Get a Breathalyzer

 

If you drink alcohol at all, ever, get a breathalyzer.  It’s not just for alcoholics, problem drinkers, or people with past DUIs.  It’s for responsible people who don’t want to kill or be killed.  Get several – one for each car, and one for home.  Then, use it.  Use it every time you’ve had alcohol to drink and you get behind the wheel.

It’s actually kind of fun when it isn’t being administered by law enforcement.  Make a game of it – guess what your blood alcohol content (BAC) is before you test. Use it at home when you feel tipsy to see what the different BACs feel like.  This way, you get a much better idea of what it feels like to be too drunk to legally drive.  I’ll give you a hint:  it’s way less drunk than you think. You might feel totally fine, and still be above the legal limit.

Why risk a DUI, or worse?  If you’re over the limit, get out of the car.  Make other arrangements to get home or wait until you’re legally able to drive.

As they say, “please drink responsibly.”

Alcohol doesn’t mix well with anything but food

I enjoy wine, and the occasional margarita.   Alcohol can be lovely when enjoyed in moderation, and can definitely enhance the enjoyment of a good meal.  But it’s important to keep in mind that alcohol doesn’t mix well with most things.  A good rule of thumb is not to mix alcohol with anything but food.  Some examples:

• Don’t mix with medications: Alcohol can interact with a wide variety of medications.  It can make your birth control pills less effective and can even kill you when combined with sedatives.  If you take any medications regularly, look up whether or not alcohol interacts with them.  If you’ve been drinking, avoid ANY medications you aren’t 100% certain will not be dangerous when combined with alcohol. 
• Don’t mix with driving: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know this.  But it bears saying again. Don’t drink and drive. Seriously.  Have a designated driver, call a cab, or drink somewhere you can stay until you’re sober.  Like at home.
• Don’t mix with sex: Alcohol seriously impacts the ability of a man to perform in bed. But even more importantly, it impacts anyone’s ability to consent to sex.  Unless you’ve had sex with someone many times and are 100% certain that they are consenting to have sex with you, you cannot have sex with someone who is drunk without risking being called a rapist.  It’s not worth it.
• Don’t mix with your phone/internet:  Don’t take pictures or videos of drunk people with your phone. Don’t post or text said pictures or videos. Don’t take pictures or videos of yourself when drunk. Don’t call or text people when drunk – you’ll say and do things you KNOW you shouldn’t.  Don’t tweet or blog when drunk.  Anything that really needs saying or sharing can wait until you are sober.
• Don’t mix with school or work: Drinking does not enhance your ability to learn or perform work, all joking about the “Ballmer Peak” aside. You do not want to get fired or kicked out of school because you were intoxicated.  You don’t want to be the object of office or school gossip because you got drunk at a party and did something embarrassing.  Save it for your personal time.
• Don’t mix with danger: If you’re going to be in a situation where you need to be able to respond quickly and effectively, i.e. if you’re “operating heavy machinery”, walking near traffic, in a bad neighborhood, or having dinner with your in-laws, do not drink.  Don’t mix with weapons. You don’t really want the phrase “drunken idiot” on your tombstone, at your trial, or in your divorce court proceedings, right?
• Don’t mix with pregnancy: You know this, right?  If you can’t stay sober for 9 months, you are so not cut out for parenthood.
• Don’t mix with hot tubs: Drinking alcohol while hot tubbing can lead to nausea, dizziness, passing out, falling, and drowning.  Plus, you don’t want glass containers (that can fall and break) near a hot tub where people have bare feet. I know combining drinking and tubbing sounds like a great idea, but opt for one or the other, not both.
• Don’t mix with anger: If you’ve got anger management issues, you need to drink alone and stay that way until you sober up.  “But I was drunk” isn’t a valid defense for any sort of assault or abuse.
• Don’t mix with people you shouldn’t be having sex with: Drinking lowers inhibitions.  Don’t drink around people you know you shouldn’t have sex with (and don’t encourage them to drink), especially if you find them attractive.  There are some things that can’t be undone, and making a pass at the wrong person is one of those things.

Alcohol isn’t evil, but it should be enjoyed responsibly.  Preferably in a safe place, with people you trust, who won’t let you do anything stupid.