Drennan Law Firm's Blog

If you are someone who enjoys alcoholic beverages, whether you enjoy sharing an IPA with your friends after a long day at work or have developed a taste for sipping artisanal whiskeys, you need to make sure you are particularly careful if you get behind the wheel after enjoying one of your favorite drinks.

Knowing when you are safe to drive and when you definitely are not is difficult even in the best circumstances. Our brains have a way of convincing us that the alcohol hasn't affected us as much as it really does. In other words, it's not a very good idea to rely solely on your own analysis of your cognitive state when trying to determine if you are under the influence of alcohol or not.

People sometimes make the mistake of thinking that the legal limit for a driver's alcohol consumption -- a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08% for most drivers -- can protect them from getting a DUI. It's important to understand that that is not exactly how the law works, despite this common misconception.

For example, imagine that you looked up how much alcohol you could drink in a set period of time without going over the limit. When hitting the bar with your friends, you stuck to that amount. You then hopped in the car to drive home.

Thanksgiving is an exciting time of year for many people. There is typically a feast, an afternoon of chatting and getting together with friends, and preparation for the exciting Black Friday morning the following day.

This should be an exciting and positive time of year, but it can all go wrong if you decide to drink and drive. Remember, food can contain alcohol, and your drinks can, too. That means that your blood alcohol content might be higher than you expect.

When you're planning to drink alcohol, you probably also make plans for getting home safely. One of the bigger issues is not knowing that alcohol is contained in something you're eating or drinking. For example, you might think you've picked up nonalcoholic egg nog and later find that you actually purchased the wrong one.

There are many foods and drinks that contain alcohol. Sometimes, it's a small amount. Other times, the alcohol can add up and leave you tipsy, so it's important not to drive if you've ingested them. Here are a few unexpected places that you'll find alcohol in everyday food and drinks.