Drink Driving Myths Exposed

Driving under the influence of alcohol is one of the main causes of vehicle accidents in Spain. According to figures from the General Directorate of Traffic, one in three deceased drivers tested positive for alcohol and other drugs.

For this reason, the DGT continues with its awareness campaign #SiConducesPonteACero so that drivers do not get behind the wheel if they have consumed a single drop of alcohol.

In one of their latest tweets, they talk about the false belief of some tricks to hide alcohol and other drugs in the controls.

“There are no tricks that are worth trying to avoid #drug controls (drink water, coffee, lemon, etc. The presence of drugs in saliva does not disappear and it does not disappear from the blood,” they explain.

And they conclude with a phrase that sums it all up: “It only works to NOT consume”.

Here, we explain some of the myths that do not work to hide alcohol and other drugs.

A study carried out by FESVIAL (Spanish Foundation for Road Safety) points out the great lack of knowledge of the operation of the procedure that is followed in a control of drugs to drivers.

Proof of this is that “40% of drivers, according to this study, believe that the analysis is done on expired air and not saliva,” they explain.

This ignorance influences false beliefs to elude controls. These are the data offered by the DGT study on these tricks.

– Wait 1-2 hours

It doesn’t work. It is only effective if the wait is very long and is around 5-6 hours, as a standard mean time, which would be the time in which the body eliminates the drugs at the levels measured by the test.

– Consume coffee

It doesn’t work. The ingestion of coffee ‘fooled’ the first ethylometers several decades ago, but it does not produce any effect on the concentration of the drug in the saliva.

– Drinking water

It doesn’t work. There is no scientific evidence to support it. Drinking water does not dilute the presence of drug in saliva.

– Play sports / sweat

It doesn’t work. Saliva tests – used in road checks – are not affected by sweating or playing sports. Therefore, it doesn’t work.

– eat lemons

It doesn’t work. Eating lemons does not produce any alteration in the concentration of the drug in the saliva, although it does stimulate its production.

– Drink energy drinks

It doesn’t work and it’s dangerous. The high concentrations of stimulants in these drinks can cause additive effects. It does not dilute the drug concentration and there are cases of sudden death described.

– Sleep for a while

It doesn’t work. Sleep, by itself, does not eliminate the amount of drug present in the body. Only if it is a sleep of more than five hours would it produce an effect, not because of the fact of sleeping, but because of the time elapsed.