two is a hard limit if I'm going to drive, although I usually stop at one if I'll drive. If I'm going to be driving with my niece or nephews in the car, zero is the hard limit.

I generally don't enjoy a buzz. There's a large discomfort factor with me with feeling even slightly out of control of myself. Only two or three times have I drank for the purpose of feeling buzzed or drunk, and I had to to put effort into overcoming the dislike of not being fully in control. I've never been hungover, blacked out or got sick drinking, so I'm not even sure if I've been definitively drunk even though two of the times I found walking to be a challenge.

For much of my career I drove a company fleet vehicle for work, and any DUI arrest (even off-work) would have ended my job. (Not that my job was more important than other people's health and safety, but we're not always motivated rationally.) Also there were strict rules (laws?) on how far before work I could drink at all. Add that to my not caring for being buzzed and the expense of alcohol, and I just haven't had much motivation to drink.

 

[FUEGO]

Neat tables showing BAC content based on # drinks and body weight for males and females plus another table showing effect of time on BAC.

Alcohol & Your Body | Brown University Health Education

Basically confirms my earlier asserted "1 drink per hour and I'm good to go" theory (given my body weight). This means that my BAC is under 0.01 when I'm walking out of the bar/party. Some would say "OMG that is deadly if you drive like that" but being slightly fatigued is more dangerous than a 0.01. Of course none of us ever drive if we are slightly fatigued right?

 

[eytonxav]

And I thought you were referring to how do you know when you have consumed enough water

 

[BigMoneyJim]

And I thought you were referring to how do you know when you have consumed enough water

That's actually possible. A radio contest had a water-drinking contest "hold your wee for a Wii" and a contestant later died from water intoxication.

 

[eytonxav]

That's actually possible. A radio contest had a water-drinking contest "hold your wee for a Wii" and a contestant later died from water intoxication.

Actually, I have heard about dying from consuming too much water, but most do not drink enough.

 

[Nords]

I think buying a breathalyzer and hosting a "how drunk are you?" party would be great fun.

Our company officers at the Naval Academy used to play that game on a regular weekend basis. Always a big hit with us midshipmen, especially when they'd "write up" the results for further discussion on Monday morning.

I still remember the (sober) mid who acted out such an excellent staggering-drunk performance that his company officer decided the breathalyzer must be broken. The officer gave up in disgust and threw away all the report chits he'd so lovingly accumulated that evening.

Of course that mid never had to buy himself another drink ever again...

 

[Ronstar]

I know I have enough after 2 beers. That's usually when I fall asleep.

 

[Moscyn]

I think buying a breathalyzer and hosting a "how drunk are you?" party would be great fun.

That's funny - may put that in the list of Christmas presents to give.

 

[Oddjobdth]

quote Just a minor quibble - a 4 oz glass of wine would have around 1/2 oz of alcohol.
Wines' natrual alcohol content is only about 10-12%. Any more than that it has been fortified with alcohol.

About the breathalyzer use a timer and wait atleast 10 minutes from your last drink of any alcohol. Otherwise the alcohol in your mouth will cause a higher than reading and you will discount the test as bad and go a head drive, when you shouldn't. Also the use of a timer will be better than you (who's been drinking and your timing is off almost 1 to 5. 1 second feels like 5 seconds)

 

[haha]

quote Just a minor quibble - a 4 oz glass of wine would have around 1/2 oz of alcohol.

Isn't that the recommended dose for a woman? And twice that for a man?

No way would I drink for my health, that is mostly hype. Sure, it may do some positive things re: heart attacks, but almost everything else it does healthwise is negative.

Who would drink if it didn't taste good and take the edge off his day?

Ha

 

[meekie]

About the breathalyzer use a timer and wait atleast 10 minutes from your last drink of any alcohol.

The instructions for mine say 20, and I always make sure to check the clock. Using it without waiting can screw up the sensor.

That does make it challenging to have a "how drunk are you" party, but it can still be fun.

I've been using this one, I like the replaceable sensors, because with other models I've had in the past, by the time I need it calibrated, it's so old I can't find anyone to calibrate it.
http://amzn.com/B000N5U8P4