Day Drinking: Is It Dangerous?

There’s a saying, “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning,” and summer in Florida provides many enticing opportunities for day drinking. Boating, beach days, cookouts, and holidays, the summer months are practically designed for a cold beverage under the sun. To keep you safe and informed, here are four factors to keep in mind to ensure enjoyable and occasional day drinking this summer.

Dehydration.

Being out in the sun can dehydrate you, add drinking to the mix and you have the perfect concoction for disaster. Dehydration symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness. Combining the two activities can cause a drop in blood pressure and quickly increase blood alcohol concentration, which can lead to injuries. Sunburn is also a cause for concern. In addition to forgetting to drink enough water, many who are day drinking often forget to put on sunscreen, further exacerbating dehydration.

You may drink more.

Overall, consumption of alcohol is likely to increase during the daytime rather than if you started the party at night. This is because of the amount of time you have to drink. Unlike nighttime when your bed is calling your name after a few hours of drinking, you will be awake and alert for hours due to the daylight. Pacing yourself is key when day drinking. Make sure you are drinking water and other non-alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated, as well as eating during your daytime celebration. 

Thinking you can drive later.

After day drinking, many people will call an Uber, wait a few hours to sober up, then think they are okay to go on with the rest of their day. This is rarely the case. While you may feel less drunk, you are still intoxicated to some degree. Alcohol leaves the body at the rate of about one drink per hour. Your quick nap and food binge do not mean your blood alcohol concentration is low enough to drive. If you feel sober compared to earlier, you still may not be ready to get behind the wheel.

You could get into legal trouble.

Did you know that August is ranked as the deadliest month for DUI-related crashes? Drinking and driving is obviously a huge problem. Everyone is put in danger when you drive under the influence. When day drinking, you may be more inclined to drive for the sake of convenience, but it is never worth it. Besides risking a DUI or possibly harming others, getting charged with disorderly conduct or an open container offense are also problems to consider.

If you’re going to day drink, play it safe! Make smart decisions to help keep you out of trouble, consume water and food regularly, and call a rideshare service even if you think you might be sobering up. The safety of everyone on the road, as well as yourself, is not worth risking even if only driving a short distance. 

If you find yourself in a bit of trouble, you’ll want to work with a trusted lawyer who has been serving South Florida for years and can help walk you through what to expect while supporting you through every process. Contact the Law Office of Joseph Cerino today at 239-561-2820.

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The law office of Joseph Cerino handles all matters of litigation, concentrating in family law including divorce, custody, child support, paternity, alimony, property division and domestic violence, as well as, criminal defense and appeals in Southwest Florida.

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