Understanding an Alcohol Induced Buzz
When consuming alcohol, people pass through stages. The pace at which a person passes through these stages varies, and it greatly depends on how much and how fast the alcohol is consumed.
During the first stage, people feel a mood elevation. Inhibitions subside, a sense of happiness takes over, and the surrounding ambience grows pleasant and warm. Drinking causes us to do things we normally cannot or would not were the alcohol not in our bloodstream. The stage that occurs after consumption, when everything in the world seems perfect and positive and our bodies relax, is called the “tipsy stage.”
According to DifferenceBetween.com, no official definition of the terms “tipsy” and “drunk” exist because it can cause different symptoms for different people. However, when a person feels tipsy, the high end of this stage is when “the light ‘buzz’ hits your head.”
When you have a buzz, you still control your speech, actions, and body balance. You can function, but you are still impaired. You’re more relaxed than usual, and your decision-making skills are influenced.
Drunk Driving vs. Buzzed Driving
Did you know 49 percent of adults aged 21 and older will always get a ride, take a taxi, or use public transportation just to avoid driving with a buzz? It’s the smart choice because buzzed driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. In fact, the impairment caused by a buzz is the same as that of being drunk and will have you confronting a DUI charge all the same. The law sees no difference between buzzed and drunk driving.
According to the Ad Council, the financial cost of being pulled over for driving with a buzz is around $10,000 total! You will be responsible for fines (every single speeding ticket will be checked too), lawyer fees, a rise in insurance costs, and more. It’s a serious offense, and one the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies as a symptom of a much bigger problem: the misuse and abuse of alcohol.
Making the Smart Choice
The NHTSA reports that in 2012, more than 10 thousand people died in crashes caused by alcohol impairment. This statistic equates to a death every 51 minutes. In total, alcohol-related crashes have cost an estimated 37 billion dollars on a yearly basis.
Buzzed driving IS drunk driving. It’s up to you to make the smart choice and not get behind the wheel when you feel buzzed. Simple steps like planning a safe way home, designating a sober driver, and finding an alternative way to get home when you feel buzzed can save you and others. So why not join the Buzzed Driving Campaign the Ad Council is running and spread the word?