You know that spirits have a high alcohol content, so when you go out and drink, you turn to beer. Beer can be just as intoxicating as other kinds of alcohol, though, when you drink it in large quantities and over a shorter period of time.
So, how intoxicating is beer? A single drink is the same as having a regular glass of wine or a shot of whiskey, because these all contain around the same amount of alcohol.
Your single drink can be just as impairing as taking a shot
Something that is interesting and that people may not know (especially when they’re young) is that drinking a can of beer could be as impairing as drinking a shot of a spirit. Drinks, when served as standard, have similar effects on the body. It doesn’t matter if you drink wine, liquor, beer or another alcoholic beverage: They all have similar effects because the alcohol content isn’t actually very different.
How can that be?
Consider this. A beer may have 4.5% alcohol in 8 ounces. A wine may have 9% in eight ounces, but you are served only four ounces in a typical wine glass. So, in essence, these two drinks have similar alcohol contents due to their sizes being different. The same is true of liquor, which, while strong, is usually served in 1.5-ounce shots. There are outliers, but this is a general rule that can be followed.
Be cautious if you’ll be drinking
If you are planning to drink, keep these conversions in mind. Remember that a single drink of any kind could take an hour or longer to process in the body. It’s not safe to drive, and it’s better to look for a safe way home when you’re done drinking for the night.
If you do drink and are stopped by an officer, you could face DUI charges even if you’re not over the .08% blood alcohol concentration limit. To help yourself, it’s a good idea to stay quiet about what you’ve had to drink and to look into your legal options for defending against the charges.
