Sober up: Time from last drink to a road traffic injury

PURPOSE

There is no intervention that quickly reduces a person's blood alcohol content (BAC). "Sober up before you drive" may prevent road traffic injury (RTI) caused by alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of RTI on an hourly basis (1-6 h) after the last drink and the determinants of this risk.

METHODS

This was a case-crossover study of alcohol consumption among 430 patients who suffered an RTI and arrived at an emergency department in a large hospital in Mexico City from January to April 2022.

RESULTS

Of the 430 patients studied, 46 reported drinking within 1 h before the RTI, for a risk ratio (RR) of 7.7 (95% CI [5.6, 10.4]). This RR decreased to 2.2 (95% CI [1.3, 3.7]) for the 12 patients drinking in the second hour before the RTI and was null for those drinking earlier (p ≤ 0.001 for the trend). The induction time was 3 h among those with higher BAC and intoxication levels. The RR for an RTI decreases 71% from the first to second hour from the last drink and 32% from the second to third hour. This decrease was similar among those intoxicated and those with increased BACs. In multiple regression models, higher levels of intoxication and higher BACs remained associated with higher RRs.

DISCUSSION

People should avoid driving after drinking. Waiting to drive, walking, or riding after drinking reduces the risk of an RTI, especially for people with higher BAC and intoxication levels.

The moderating effect of stimulus attractiveness on the effect of alcohol consumption on attractiveness ratings

AIMS

To explore the enhancing effect of alcohol consumption on attractiveness ratings, in that few studies on the Beer Goggles effect control the stimuli attractiveness level and researchers have seldom considered extending the effect to stimuli other than faces.

METHODS

Male and female participants (n = 103) were randomly assigned to alcohol consumption or placebo groups. Both groups were asked to assess the attractiveness of two types of pictures (faces and landscapes) with three levels of attractiveness for each stimulus category (high, moderate and low).

RESULTS

We found significant interactions between beverage type and attractiveness level. Attractiveness ratings for moderate- and low-attractiveness faces were significantly higher in the alcohol compared with placebo condition, while there was no significant difference for high-attractiveness stimuli between these two conditions. As for landscapes, only low-attractiveness stimuli were rated significantly higher in the alcohol condition.

CONCLUSION

Whether or not alcohol consumption leads to an increase in attractiveness ratings depends on the initial attractiveness of the stimulus materials. Alcohol consumption tends to affect ratings for stimuli with relatively low attractiveness. Furthermore, this effect is not limited to faces; it extends to other types of stimuli like landscapes.