That being said, I have spent nearly 20 years listening to clients describe for me the events that led to their arrest for DWI. There are certain common mistakes that can shift a night of responsible social drinking into unintended intoxication.
Here is Tip #1:Do not drink on an empty stomach.
The rate at which alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream is dependent on many factors but food in the stomach is one of the more significant ones. The bulk of alcohol absorption takes place in the small intestine, not the stomach. As a result, the rate at which your stomach empties into your small intestine is very important. Food in the stomach slows down the process. Empty stomach = stomach emptying occurs faster.
Why does this matter? As the chart below describes, your peak alcohol concentration will likely be higher if you are drinking on an empty stomach. Drinking with food? The peak never gets as high.
Happy hour? Eat some wings, nachos or pizza. That free food the bar is offering? Eat some of it. You won’t drink as much and your alcohol level will rise slower and never get as high.