Dangers of driving the 'morning after' St Patrick's Day stressed

People drowning the Shamrock this weekend have been warned of the dangers of driving on the 'morning after', with Drinkaware also reminding people to stay safe over the long weekend.

Drinkaware, the national independent charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, is providing advice and tips to stay safe this St Patrick’s weekend.  

This long weekend is jam packed with events. We will see the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations; the Six Nations finals unfold and then finally a more relaxed Sunday with Mother's Day.  

Drinkaware says there has been a shift in Irish drinking culture over the past three years. The Drinkaware Annual Barometer 2022 found that 39% of all Irish adults agreed that “Irish drinking culture has changed for the better over the last three years.”  44% of 18–24-year-olds agree with this statement. 

Ahead of the long weekend, Drinkaware, has reminded people of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking, highlighting the Drinkaware drinks calculator as a useful tool to keep track of how many drinks you have had and providing an estimation of how long it will take your body to process alcohol.  

The Drinkaware drinks calculator is the most popular tool on drinkaware.ie, with over 90,000 pageviews in December 2022 alone, a 170% increase on 2021. The interest in the calculator clearly indicates people want to keep track of their consumption and be more aware of the impact alcohol can have, whether it be the time it takes to process, the sugar content, the number of standard drinks, or the impact on their bank balance.  

The Drinkaware Annual Barometer 2022, found 87% of people agree that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive. Yet, figures from An Garda Síochána revealed that over the St Brigid’s Bank Holiday Weekend there were 196 (123 alcohol/73 drugs) arrests for drink/drug driving. 

This St. Patrick's weekend, Drinkaware is providing the information you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe: 

Know the facts on driving the morning after 

·        It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink 

·        An average pint of beer equals two standard drinks. this means it will take your body two hours to process one pint of beer 

·        Alcohol levels continue to rise for hours after consuming the drink of choice 

·        The only way to remove alcohol from your system is time, no amount of food or water will speed up the process 

·        Neither will the common myths of showering, eating a large breakfast, coffee, energy drinks or exercise 

·        The processing time starts from when the last drink is finished. 

Tips for a safe and mindful long weekend:  

·        Alternate every drink for a glass of water 

·        Don’t top up your glass, let yourself finish the drink before pouring another  

·        Set a spending limit and stick to it 

·        Ask yourself ‘Do I really want this drink?’  

·        Plan a safe route home before you go out. Double check public transport and remember it will be a busy weekend for taxis.

Try some alcohol-free events over the long weekend: 

·        Take part in a free local park run (don’t worry, you can walk this too!) 

·        Make sure to check out your local area for different cultural events taking place 

·        Organise a mocktail night 

·        There are loads of alcohol-free alternatives available, if you are heading out over the weekend, why not give the zero alcohol alternatives a try.  

Jennifer Flynn, Director of Communications for Drinkaware said: "Our mission at Drinkaware is to prevent and reduce the misuse of alcohol in Ireland. We want to provide people with practical information, tips and supports to help them stay safe during the long weekend. Whether that’s being more mindful if they are drinking alcohol, or the dangers of driving the morning after they have been drinking. We know Irish drinking culture is changing as seen through our Annual Barometer survey, with 39% of Irish adults agreeing that 'Irish drinking culture has changed for the better over the last three years'.  

"However, we also know that there is an increase in drink driving, fatalities and other road accidents over bank holiday weekends. With St. Patrick’s weekend coming up, and so many other events taking place during the long weekend, it is important for the public to enjoy themselves but also to be aware of the dangers and how to minimise the risks.

"Keeping track of how many drinks you have had the night before means you can make informed decisions before getting behind the wheel of a car. Knowledge is power and we would encourage the public to make use of the Drinkaware drinks calculator and the information available from the RSA & An Garda Siochana to keep our roads safe. Let’s continue to change our drinking culture for the better and make the St Patricks Day long weekend a positive and enjoyable experience for all," Ms Flynn said.