Let's just call it "legal research"

[kaysho]

If you're like me, occasionally you enjoy a drink of something alcoholic.  If you're doing this the ideal way, this hopefully involves doing it somewhere in the company of your friends, rather than hiding in your basement and pretending you don't have a drinking problem.  And unless you live in a city with outstanding public transportation, at

Comments

[leopanthera]

I hope you're not mis-reading the "proof" percentage as meaning "percentage alcohol" because if so you drunk twice as much as you should have done.

[doco]

Jägermeister's at about 35%, so three and a half shot glasses sound like a reasonable amount to me.

[kaysho]

It also doesn't help, if I wanted to drink more, that I weigh about 70kg, so there's not much to absorb all that. :)

[kaysho]

Actually, it should go the other way ... if I'd misread Jäger as being 70% ABV instead of 35% ABV, I would have drunk half as much. :)

[doco]

0.8 ‰ isn't an awful lot if you're seriously -used- to drinking, that's the problem. There are people who can drink themselves to 2.0 and still walk around like everything's normal, while a more casual drinker would've long been a stuttering and stumbling mess by the time they reached that amount.

Then again, laws vary from place to place - over here, the limit long used to be 0.8, then went down to 0.5 (they had to meet somewhere between the West's 0.8 and the East's 0.0 I guess), but the moment you're above 0.3 ‰ they've got you by the balls already, should you be involved in an accident.

[chipuni]

I agree with this comment.

Alcohol, like many drugs, affects different people differently. Small amounts affect some people strongly; for others, it takes a seriously large amount of alcohol to get them buzzed.

My parents would have three standard drinks per night, easily. Often more. Sometimes a lot more.

(It's a major reason why I don't drink alcohol.)

[kaysho]

That does seem a bit much, yes ... I would guess, although I don't know for sure, that that was about how much my Dad was drinking for "painkilling" purposes (war wounds) before his doctor told him it was going to kill him, and he got on proper meds. So for the same reason, I don't necessarily avoid alcohol, but I give myself a low limit.

Well, that and I don't really like the feeling of being drunk, anyway. :)

[kaysho]

I suppose I should be gratified, then, that I'm not so accustomed to drinking that 0.08% doesn't make me miserable. :)

Seriously, while it was fun on the way up, for the first 45 minutes or so, at the crest I was starting to feel a bit sick, and then on the way down ... well, I don't want to feel that way again.

[rikoshi]

As someone with a degree in biology (and someone who enjoys drinking and huskies!), I have to say, thanks for taking the bullet on this one, because I find the results kind of fascinating and wholly enlightening.

One thing this reveals, really, is how much people must actually drink on a regular basis when they're not conscientious, well-educated folks like us. Which is a scary notion, and kind of sad when you think about it.

I promise that I will never make you chug three-plus shots of Jäger just to be cool and hang out with me. :)

[kaysho]

This is a relief, because let me tell you, in that state I felt the antithesis of cool. :)

Although I question, since the experience is personal and subjective, how much real information you can get from my taking the bullet ... which is not to say that I'm recommending that you try it yourself. But really, 0.08% is way way past the point of "wheeeee, this is fun!", at least for me. If I were in that state at a party, I'd be ashamed.

[ext_227120]

You've demonstrated to yourself that you are sensitive to alcohol. Unfortunately, people who drink large quantities regularly develop more resistance and will not feel or act quite as "drunk" as what you experienced. This doesn't mean their reactions and judgement are not impaired, just that it's harder for them, and their friends to be sure.

Blood alcohol levels are insufficient as a standard, and should not be the only evidence accepted. Alas, having the magical aura of "scientific objectivity" they are often treated just that way.

[kaysho]

Well, yes, you have to have some kind of standard, since "drunkenness" is subjective otherwise and the law would be difficult to enforce. But I'm really wondering why the limit is so generous ... I would think something like 0.04% would be more sensible.

[ext_227120]

That's easy to answer I think. Like so many laws, it was written to suit certain special interests. The producers of alcoholic beverages and the tavernkeepers' associations would fight vigorously against a 0.04 level. I quite agree with you though, that 0.04 is probably a much more sensible standard, and I think 0.05 has been proposed many times without success.

[pepemapache]

I certainly felt drunk last night at chicken with only 1 beer! WTF? I can usually have 3.

If you want to do more scientific research, you're welcome to visit us, watch a movie and have Gin & Tonic, for scientific purposes only of course :P

[kaysho]

I would be delighted to take you up on your offer, although in moderation and after at least a week of recovery time. :)

Which reminds me, I was going to go to Frolic on Saturday ... well, we'll see how I feel. I can be designated driver, if nothing else!