In some cases, a driver who is arrested on DUI charges in Georgia will submit to a breath test that shows they are over the legal limit. Their BAC is higher than 0.08%.
But that driver may feel surprised and confused about this result. They may claim that they do not actually feel impaired at all. In some instances, they will have taken active steps to try to overcome their impairment. One tactic that people sometimes use is drinking a cup of coffee, believing that this can sober them up after they have been drinking alcohol.
But as the results of the breath test show, they may still be over the BAC limit. So what is actually happening in this situation?
The coffee simply wakes them up
It is a myth that coffee can help reduce your blood alcohol concentration. The only thing that does that is time. Drinking a cup of coffee is not going to take you from having an elevated BAC to having one that is suddenly below the legal limit.
What is actually happening to these drivers is that the alcohol they consumed often makes them feel fatigued and sluggish. When they drink coffee, they give their body a jolt of caffeine, and this wakes them up. They suddenly feel alert, and they no longer feel impaired.
But that still does not mean that their BAC has changed at all, so they are still in violation of drunk driving statutes in the state of Georgia.
Legal defense options
It is important to understand how some of these myths work to avoid mistakes that could lead to an arrest. If you do find yourself facing charges, then you also need to know what legal defense options you have.