The only safe limit of alcohol to have in your blood and drive is zero!
It is not advisable to even have one drink and drive as alcohol impairs your judgement and lessens your reflexes. The official amount of alcohol is 22 microgrammes per 100ml of breath reading. This cannot be translated into an exact amount of units as it depends on many factors, height and weight, time when last drink consumed etc, so the best advice is not to drink at all or to order a taxi.
The police cannot answer this as we are not medical experts. For advice on alcohol issues, help can be found on 08004 488 688 (Alcohol addiction help).
Depending on the amount of alcohol you consumed you could still be over the limit the following morning, even afternoon. Even if you feel fine and 'sober' it does not mean that you are not still over the legal limit. If in doubt, do NOT drive.
There is no definitive answer as to when you would be under the legal limit as it depends on a lot of factors. Your body size and other factors in your genetic makeup affect this sort of rule.
As a very rough guide for a healthy adult, ignoring the first hour you should deduct an hour for each unit of alcohol you consume. A unit is half a pint of normal strength lager/beer, a single measure of spirits or a standard glass of wine.
This is not a rule that should be relied upon but a warning as to how long alcohol can linger in your system and the possible consequences of driving the following day.
If you eat a meal whilst consuming alcohol this does help to soak up the alcohol and release it at a much slower rate (but eating much later after an evening of heavy drinking does not generally help).
However, lack of sleep and feeling unwell can affect your driving and there are other offences that you could commit if you drive after a heavy night out even if you are not over the limit.
You can purchase breathalysers but we cannot recommend any brand or comment on how reliable they are.
If you are stopped the day after and are over the limit, you are classed as a drink driver and will face the same penalties. Ignorance of the alcohol level in your system is no defence.
It is an offence to sell alcohol to persons under the age of 18. If you know an off licence that is selling alcohol to persons under this age, you should contact your local police force or Trading Standards Office who will take details. The person that is selling the alcohol to the under aged youths could face a fine.
Please also note that it is an offence to purchase alcohol for anyone under the age of 18 (also known as 'proxy purchasing'). Please see the link in related information for more details.
It is common that if you have spoken to your child/friend, they themselves will not admit the problem. If you do not feel you can do anything more personally, then you could contact your local GP who may be able to offer some help.
There are also several web sites that are listed in related information which, may be of assistance.
There is no specific offence of supplying alcohol to children whilst in your own home; however there could well be issues in relation to endangering a child and issues relating to the protection of children.
Any concern for the safety and welfare of children should be reported to the police.These issues could be difficult to prove but it is still worth contacting your local police force and passing on the information. Each case will have to be assessed on its own merits.
It is also advisable to contact all the parents of children concerned to inform them of the situation.
Every Local Authority has the power to make bye-laws for the purpose of suppressing nuisances in their area. This power is provided for by the Local Government Scotland Act 1973.
Many local authorities across Scotland have introduced bye-laws prohibiting public drinking. The byelaws also include having an open container of alcohol in a designated area.
It would be advisable to contact your local Police Force or Local Authority who will have details of any bye-laws prohibiting public drinking in your area.
