Definition: bpa

Even at 0.3 per mille, vision (glare, restricted field of vision) and the ability to concentrate, react and coordinate are impaired. At the same time, risk-taking behaviour increases, which can lead to overconfidence, euphoria and even carelessness. In addition, alcohol exacerbates the negative effects of stress, time pressure and nervousness. These medically proven facts apply not only to heavy drinkers, but also to anyone who drinks alcohol occasionally, whether young or old, overweight or slim – in short, to almost all of us.
The sad reality is that
The risk of an accident increases from 0.5 per mille and, for new drivers, from as little as 0.3 per mille. At higher blood alcohol levels, the risk increases exponentially. At 0.8 per mille, it is already four times higher. One in five victims, or more than 100 deaths per year, lost their lives because of a drunk driver. The actual number of accidents with injuries caused by alcohol is estimated at around 30 per cent of all road traffic accidents and nearly 50 per cent at weekends.
Anyone with a blood alcohol level above 0.5 per mille is considered unfit to drive (drunk), regardless of individual alcohol tolerance or other evidence. Driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol is punishable by imprisonment or a fine. In addition, the driver's licence may be revoked.
Did you know that: a standard drink (e.g. 1 dl of red wine, 2 cl of spirits, 3 dl of beer, as served in restaurants) results in a blood alcohol level of approximately 0.2 per mille, and that alcohol is broken down in the blood at a rate of 0.1 per mille per hour? (Example: a blood alcohol level of 0.5 per mille is completely absorbed after approximately five hours) after a night of heavy drinking and a short night's sleep, the residual alcohol level may be such that your ability to drive is seriously impaired the next morning, even if you feel fine? (Example: a blood alcohol level of 1.2 per mille at midnight = 0.6 per mille at 6 a.m. the next day). There is NO miracle cure to reduce the effects of alcohol or speed up its absorption. (Neither pickles nor rollmops will help!) Coffee can actually delay the absorption of alcohol. Many medicines increase the effects of alcohol. (Be sure to read the package insert!)
Advice - Drinking or driving:

The best thing to do is to designate a sober driver at the beginning of the evening to drive home those who are drinking. You can also simply leave your car at home if you know in advance that you will be drinking alcohol. Public transport or a taxi cost much less than the costs of an accident or losing your driving licence.
No thanks, I'm driving:
When you notice that someone does not want to drink (anymore), accept their decision. This person is neither a killjoy nor a coward, but is showing civic courage. A good atmosphere even without alcohol:
As a responsible host, you know that after a stressful day at work, even one drink can be too much. So make sure you have enough non-alcoholic drinks for your guests. You never serve alcohol without something to eat, because you know its effects on an empty stomach. If one of your friends has had one too many, you call a taxi or let them stay the night.
Legal consequences:
Anyone can be tested!
The police may, at any time and even without concrete suspicion, subject drivers of vehicles and any other road users involved in an accident to a breathalyser test without any indication of intoxication (Art. 55 LCR).
Penalties for a blood alcohol level of 0.5 per mille or above:
According to Article 91(1) LCR, anyone who drives a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.79 per mille will be punished with a fine. The penalty will be imprisonment for up to three years or a financial penalty if the blood alcohol level is 0.8 per mille or higher.
And administrative measures:
In addition to the penalty, anyone who drives after consuming alcohol must also expect administrative measures. As a general rule, anyone caught for the first time with a blood alcohol level between 0.5 and 0.79 per mille while driving a motor vehicle will receive a warning, provided that they have not committed any other traffic offences and have no previous convictions as a driver. In the case of a minor offence, the driving licence is withdrawn for at least one month. From 0.8 per mille, the licence is withdrawn for at least three months! Anyone who repeatedly drives while intoxicated can expect a significantly longer driving licence withdrawal. For repeat offenders, the Road Traffic Act provides for increasingly longer minimum licence withdrawal periods, depending on the severity of the case, up to and including indefinite withdrawal. The cantonal authorities are not allowed to impose shorter periods. Having your driving licence withdrawn can be very painful, as it seriously restricts your professional and personal mobility.
What you need to know:
Alcohol consumed on an empty stomach has a faster effect than alcohol consumed with food. A normal glass of alcoholic beverage (e.g. 3 dl of beer, 1 dl of wine, 0.2 dl of spirits), as served in a restaurant, results in a blood alcohol level of approximately 0.2 per mille (this level may be higher depending on the person's weight, constitution, whether they are drinking on an empty stomach or not, and how quickly they are drinking). The body eliminates only about 0.1 to 0.2 per mille per hour. At 0.8 per mille, alcohol is therefore completely absorbed after about eight hours. After a night of heavy drinking and a short night's sleep, the residual level the next morning may be such (even if you feel fine!) that your ability to drive a vehicle is impaired. (Example: 1.2 per mille at midnight = approximately 0.6 per mille the next morning at 6 a.m.). Coffee can delay the elimination of alcohol. Many medicines increase the effect of alcohol (read the package leaflet!). The risk of causing an accident increases significantly from 0.5 per mille (from 0.3 for new drivers), reaching four times its value on an empty stomach at 0.8 per mille, and then increasing exponentially.
Alcohol checks without signs of intoxication:
Systematic police checks, even without signs of intoxication, are one of the most effective ways of reducing the number of drunk drivers. This measure, which was introduced in Switzerland in 2005, at the same time as the 0.5 per mille limit, is approved by 85% of the population. In addition to informing and raising awareness among the public, it is important for the police to increase checks in highly visible locations on busy roads. The preventive effect is greatest when drivers believe that the risk of being checked by the police is high. In parallel with this deterrent strategy, well-targeted spot checks are necessary to catch as many drunk drivers as possible.
Possible solutions:
Educational measures should focus on the significance of alcohol consumption and the social constraints associated with it. The key points are "firmness in the face of negative influences" and "alternative forms of experience". It is not easy to raise awareness among young people (aged 14 to 18) about alcohol and the associated accident risks, as they are at a stage where they are breaking away from their family environment and have little knowledge of the effects of alcohol. The topic will not be addressed in a moralising tone, but with the help of video clips designed to make young people feel involved and seek solutions in the classroom. In this regard, it is important to take them seriously and allow them to find solutions by discussing with their peers.
Alcohol in road traffic - Alcohol and accident risk:
Effects of different alcoholic beverages 0.2 dl of spirits or 1 dl of red wine or 3 dl
of beer results in an average blood alcohol level of 0.2 per mille (depending mainly on weight).

• From 0.3 per mille, driving ability begins to be impaired.
• From 0.5 per mille, driving ability is clearly impaired.

Tasks:

• What do you think of the following statement: beer makes you as drunk as any other alcoholic beverage?
• Examine your own drinking habits: is the second drink one too many, or is the first drink already one too many for me?

Unreported cases:

• Many drivers under the influence of alcohol (drink driving) go undetected.
• Alcohol plays a role in a very large number of accidents.
• The more serious the accident, the more likely it is that one of the people involved was drunk.

Tasks:

• Explain the concept of "unreported cases".
• Comment on the following fact:

In 2004, approximately 17,500 people had their licences revoked for drink-driving. But this represents only a small proportion of drivers whose blood alcohol level was above the legal limit!
The problem of "residual alcohol" - Tasks:

• Explain the concept of "residual alcohol".
• At midnight, a man has a blood alcohol level of 1.5 per mille. What is his blood alcohol level at 7 a.m.? Remember that alcohol is eliminated at a rate of approximately 0.1 per mille per hour. Calculate:

0.2 dl of spirits
1.5 per mille
1 dl of red wine
3 dl of beer.

Hours (max.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Drunk drivers with licence suspension: approx. 17,500
Sober drivers: approx. 3 million
Unreported cases without licence suspension: approx. 300,000 drivers drive while intoxicated.
It takes at least one hour to eliminate 0.1 per mille.
Source: BPA - © bpa. Reproduction authorised with acknowledgement of the source. Information available at the following Internet link: